Hosea

Hosea 2:5–9

⁵For their mother has played the harlot

and has conceived them in disgrace.

For she thought,

‘I will go after my lovers,

who give me bread and water,

wool and linen, oil and drink.’

⁶Therefore, behold,

I will hedge up her path^c with thorns;

I will enclose her with a wall,

so she cannot find her way.

⁷She will pursue her lovers but not catch them;

she will seek them but not find them.

Then she will say,

‘I will return to my first husband,

for then I was better off than now.’

⁸For she does not acknowledge

that it was I who gave her grain,

new wine, and oil,

who lavished on her silver and gold —

which they crafted for Baal.

⁹Therefore I will take back My grain in its time

and My new wine in its season;

I will take away My wool and linen,

which were given to cover her nakedness.

Footnotes

c 2:6 Hebrew your path

Read all of Hosea 2

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Hosea 2:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
their mother	אִמָּ֔ם	’im·mām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H517 mother
has played the harlot	זָֽנְתָה֙	zā·nə·ṯāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
and has conceived them	הֽוֹרָתָ֑ם	hō·w·rā·ṯām	Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H2029 conceive, become pregnant
in disgrace	הֹבִ֖ישָׁה	hō·ḇî·šāh	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H954 be ashamed
For	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
she thought	אָמְרָ֗ה	’ā·mə·rāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
I will go	אֵלְכָ֞ה	’ê·lə·ḵāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H1980 go, come, walk
after	אַחֲרֵ֤י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
my lovers	מְאַהֲבַי֙	mə·’a·hă·ḇay	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H157 love
who give me	נֹתְנֵ֤י	nō·ṯə·nê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H5414 give, put, set
bread	לַחְמִי֙	laḥ·mî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H3899 bread, food
and water	וּמֵימַ֔י	ū·mê·may	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H4325 water, juice, urine
wool	צַמְרִ֣י	ṣam·rî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H6785 wool
and linen	וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י	ū·p̄iš·tî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H6593 linen, carded
oil	שַׁמְנִ֖י	šam·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H8081 fat, oil
and drink	וְשִׁקּוּיָֽי׃	wə·šiq·qū·yāy	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H8250 drink

Hosea 2:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Therefore	לָכֵ֛ן	lā·ḵên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
behold	הִנְנִי־	hin·nî-	Interjection; first person common singular	H2005 lo! behold
I will hedge up	שָׂ֥ךְ	śāḵ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7753 hedge or fence up, about
her	אֶת־	’eṯ-	Direct object marker	H853 mark of the accusative
path	דַּרְכֵּ֖ךְ	dar·kêḵ	Noun - common singular construct; second person feminine singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
with thorns	בַּסִּירִ֑ים	bas·sî·rîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine plural	H5518 pot
I will enclose her with a wall	וְגָֽדַרְתִּי֙	wə·ḡā·ḏar·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H1443 wall up or off, build a wall
so she cannot	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
find	תִמְצָֽא׃	ṯim·ṣā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H4672 attain to, find
her way	וּנְתִיבוֹתֶ֖יהָ	ū·nə·ṯî·ḇō·w·ṯe·hā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H5410 path, pathway

Hosea 2:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
She will pursue	וְרִדְּפָ֤ה	wə·rid·də·p̄āh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H7291 pursue, chase, persecute
her lovers	מְאַהֲבֶ֙יהָ֙	mə·’a·hă·ḇe·hā	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H157 love
but not	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
catch	תַשִּׂ֣יג	ṯaś·śîḡ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5381 reach, overtake
them	אֹתָ֔ם	’ō·ṯām	Direct object marker; third person masculine plural	H853 mark of the accusative
she will seek them	וּבִקְשָׁ֖תַם	ū·ḇiq·šā·ṯam	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular; third person masculine plural	H1245 seek
but not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
find them	תִמְצָ֑א	ṯim·ṣā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H4672 attain to, find
Then she will say	וְאָמְרָ֗ה	wə·’ā·mə·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
I will return	וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙	wə·’ā·šū·ḇāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
my first	הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן	hā·ri·šō·wn	Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H7223 former, first, chief
husband	אִישִׁ֣י	’î·šî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H376 man
for	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
then	אָ֖ז	’āz	Adverb	H227 at that time, then
I was better off	ט֥וֹב	ṭō·wḇ	Adjective - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
than now	מֵעָֽתָּה׃	mê·‘āt·tāh	Preposition-m; Adverb	H6258 now

Hosea 2:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For she	וְהִיא֙	wə·hî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
does not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
acknowledge	יָֽדְעָ֔ה	yā·ḏə·‘āh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3045 know
that	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
it was I	אָֽנֹכִי֙	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
who gave	נָתַ֣תִּי	nā·ṯat·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H5414 give, put, set
her	לָ֔הּ	lāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
grain	הַדָּגָ֖ן	had·dā·ḡān	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1715 corn, grain
new wine	וְהַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ	wə·hat·tî·rō·wōš	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H8492 must, fresh or new wine
and oil	וְהַיִּצְהָ֑ר	wə·hay·yiṣ·hār	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3323 fresh oil
who lavished	הִרְבֵּ֥יתִי	hir·bê·ṯî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
on her	לָ֛הּ	lāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
silver	וְכֶ֨סֶף	wə·ḵe·sep̄	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
and gold	וְזָהָ֖ב	wə·zā·hāḇ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H2091 gold
which they crafted	עָשׂ֥וּ	‘ā·śū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H6213 do, make
for Baal	לַבָּֽעַל׃	lab·bā·‘al	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1168 owner, lord

Hosea 2:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Therefore	לָכֵ֣ן	lā·ḵên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
I will take back	אָשׁ֔וּב	’ā·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
My grain	דְגָנִי֙	ḏə·ḡā·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1715 corn, grain
in its time	בְּעִתּ֔וֹ	bə·‘it·tōw	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular construct; third person masculine singular	H6256 time
and My new wine	וְתִירוֹשִׁ֖י	wə·ṯî·rō·wō·šî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H8492 must, fresh or new wine
in its season	בְּמֽוֹעֲד֑וֹ	bə·mō·w·‘ă·ḏōw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4150 appointed time, place, meeting
I will take away	וְהִצַּלְתִּי֙	wə·hiṣ·ṣal·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H5337 strip, plunder
My wool	צַמְרִ֣י	ṣam·rî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H6785 wool
and linen	וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י	ū·p̄iš·tî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H6593 linen, carded
which were	לְכַסּ֖וֹת	lə·ḵas·sō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H3680 cover
her nakedness	עֶרְוָתָֽהּ׃	‘er·wā·ṯāh	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H6172 nakedness, pudenda