Hosea 1:2

1 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”
KJV
The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
WEB
When the LORD spoke at first by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking the LORD.”
ASV
When Jehovah spake at the first by Hosea, Jehovah said unto Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom; for the land doth commit great whoredom, [departing] from Jehovah.
DARBY
The beginning of the word of Jehovah through Hosea. And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms; for the land is entirely given up to whoredom, away from Jehovah.
BLB
The beginning when YHWH [first] spoke by Hosea, YHWH said to Hosea, “Go take for yourself a wife of prostitution, and children of prostitution, for the land is flagrantly prostituting itself from after YHWH!”
ÅB
Da Herren begynte å tale til Hoseas, sa Herren til ham: Gå og få deg en horkvinne og horebarn! For landet driver hor og følger ikke mere Herren.
OTB
Da Herren begynte å tale gjennom Hosea, sa Han til ham: “Gå, ta deg en hustru av utroskap og få barn av utroskap, for landet er skyldig i troløshet ved å vende seg bort fra Herren.”
B1930
Da Herren begynte å tale til Hoseas, sa Herren til ham: Gå og få dig en horkvinne og horebarn! For landet driver hor og følger ikke mere Herren.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Hosea 2:4–5

    And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.

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  • Hosea 3:1

    Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 31:16

    And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 106:39

    Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

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  • Jeremiah 3:9

    And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

    Read in context
  • Exodus 34:15–16

    Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;

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  • 2 Peter 2:14

    Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

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  • Ezekiel 6:9

    And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.

    Read in context