Hosea 1:5-9
by
Rev. Mark Perkins, Pastor
Denver Bible Church
326 E. Colorado Ave.
Denver, Colorado 80210
To: Hosea
Main Menu
To: Grace
Notes Home Page
Hosea 1:5
I Translation.
"And it will be in that day that I will break the bow of
Israel in the valley of Jezreel."
II The Meaning of the Verse.
A. Here is the prediction of the fifth and final cycle of discipline
for the
Northern Kingdom of Israel.
B. The bow of Israel is her military might, and it will be broken
in the geographical location which is appropriate for the administration
of the discipline.
1. This is a bow as in the weapon used for war. It symbolizes the entire army and military might of Israel.
2. The breaking of the bow makes it unusable in battle, and leaves the soldier who wielded it helpless.
3. So it will be with the army of the Northern Kingdom. They will be helpless because of the destruction of the military.
C. The valley of Jezreel was situated in the Northern part of
the Northern Kingdom.
D. It was the natural route for the Assyrian Army to take in
their conquest of Israel.
E. 2 Ki 15:29, "In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser
king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah,
Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the
land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria."
1. This territory included the valley of Jezreel as the southernmost boundary.
2. It was here that the military of Israel was broken in their fight against Assyria.
3. Assyria won the fights for all these towns in very lopsided battles.
4. Because of these military defeats, Israel signed a peace treaty with Assyria and became her vassal.a. A vassal state is subject to the ruling nation, and usually retains autonomy in name only.
b. The vassal would pay an exorbitant amount of tribute to its parent state.
c. It meant that the vassal had been all but conquered, and there was no reason to shed further blood in its defense.
5. A few years later, the Assyrians under Shalmaneser would come down and destroy the rest of the country.
F. With the military of might of Israel destroyed, they would have no way of stopping the Assyrians from doing what they pleased.
1. This disaster stared them in the face for a few years, and then the other shoe dropped.
2. It must have been an agonizing time for this nation. Not yet destroyed, and yet unable to defend herself against a terrible foe.
3. Even during this time of helplessness, they did not turn to God and reestablish their relationship with Him.a. God did this in just the right way; he made that nation helpless and yet not quite conquered.
b. As such, their only avenue of escape should have been obvious: it should have been God.
G. It is appropriate that the destruction of their military occurred in the valley of Jezreel.
1. Because they had sown their sin here in the sins of Jeroboam the first and Jehu.
2. Because the valley itself was called "God sows", and so Divine discipline was sown there, and reaped there as well.
Hosea 1:6
I Translation.
And she conceived again and bore a daughter, and he said to him,
"Call her name 'Lo ruhamah', for I shall certainly not have
any more compassion for the house of Israel, and I definitely
shall not forgive them."
II Hebrew Notes.
A. The first part of the verse is easy.
1. The Qal imperfect of the verb HARAH portrays the second conception of Gomer as being identical to the first. Apparently this second conception was the product of an adulterous affair on the part of Gomer.
2. The Qal imperfect of the verb YALADH shows the second birth is also identical to the first, except that noun BATH indicates that this child was a daughter.
3. Again the command comes from God to provide a specific name for the child, from the verb QERA', which is the Qal imperative of command.
B. The name itself is LO RUHAMMA, which is translated quite literally,
"not compassioned".
1. This daughter was to represent to Hosea the attitude which God had towards the people of the Northern Kingdom.
2. God will explain this in the rest of the verse.
C. The preposition BI points to the explanation of the name of
Hosea's daughter.
D. The negative adverb lO plus the verb 'OMIPH, the adverb `ODH,
and the verb 'ARAH.EM are all translated together.
1. The verb 'OMIPH is the hiphil imperfect. This is the causative verb, and it basically means to add one thing to another. Here it is taken with the next verb to show an action that God will not take, not even in the slightest degree.
2. The verb 'ARAH.EM is the piel imperfect, which intensifies the verb that is found in its tense. The result of these two verbs together with their adverbs is a very intense, very exact, and very clear statement. It is translated, "I will definitely, positively, absolutely not give one more milligram of compassion."
E. The direct object of the preceding verbs is 'ETH-BETH YESRA'EL.
1. 'ETH is the sign of the direct object in the Hebrew. They used a separate word to point to the direct object, instead of a case ending.
2. BETH means "house of", and it is the construct, meaning that it will take the next word in the possessive.
3. YISRA'EL is the proper noun Israel.
4. This adds up to the ruling family of Israel and all the lands which they rule.a. As we already know, the nation of Israel is going to be utterly destroyed under the fifth cycle of discipline just a few years hence from this prophecy.
b. This phrase indicates that the cause of the discipline is the ruling royal family of that nation.
c. However, it also implies that the nation is responsible for its rulers - that the rulers are what the nation deserves. Beware! "I didn't vote for the (fill in the blank)" bumper stickers are useless and more than that, they shirk responsibility. We get the rulers we deserve, and we must take responsibility for them.
F. The further explanation of the cutting off of God's compassion
is pointed to by the explanatory us of the preposition BI.
G. The reason is stated with the infinitive absolute and verb
NASHO' 'EWHA'. The infinitive absolute shows emphasis when it
precedes the verb, so again we have a very strong statement from
God. It is translated, "I shall definitely not forgive".
H. The direct object LAHEM finishes the verse.
It is translated, "them".
III The Meaning of the Verse and Its Impact.
A. The meaning of the female child.
1. Gomer gave birth to a female child.
a. Since Hosea's family was to have great significance in his prophetic life, the sex of his second child would as well.
b. The family of Hosea represented Israel. As Hosea's family was to him, so also Israel had been to God.2. Hosea's first child, a male, was born from an adulterous tryst on the part of Gomer.
a. He represented the hypocrisy and adultery of Israel, and he was a foreshadowing of what was to come in Divine discipline through the fifth cycle of discipline.
b. He represented the rule of Jehu, a king who was idolatrous and unfaithful in his relationship with God.3. Likewise, his second, a female, was born from an adulterous tryst on Gomer's part.
4. The female child represents the effeminate nature of the people of Israel.a. When a man becomes a responder in his emotions and thus imitates the woman, he is effeminate.
b. When a woman becomes man-like in her emotions, she is a feminist.5. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with having a daughter. Here, she represented something that was wrong with Israel. The men had become like women, and vice-versa.
6. The men were effeminate because of their immorality - their immoral activities had sapped their strength as men. They were no longer virile nor masculine (not macho).a. Masculinity may be expressed without becoming obnoxious.
b. Thoughtfulness and sensitivity are important to the expression of masculinity.
c. But a man who becomes a responder in his emotions, who imitates a woman in his soul, is a weak man.
7. The name of this daughter is a further indictment in this direction.
B. The meaning of the name.
1. LO-RUHAMAH, as we have seen, literally means "not compassioned".
2. This child was the product of adultery, and represented Israel.a. Because Israel had been involved in idolatry for so long, God had finally decided to cut off his compassion towards her.
b. There is a time when worldly compassion must be cut off, for the good of those who have received it, and for the good of those around them.1. Habitual criminals are a menace to society. To allow their continued presence in society is to remove compassion from he innocent.
2. It is the greater priority of any good society to have greater compassion for the innocent than for the guilty.
3. To elevate any criminal, especially a habitual criminal, to the moral level of his victims is very wrong!
4. Habitual criminals will commit many more crimes in their lives, and cause many more people to become victims, unless they are removed from society through capital punishment or life in prison.
5. This may be applied on a national scale. God cuts off His compassion from Israel so as to have greater compassion on the truly innocent.
6. The people of Israel were truly evil and full of crime. It was the right time for God to cut off His compassion from this nation.
c. This does not imply the loss of salvation in any way. Nor does this judgment extend to those believers in the nation like Hosea, who are right before God.
d. It does imply loss of priest nation status and logistical grace on a national scale.3. RUHAMAH is also a word which finds its roots in the word for "womb", and feminine compassion.
a. This matches well with the idea of the child being a daughter.
b. Israel had lost her capacity for compassion, and therefore no compassion would be shown to her.1. The women no longer had the quality of femininity and feminine compassion.
2. The men no longer had the quality of masculinity and masculine compassion.
3. Therefore, God would cut off His Godly compassion towards them.4. At the time just before Hosea began his ministry, God had this attitude toward Israel: 2 Ki 13:23, "But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence."
a. After another 50 years of unfaithfulness, that attitude had changed.
b. Look, Israel was not engaged in harmless sins. There was child sacrifice and unrestrained violence in the land. They were a hazard to themselves and to others, and they had to be removed.
C. Therefore, God makes two dogmatic statements concerning Israel.
1. This is the end of my compassion.
2. This is the end of my temporal forgiveness.
Hosea 1:7
I Translation.
But I will show compassion to the house of Judah and I will deliver
them through Yahweh their God, but I will not deliver them by
the bow or sword or strategy, by horses or by chariots.
II Hebrew Notes and the Meaning of the Verse.
A. The verse begins with the piel imperfect verb 'ARAH.EM.
1. The piel verb shows the action as happening with a great deal of intensity.
2. The imperfect tense shows that this action will occur at some time in the future (namely, in 701 B.C.).
3. It is translated, "I will have fantastic compassion".
B. The direct object of the verb is WE'ETH-BETH YEHUDHAH.
1. This is translated, "on the house of Judah".
2. Again, this indicates the entire nation, which here is the Southern Kingdom.
C. The verb WEHOSHA'TIM displays the way in which the compassion
of God will be shown.
1. The perfect tense of the verb shows that the action is in the future, but is so sure to happen that it is considered already in existence.
2. The hiphil is the causative verb, and so Yahweh is the cause of the action.
D. This is translated, "And I shall deliver them".
E. The preposition BI is attached to the proper noun YAHWEH,
and so it shows the agent of the delivery, which is God Himself.
It is translated, "through Yahweh".
F. The noun ELOHEHEM is a descriptive noun, and it shows the
relationship between the deliverer and those who are delivered.
It is translated, "their God". This implies that their
is a good relationship between the nation of Judah and Yahweh.
G. The negative adverb LO and the verb 'OshI`m indicate the means
by which the nation of Judah will not be delivered.
1. The verb is the hiphil imperfect. This means that the action will not come to pass, that God will not cause or use the following means to save Judah.
2. It is translated, "but I shall not deliver them.
H. BEQESETH WEBIH.EREBH WEBHEMILA.AM.AH form the first three means which are not used.
1. BEQESETH is translated, "by the bow".
2. WEBIH.EREBH is translated, "or by the sword".
3. WEBHEMILA.AM.AH is translated, "strategy".
I. BESUSIM WEBHEPHARASHIM form the second set of means which
are not used to deliver Israel.
1. The first is translated, "by horses".
2. The second is translated, "or by chariots"
III The Impact of the Verse.
A. This verse makes a strong contrast with the previous one.
B. While God will cut off his compassion to Israel, He will show
it to Judah.
C. At the time in which this was written, both nations were in
serious trouble.
1. Israel, as we have seen, is heavy into idol worship, and under serious Divine discipline and the threat of the fifth and final cycle.
2. Judah is also into idol worship, and they are also under the same threat.
D. There will be a difference, however.
1. Under the rulership of Hezekiah and the ministry of Isaiah, the nation of Judah will put a stop to idol worship and return to worshipping God in the prescribed way set down by the Mosaic Law.
2. This will result in God's display of compassion at a very dramatic moment in history.a. But Judah will not be saved by military might. Not by bow or sword or strategy; not by horses or chariots.
b. Israel had looked to save herself from Assyria through military might, and had utterly failed at the battles near the Jezreel valley.
c. Judah will be saved by their right attitude toward God!
E. Although the nation of Israel will not be around for that
moment, God is giving them a preview in hopes that they too will
see the truth.
F. The nation of Israel will reject this preview, and continue
on their road to destruction.
READ 2 Kings 18 and 19
Hosea 1:8
I Translation.
"And Gomer weaned Lo-Ruhamah, and then she conceived and
then bore a son."
II Hebrew Notes.
A. There are three verbs in this verse, all identical in form.
1. They are in the qal imperfect, third feminine singular.
2. The qal imperfect displays an action as imcomplete, and that is done here to show the drama of the act. It is the equivalent of our historical present in the English (explain).a. Newscasters often employ the historical present in order to dramatize the events they report. This usually goes with their narration of a film clip.
b. An example of this might be: "And the children are rescued by the fireman. The fireman goes up the ladder and into the burning house. He returns with a child in each arm. The event of the fire is past relative to the newscast. Yet the newscaster speaks as though they are happening at that very moment.
3. The third feminine singular shows Gomer, Hosea's wife, as the subject of those verbs.
B. The first verb is WATIGEMOL, which means to wean a child
from breast feeding. The object of this verb is Lo-Ruhamah,
the second child in the family, the daughter.
C. The second verb is WATAHAR, which means to conceive in the
womb.
D. The third verb is WATELEDH, which means to give birth. The
direct object of this verb is BEN, which is translated, "a
son."
III The impact of the verse.
A. This verse simply records the conception and birth of Gomer
and Hosea's third child, a son.
B. This child, like the two before it, was conceived in an adulterous
relationship. It was not Hosea's biological child.
C. Although Hosea was not the biological father of these children,
being the mature believer that he was, he did care for them.
D. It was not the children's fault that their mother was an adulteress.
E. The children would get to make their own choices in life.
Hosea 1:9
I Translation.
"And God said, 'Call his name, 'Lo-Ammi', for you are not
my people, and I shall not be God to you.'"
II Hebrew Notes.
A. The verse begins with the qal imperfect third masculine singular
verb WAYO'MER. It is literally translated, "and he said",
but the subject, God, has been defined in previous verses, and
I inserted it here for the sake of clarity. This verb shows a
past action as incomplete, and does so for dramatic reasons.
B. The qal imperative second masculine singular of the verb QERA'
describes the action called for by the preceding verb. It is
translated, "Call his name".
C. The direct object of QERA' is the noun SHEMO, which has the
masculine singular suffix, and receives the action of the verb
and is translated, "his name".
D. The name is LO' `AMMI, which translated literally comes out
"not my people".
E. The explanatory conjunction BI has the second masculine plural
ending, and it is translated, "for you".
F. The verb to be is inserted here, as it is implied even though
omitted in the original text. "are".
G. LO' `AMMI is next, and is translated, "not my people".
H. The conjunction waw is added on to the next word, and it specifies
an attendant condition to the first. It is translated, "and".
I. The personal pronoun in the first person forms the subject
of the second condition, which is the mirror of the first. It
is WE'ANOHKI, and it is translated, "I".
J. The verb and negative adverb LO'-'EHYEH form the action of
this second condition. It is the qal imperfect, and it is translated,
"shall not be".
K. Again we must insert something here, and it is the proper
noun God.
L. Finally there is the preposition LAKHEM with the second masculine
plural suffix, which is translated, "to you".
III The Impact of the Verse.
A. This message from this child is really an application and
expansion of the one from the child previous.
B. The application of the cutting of the compassion is that Israel
will no longer be God's holy people, set apart for a special
purpose in God's outline of history.
C. Israel's special relationship with God will be cut off because
of their sin and especially their idolatry.
D. As we will see in the next verse, there will be a time when
that relationship is restored.
End of Hosea Lesson 3
Warren Doud [ Grace Notes ]
1705 Aggie Lane, Austin, Texas 78757
Phone: 512-458-8923
wdoud@bga.com