Hosea 2:7. I will go, and return, &c.— After finding that her attachment to idols and idolatrous nations will not avail her, but rather plunge her into misfortunes, she will through divine grace be brought to a sense of her duty, and of the happiness that she enjoyed, while cleaving stedfastly to her God. See Isaiah 54:5.Jeremiah 3:1; Jeremiah 3:1; Jeremiah 44:17; Jeremiah 44:30. Ezekiel 16:18 : read more
6, 7. thorns . . . wall— (Job 19:8; Lamentations 3:7; Lamentations 3:9). The hindrances which the captivity interposed between Israel and her idols. As she attributes all her temporal blessings to idols, I will reduce her to straits in which, when she in vain has sought help from false gods, she will at last seek Me as her only God and Husband, as at the first (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:14; Ezekiel 16:8). then—before Israel's apostasy, under Jeroboam. The way of duty is hedged about with thorns;... read more
1. Judgment on Gomer as a figure of Israel 2:2-7In this message, the Lord described Israel’s unfaithfulness to Him in terms similar to those that a husband would use to describe his wife’s unfaithfulness to him. The whole message appears to be one that Hosea delivered to his children, but it really describes Israel as the unfaithful "wife" of Yahweh. As explained above (cf. Hosea 1:2), the evidence suggests that Hosea’s wife really was unfaithful to him; this is not just an allegory in which... read more
A. Oracles of judgment 2:2-13Two judgment oracles follow. In the first one, Hosea and Gomer’s relationship is primarily in view, but the parallels with Yahweh and Israel’s relationship are obvious. In the second one, it is almost entirely Yahweh and Israel’s relationship that is in view. In both parts the general form of the messages is that of the lawsuit or legal accusation (Heb. rib) based on (Mosaic) covenant violation. read more
Hosea said he would oppose Gomer as though he put a hedge of thorns or a wall across her path so she would turn aside from her ways.Yahweh would make it perilously difficult for Israel to pursue idols. read more
Consequently, Gomer would pursue her lovers but not be able to catch up with them. She would seek them but not find them. Out of frustration she would give up pursuing them and return to her husband. She would conclude that she was better off with him than with them.Out of frustration Israel would turn back to Yahweh. read more
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
(6-7) Contains a brief introductory prelude, summarizing the general contents of Hosea 2:8-23. Jehovah addresses the adulterous wife: “I will erect impassable barriers that shall pierce and mangle her flesh. The path of evil shall be a path of thorns.”Hedge up . . . and make a wall.—In accordance with most Hebrew texts, the literal rendering is, wall up her wall. Here, again, we have a sudden change of person.She shall . . .—She may anticipate in her exile closer proximity to her idol-lovers,... read more
The Christian in the Wilderness Hosea 2:14-15 Little as the Israelites were permanently benefited by their sufferings in the desert, they appear never to have forgotten them. Hence 'the wilderness' became another word among them for trouble and sorrow. It bears that meaning here. I. It points out to us, in the first instance, the Author of affliction. II. The text shows us next why God afflicts us; at least, it discovers to us one of the most frequent causes of our sorrows. III. We learn... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Hosea 2:7
"And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.""Shall seek them, but shall not find them ..." The seeking of any effective "god" through the devices of idolatry was a futile quest indeed. "She would seek after the Baalim but would not be able to find them, for a nonentity cannot be found."[29]"I will go and return to... read more