Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Hosea 2:5
(5) For their mother hath played . . .—We might render, with Ewald, yea, their mother hath played . . . This would more easily account for the change of person (“your “. . . “their “), which is, however, very frequent in Hebrew prophecy. The next “for” introduces a parenthetical clause—“her lovers”—a word used in a bad sense. The aggravation of her shame is that she seeks them, and not they her. She attributes to these idol-gods all those temporal benefits which theocratic history shows to have... read more
John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 2:2-23
The Discipline and Restoration of Faithless IsraelThe unfaithful conduct of Gomer and the prophet’s gentle treatment of her are regarded as an analogue of the nation’s faithlessness and God’s gentle correction, a proof of the love which will triumph in the end. But the acted parable and its interpretation are so blended that they cannot always be separated; and frequently the prophet’s personal experience is overshadowed by the larger thought of God’s dealings with His people.2. Plead]... read more