Hosea 1:2
The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
Original Language Analysis
תְּחִלַּ֥ת
The beginning
H8462
תְּחִלַּ֥ת
The beginning
Strong's:
H8462
Word #:
1 of 21
a commencement; relatively original (adverb, -ly)
דִּבֶּר
of the word
H1696
דִּבֶּר
of the word
Strong's:
H1696
Word #:
2 of 21
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
יְהוָֽה׃
And the LORD
H3068
יְהוָֽה׃
And the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 21
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
יְהוָֽה׃
And the LORD
H3068
יְהוָֽה׃
And the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
6 of 21
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
לֵ֣ךְ
H1980
לֵ֣ךְ
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
9 of 21
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
16 of 21
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
תִזְנֶה֙
hath committed great
H2181
תִזְנֶה֙
hath committed great
Strong's:
H2181
Word #:
17 of 21
to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (
תִזְנֶה֙
hath committed great
H2181
תִזְנֶה֙
hath committed great
Strong's:
H2181
Word #:
18 of 21
to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (
Cross References
Hosea 3:1Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.Deuteronomy 31:16And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.Psalms 106:39Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.Jeremiah 3:9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.Revelation 17:5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.2 Peter 2:14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:Ezekiel 6:9And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.Mark 1:1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;Hosea 5:3I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
Historical Context
Hosea prophesied to the Northern Kingdom (Israel/Ephraim) during the 8th century BC, beginning around 755 BC during Israel's final decades before Assyrian conquest. God's shocking command for Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman of promiscuity, came during an era when Israel had syncretized YHWH worship with Baal cult practices, treating God's covenant as casually as Gomer would treat marriage vows. This living parable confronted a society that was materially prosperous under Jeroboam II but spiritually bankrupt, pursuing foreign alliances and fertility cults while claiming covenant loyalty to YHWH.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Hosea 1:2 deepen your understanding of God's character, particularly His holiness, justice, and mercy?
- What specific attitudes, thought patterns, or behaviors does this verse call you to examine and change in light of the gospel?
- How does this passage point forward to Christ and His redemptive work, and how should that shape your worship and obedience?
Analysis & Commentary
Take unto thee a wife of whoredoms (אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים, eshet zenunim)—God commands Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute, creating a living parable of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness. The phrase wife of whoredoms doesn't mean merely past sin but ongoing harlotry, paralleling Israel's continuous spiritual adultery with Baal worship. The land hath committed great whoredom (זָנֹה תִזְנֶה הָאָרֶץ)—the intensive form emphasizes persistent, shameless idolatry. This prophetic sign-act dramatizes God's covenant love pursuing an unfaithful bride, prefiguring Christ's redemption of His adulterous church (Ephesians 5:25-27).