The very first "verse" of Hosea (be mindful that chapter and verse divisions are not part of the original biblical texts, but rather were introduced in the Middle Ages for easier reference) begins "The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, son of Beeri." Whenever we encounter in the English translation the word "Lord" in upper and lower capital letters, the Hebrew original has the word "Yaweh," which is the name of the Covenant God of Israel.
For those who have not read my posts on Romans, it is important to know exactly where the name comes from because there is a great deal of loose discussion of the name based not on the Hebrew original but on the Septuagint (mis-) translation and on Revelation. The latter book we can take as authoritative ("The One who is, who was, and is coming") but it clearly is a new teaching and a new vision of God.
In Exodus, when God encounters Moses at the burning bush, Moses asks: What if Pharaoh refuses to listen and does not liberate the people? God answers "I will be with you," in Hebrew Eheyeh im cha. Then Moses asks, "If the children of Israel ask me who is this God who sent you, what name shall I give them? God answers Eheyeh asher eheyeh, "I will be who (what) I will be." Hebrew cannot say "I am" as the verb "be" has a past tense and a future tense, but no present tense. God says to Moses, in effect, "I will be who I determine to be, and I will be with you."
The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, dating from around 300 years before the birth of Jesus) translated "I will be with you" correctly, as Esomai meta su. But when it gets to the name, it mistranslates Ego ho on ("I the being one"). A faithful translation would be Esomai hoti esomai. It is important to keep all this in mind. When God tells Hosea that Israel will be destroyed because of its own willful disobedience, that is not the end of the story. God in the end will redeem and restore all who see the error of their ways and return to God. That is, no one and nothing will condition God, God will be with them and with us.
In Hosea we see the eternal redemptive purpose of God. At the end of chapter 1 God says "Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people' it shall be said to them, 'Children of the living God' " (v. 10 NRSV). Chapter 2 opens: Say to your brothers Ammi (my people) and to your sisters Ruhamah (pitied). The condemnation is not forever for those who repent. For them there is redemption.
I must mention another translation. The NRSV English says "say to your brother" and "say to your sister" (singular both times, but the Hebrew text is very clearly plural in both cases. The offer stands for everyone.
The remainder of chapter 2 is a poetic section comparing the people of Israel to an unfaithful wife. The husband formerly gave her food and drink, but because of her unfaithfulness (worshiping other gods and participating in their festivals) he will withdraw his support. This is a symbol of the people's unfaithful relationship to God, nothing to do with Hosea's biography.
Verses 14 and 15 are a picture of reconciliation in which hope and relationship and joy are restored.
In verse 16 there is a play on words, lost to those who do not speak Hebrew. "On that day says the LORD, you will call me 'My husband' and not 'My Baal'." (NRSV). Where the English has "Husband" Hebrew says "man." In Hebrew he word for husband is "baal" and wife is ishah. In some way there is an equating of persons with the use of "my man" (ishi) and "my woman" (ishti). It is not possible to achieve a full understanding of the meaning of the verse, not being an ancient Hebrew person. In general, we can interpret with confidence that God wishes to reclaim the close relationship with people which God intended from creation.
The end of the chapter has God promising have pity on Lo-Ruhama and to say to Lo-Ammi "You are my people," who will respond "You are my God."
The purpose of this post is for the reader to be able to read the first two chapters of Hosea with greater understanding.
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