Hosea 14

General context

"O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity." Israel is told to take words and say to the Lord, "Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy." The Lord answers: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him." He will be "as the dew unto Israel"; Israel will grow as the lily, cast roots as Lebanon, spread branches, have beauty as the olive tree and smell as Lebanon. Those under his shadow will return, revive as the corn, grow as the vine, with a scent "as the wine of Lebanon." "Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found." The book closes with a question: "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein."

Cited passages: Hosea 14:1, Hosea 14:2, Hosea 14:3, Hosea 14:4, Hosea 14:5, Hosea 14:6, Hosea 14:7, Hosea 14:8, Hosea 14:9

Hosea 14 (KJV)

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Historical context

Verses 1 to 3 are an address to Israel that supplies the words Israel should say; the text does not name the one who gives those words. Verses 4 to 8 are the Lord's first-person reply, "I will heal," "I will be as the dew." Verse 9 is a closing question about the wise and prudent and is not marked as anyone's speech. Asshur is named as the power that "shall not save," alongside horses and "the work of our hands," the only foreign power named; Egypt, Judah and any king are absent. Lebanon is named three times, each time as a comparison for roots, smell and wine, not as a place visited. Verse 8 changes speakers within a single verse: "Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?" and then "I have heard him, and observed him" and "From me is thy fruit found," and the printed text does not mark where Ephraim's words end. "The calves of our lips" is the KJV's phrase; the chapter does not connect it to the calves of 8:5 or 13:2, though the words are the same. No date or event is attached to the promised return.

Cited passages: Hosea 14:2, Hosea 14:4, Hosea 14:5, Hosea 14:9, Hosea 14:3, Hosea 14:6, Hosea 14:8, Hosea 13:2

Literary context

"Return" opens the chapter and returns in verse 7, "They that dwell under his shadow shall return," and "fallen" in verse 1 is answered by "fall" in the last line, where the same ways make the just walk and the transgressors fall. The words the people are given renounce three things in turn, Asshur, horses and handmade gods, which match charges made earlier in the book: going to the Assyrian in 5:13 and calling the work of a workman "not God" in 8:6. The Lord's reply reverses several earlier lines. "I will love them freely" answers "I will love them no more" in 9:15; "I will heal their backsliding" answers "bent to backsliding" in 11:7; the dew that here is the Lord's gift was in 6:4 and 13:3 the image of what vanishes; the roots that spread here were "dried up" in 9:16. The growth images pile up, lily, Lebanon, olive, corn, vine, wine, fir tree, and "fruit" ends the sequence that began with Israel bringing forth fruit "unto himself" in 10:1. The book closes with a question to the reader rather than a narrated event.

Cited passages: Hosea 14:1, Hosea 14:7, Hosea 14:9, Hosea 5:13, Hosea 8:6, Hosea 14:4, Hosea 9:15, Hosea 11:7, Hosea 13:3, Hosea 9:16, Hosea 14:5, Hosea 10:1, Hosea 14:8

Key moments

1. Return unto the Lord (Hosea 14:1). Israel is called to return to the Lord because it has fallen by its iniquity.
2. Take with you words (Hosea 14:2). Israel is given words to say, asking that iniquity be taken away and offering the calves of its lips.
3. Asshur shall not save us (Hosea 14:3). The words renounce Asshur, horses and calling handmade things gods.
4. Loved freely (Hosea 14:4). The Lord promises to heal their backsliding and love them freely, his anger turned away.
5. Dew and lily (Hosea 14:5). The Lord will be as dew and Israel will grow as the lily with roots as Lebanon.
6. What have I to do with idols (Hosea 14:8). Ephraim is pictured renouncing idols, and a green fir tree and found fruit close the promise.
7. Who is wise (Hosea 14:9). The book ends asking who is wise enough to understand, since the Lord's ways are right.

For reflection

The last verse says the same ways of the Lord are where the just walk and the transgressors fall. What in the book prepares a reader for one road with two outcomes?

People in this chapter

• Jacob

Also indexed here:

• Ephraim