Hosea

Hosea 3:1–5

¹Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another^a and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.^b”

²So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver^c and a homer and a lethech of barley.^d ³Then I said to her, “You must live with me for many days; you must not be promiscuous or belong to another, and I will do the same for you.”

⁴For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol. ⁵Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.

Footnotes

a 3:1 Or Go show love to a woman who is loved by another
b 3:1 Literally and love raisin cakes
c 3:2 15 shekels is approximately 6 ounces or 171 grams of silver.
d 3:2 Or a homer and a half of barley; that is, a total of approximately 9.36 bushels or 330 liters (probably about 436 pounds or 198 kilograms of barley); LXX a homer of barley and a wineskin full of wine

Read all of Hosea 3

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 3:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the LORD	יְהוָ֜ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to me	אֵלַ֗י	’ê·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H413 motion to
Go	לֵ֣ךְ	lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
show love	אֱ‍ֽהַב־	’ĕhaḇ-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H157 love
to your wife	אִשָּׁ֔ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
again	ע֚וֹד	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance
though she is loved	אֲהֻ֥בַת	’ă·hu·ḇaṯ	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular construct	H157 love
by another	רֵ֖עַ	rê·a‘	Noun - masculine singular	H7453 shouting, roar
and is an adulteress	וּמְנָאָ֑פֶת	ū·mə·nā·’ā·p̄eṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular	H5003 commit adultery
Love her	כְּאַהֲבַ֤ת	kə·’a·hă·ḇaṯ	Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H160 love
as the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
the Israelites	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
though they	וְהֵ֗ם	wə·hêm	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
turn	פֹּנִים֙	pō·nîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H6437 turn
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
other	אֲחֵרִ֔ים	’ă·ḥê·rîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H312 another
gods	אֱלֹהִ֣ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
and love to offer	וְאֹהֲבֵ֖י	wə·’ō·hă·ḇê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H157 love
raisin cakes	אֲשִׁישֵׁ֥י	’ă·šî·šê	Noun - feminine plural construct	H809 raisin-cake

Hosea 3:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So I bought her	וָאֶכְּרֶ֣הָ	wā·’ek·kə·re·hā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H3739 get by trade, trade
for fifteen	בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה	ba·ḥă·miš·šāh	Preposition-b, Article; Number - masculine singular	H2568 five
of silver	כָּ֑סֶף	kā·sep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
and a homer	וְחֹ֥מֶר	wə·ḥō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2563 cement, mortar, clay
and a lethech	וְלֵ֥תֶךְ	wə·lê·ṯeḵ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3963 a barley-measure
of barley	שְׂעֹרִ֖ים	śə·‘ō·rîm	Noun - feminine plural	H8184 barley

Hosea 3:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then I said	וָאֹמַ֣ר	wā·’ō·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H559 utter, say
to her	אֵלֶ֗יהָ	’ê·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H413 motion to
You must live	תֵּ֣שְׁבִי	tê·šə·ḇî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
with me	לִ֔י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
for many	רַבִּים֙	rab·bîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great
days	יָמִ֤ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
you must not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be promiscuous	תִזְנִ֔י	ṯiz·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
or belong to	תִֽהְיִ֖י	ṯih·yî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
another	לְאִ֑ישׁ	lə·’îš	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
and	וְגַם־	wə·ḡam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
I	אֲנִ֖י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
will do the same for you	אֵלָֽיִךְ׃	’ê·lā·yiḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular	H413 motion to

Hosea 3:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֣י׀	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the Israelites	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
must live	יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙	yê·šə·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
many	רַבִּ֗ים	rab·bîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great
days	יָמִ֣ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
without	אֵ֥ין	’ên	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
king	מֶ֙לֶךְ֙	me·leḵ	Noun - masculine singular	H4428 king
or prince	שָׂ֔ר	śār	Noun - masculine singular	H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
without	וְאֵ֣ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
sacrifice	זֶ֖בַח	ze·ḇaḥ	Noun - masculine singular	H2077 sacrifice
or	וְאֵ֣ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
sacred pillar	מַצֵּבָ֑ה	maṣ·ṣê·ḇāh	Noun - feminine singular	H4676 pillar, maƒƒ¢b¹ , stump
and without	וְאֵ֥ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
ephod	אֵפ֖וֹד	’ê·p̄ō·wḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H646 ephod
or idol	וּתְרָפִֽים׃	ū·ṯə·rā·p̄îm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H8655 Teraphim

Hosea 3:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Afterward	אַחַ֗ר	’a·ḥar	Adverb	H310 behind
the people	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
will return	יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙	yā·šu·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7725 turn back, return
and seek	וּבִקְשׁוּ֙	ū·ḇiq·šū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H1245 seek
the LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
their God	אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם	’ĕ·lō·hê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H430 God
and David	דָּוִ֣ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
their king	מַלְכָּ֑ם	mal·kām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H4428 king
They will come trembling	וּפָחֲד֧וּ	ū·p̄ā·ḥă·ḏū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H6342 dread, be in dread, in awe
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the LORD	יְהוָ֛ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
and to	וְאֶל־	wə·’el-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H413 motion to
His goodness	טוּב֖וֹ	ṭū·ḇōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2898 good things, goods, goodness
in the last	בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית	bə·’a·ḥă·rîṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H319 after-part, end
days	הַיָּמִֽים׃פ	hay·yā·mîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day