1The word of Yahweh was addressed to Hosea son of Beeri, during the reign of Ussiah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah in Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Joash, in Israel.
Take a wife: she will betray you
2 ① When Yahweh began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take for your wife a woman involved in sacred prostitution and have children born of prostitution, for the land is wholeheartedly lapsing into prostitution and turning away from Yahweh.”
3So he married Gomer, daughter of Diblaim. And she was with child and bore a son. 4Yahweh told him, “Name him Jezreel, for I will soon punish the family of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel. I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5The days are coming when Israel will be defeated in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6Gomer was again with child and gave birth to a daughter. Yahweh said to Hosea, “Name her Unloved, for I will have no more love for the nation of Israel, nor will I forgive them. 7(But I will have pity on the nation of Judah. I will diliver them by the lord their God; I will not diliver them by the warrior's bow, by the sword, by military victory, by chariot horses, or by chariots.)”
8After weaning Unloved, Gomer was with child again and had another son. 9Yahweh said, “Name him Not-my-people, for you are not my people, nor AM-I for you.”
- Hos 1,2 Yahweh asks Hosea to marry one of the women involved in sacred prostitution of pagan worship. Those wishing to obtain the favors of the god Baal for their fields and their cattle would come to them. This happened often in Israel and only Yahweh's true faithful were scandalized. Deep down, Hosea is torn apart, always hoping that his fickle and idolatrous wife would change her ways, but also consumed by jealousy and anger, and tired of always forgiving. Name her Unloved. In Israel every name had some meaning, usually a religious meaning. Here Hosea calls his children names which must shock everyone, but which convey what he is teaching the people; Israel will be defeated; they are a people whom Yahweh does not love and does not acknowledge as his people. The family of Jehu (v. 4). Jeroboam II would be the last king of this dynasty. Take note of I am no more (v. 9): here there is an allusion to the name of Yahweh (Ex 3:15). After Hosea, the prophets used the terms prostitution and adultery when speaking of idolatry. See Jeremiah 2:2; 3:1; Ezekiel 16:23. They also say that God calls Israel to be his spouse: Isaiah 50:1; 54:6; 62:4 and the Song. See also Rev 21:2. This conviction is found all along the prophetic books and the last chapters of the New Testament will picture the heavenly Jerusalem, figure of the Church and the redeemed humankind coming towards her husband (Rev 21:2). The paragraph 2:1-3 is not in place: it should be read after Chapter 3. My people and the One I pity: it is another version of the names given in 1:6 and 1:9.
