Hosea 1:3

"So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived and bare him a son."

"Gomer ..." This is one of a number of names in the Bible that were given to both men and women. Gomer was the firstborn son of Japheth and the head of many families (Genesis 10:2-3; 1 Chronicles 1:5-6; and Ezekiel 38:6). The name Crimea, familiar in English history, is derived from Gomer whose descendants conquered and settled Cappadocia by the time of the seventh century.[14] "Diblaim" is said to mean "daughter of fig-cakes," or "daughter of embraces."[15] From this, some have alleged that Gomer was a Baal prostitute whose favors were bought with a couple of fig-cakes; but this is by no means certain. "Gomer" means "completion," "completed whoredom."[16] However, "There is not the slightest indication from the text that these two names were to have any symbolical significance. We have here a simple statement of historical facts."[17] In fact, the impression of simple, factual narrative throughout the passage is overwhelming. Mays emphasized this thus:

"Gomer and Diblaim are personal names, not sign-language for some reality other than a person. The story is laconic and matter-of-fact. The children came in the irregular order of son-daughter-son. The third child was conceived just after the second was weaned. The story reports the real."[18]

George DeHoff gave the meaning of this verse as, "He married an Israelite who had doubtless worshipped the golden calves at Bethel."[19]; "And she conceived and bare him a son ..." This explodes the notion that the children were already Gomer's at the time of the marriage. The first of the three children named was most certainly Hosea's.