The big picture
Hosea 2 opens in verse 1 with “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 12 with “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my…”, and closes in verse 23 with “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not…” Repeated or prominent terms include hear, lovers, earth, LORD, betroth. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Hosea · King James Version · 23Hosea 2:1-8
1–8: Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.
Hosea 2:1–8 opens with “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.” and reaches “For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A broken marriage and stripped field used as covenant imagery, moving toward renewed betrothal, with particular weight carried by children, find, husband.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.” Naming Ammi and Say keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a…” Naming Lest keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Hosea 2:1-8
King James Version1Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.
2Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
4And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.
5For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
6Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
7And 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.
8For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
Hosea 2:9-16
9–16: Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and…
Hosea 2:9–16 opens with “Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season…” and reaches “And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD , that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A broken marriage and stripped field used as covenant imagery, moving toward renewed betrothal, with particular weight carried by days, lovers, call.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.” The line’s distinctive content terms include cause, cease, days. Its relationship to verses 10 and 12 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her…” Naming Baalim keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Hosea 2:9-16
King James Version9Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
10And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.
11I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
12And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD .
14Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
15And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD , that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
Hosea 2:17-23
17–23: For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they…
Hosea 2:17–23 opens with “For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered…” and reaches “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A broken marriage and stripped field used as covenant imagery, moving toward renewed betrothal, with particular weight carried by hear, earth, betroth.
Context that brings the passage to life
“For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
Hosea 2:17-23
King James Version17For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
18And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
19And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD .
21And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD , I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
22And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
23And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Hosea 2:1 begins with “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.”
Where the chapter turns
Hosea 2:14 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.”
The final note
Hosea 2:23 leaves the reader with “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words hear, lovers, earth, LORD, betroth, corn help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Which gifts come before the prohibition?
Life, the garden, food and meaningful work. The command occurs inside generosity.
How does chapter 2 deepen chapter 1?
It concentrates on dependence, partnership and responsibility within the shared human calling.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.