Hosea 6:1

Authorized King James Version

PDF

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

Original Language Analysis

לְכוּ֙ H1980
לְכוּ֙
Strong's: H1980
Word #: 1 of 10
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
וְנָשׁ֣וּבָה and let us return H7725
וְנָשׁ֣וּבָה and let us return
Strong's: H7725
Word #: 2 of 10
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
אֶל H413
אֶל
Strong's: H413
Word #: 3 of 10
near, with or among; often in general, to
יְהוָ֔ה unto the LORD H3068
יְהוָ֔ה unto the LORD
Strong's: H3068
Word #: 4 of 10
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
כִּ֛י H3588
כִּ֛י
Strong's: H3588
Word #: 5 of 10
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
ה֥וּא H1931
ה֥וּא
Strong's: H1931
Word #: 6 of 10
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
טָרָ֖ף for he hath torn H2963
טָרָ֖ף for he hath torn
Strong's: H2963
Word #: 7 of 10
to pluck off or pull to pieces; causatively to supply with food (as in morsels)
וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ and he will heal H7495
וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ and he will heal
Strong's: H7495
Word #: 8 of 10
properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e., (figuratively) to cure
יַ֖ךְ us he hath smitten H5221
יַ֖ךְ us he hath smitten
Strong's: H5221
Word #: 9 of 10
to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)
וְיַחְבְּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ and he will bind us up H2280
וְיַחְבְּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ and he will bind us up
Strong's: H2280
Word #: 10 of 10
to wrap firmly (especially a turban, compress, or saddle); figuratively, to stop, to rule

Cross References

Deuteronomy 32:39See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.Job 5:18For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.1 Samuel 2:6The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.Hosea 14:4I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.Isaiah 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.Isaiah 2:3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.Job 34:29When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:Jeremiah 30:17For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.Hosea 14:1O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.Jeremiah 3:22Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

Analysis & Commentary

Come, and let us return unto the LORD (לְכוּ וְנָשׁוּבָה אֶל־יְהוָה)—The verb שׁוּב (shuv, 'return/repent') appears 15 times in Hosea, central to its message. But verses 1-3 are shallow repentance, verbal formulas without heart-change—exposed in verse 4: 'Your goodness is as a morning cloud.' He hath torn, and he will heal us—they assume automatic restoration after brief suffering. True repentance requires broken-heartedness (Psalm 51:17), not bargaining with God. Israel wanted God's benefits without covenant faithfulness, like Gomer wanting Hosea's provision while pursuing lovers. Verses 1-3 are insincere liturgy, not genuine teshuvah (return).

Historical Context

This call to repentance—'Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us'—may represent either genuine repentance or superficial religious sentiment during Israel's final unstable decades. Following verses suggest the latter: Israel's love was 'as a morning cloud' that quickly vanished. Hosea prophesied during a period when Israel experienced repeated military defeats and political upheavals (six kings in thirty years, four assassinated), yet responded with temporary religious enthusiasm rather than deep covenant renewal. This pattern of shallow repentance without lasting transformation characterized the northern kingdom's final generation before Assyrian conquest obliterated the nation.

Questions for Reflection