דְּבַר־יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־הֹושֵׁעַ בֶּן־בְּאֵרִי בִּימֵי עֻזִּיָּה יֹותָם אָחָז יְחִזְקִיָּה מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וּבִימֵי יָרָבְעָם   1:1  בֶּן־יֹואָשׁ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Hose. 1:1   The word of the Lord that occurred to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel:

The period identified here is over sixty years, from about 785 BCE until 720 BCE, but Hosea probably did not begin prophesying until well into Uzziah’s approximately fifty-year reign.  On another note, the fact that this verse indicates the full extent of Hosea’s activity means one of two things:  Either this book was written after Hosea completed prophesying or this verse was added later.

תְּחִלַּת דִּבֶּר־יְהוָה בְּהֹושֵׁעַ ף וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־הֹושֵׁעַ לֵךְ קַח־לְךָ אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים וְיַלְדֵי זְנוּנִים כִּי־זָנֹה   1:2 תִזְנֶה הָאָרֶץ מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה׃

Hose. 1:2   It was the first time the Lord spoke to Hosea, and the Lord said to Hosea, “Go take for yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land wants to be a harlot more than following the Lord.”

וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־גֹּמֶר בַּת־דִּבְלָיִם וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד־לֹו בֵּן׃   1:3

Hose. 1:3   So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore a son for him.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלָיו קְרָא שְׁמֹו יִזְרְעֶאל כִּי־עֹוד מְעַט וּפָקַדְתִּי אֶת־דְּמֵי יִזְרְעֶאל עַל־בֵּית יֵהוּא   1:4              וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי מַמְלְכוּת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

Hose. 1:4   And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for it is soon when I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu and make the kingdom of the house of Israel disappear.”

The name Jezreel can mean God will sow.  Others claim it means God sows.  But the first part of the name is in the imperfect tense.  Apparently the name is an allusion to the coming destruction of the northern kingdom, Israel.  But it also relates to the name of a valley in Israel.  See the next verse.

וְהָיָה בַּיֹּום הַהוּא וְשָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת־קֶשֶׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵמֶק יִזְרְעֶאל׃   1:5

Hose. 1:5   “And it shall happen on that day that I shall break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”

וַתַּהַר עֹוד וַתֵּלֶד בַּת וַיֹּאמֶר לֹו קְרָא שְׁמָהּ לֹא רֻחָמָה כִּי לֹא אֹוסִיף עֹוד אֲרַחֵם אֶת־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל   1:6

 כִּי־נָשֹׂא אֶשָּׂא לָהֶם׃

Hose. 1:6   And she conceived again and bore a daughter, and He said to him, “Call her name Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer continue to be merciful with the house of Israel that I would give support to them in any way.”

The name Lo-ruhamah can mean no mercy.

וְאֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה אֲרַחֵם וְהֹושַׁעְתִּים בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא אֹושִׁיעֵם בְּקֶשֶׁת וּבְחֶרֶב וּבְמִלְחָמָה   1:7

בְּסוּסִים וּבְפָרָשִׁים׃

Hose. 1:7   “But I will be merciful with the house of Judah that I will save them by the Lord, their God, and not save them by bow or by sword or by war, by horses or by horsemen.”

                                                                                                                  [Return to Hose. 12:1]

וַתִּגְמֹל אֶת־לֹא רֻחָמָה וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן׃   1:8

Hose. 1:8   When she weaned Lo-ruhamah, then she conceived and bore a son.

וַיֹּאמֶר קְרָא שְׁמֹו לֹא עַמִּי כִּי אַתֶּם לֹא עַמִּי וְאָנֹכִי לֹא־אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם׃   1:9

Hose. 1:9   And He said, “Call his name Lo-ammi, for you will not be My people and I will not be for you.”

The name Lo-ammi can mean not My people.

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