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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Hosea, son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel: |
Word of the LORD – First came to Hosea in connection with his own domestic trials. R2491:1
Hosea – His name signifies "salvation," corresponding well with his prophecy. R5809:2
A prophet to the ten tribes of Israel during part of the period in which Isaiah was prophesying to the two-tribe kingdom of Judah. R2490:3
In the days – Hosea prophesied in Israel at the time of their depravity, just before their captivity. R2491:1, R5809:2
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| 2 The commencement of Jehovah's speaking by Hosea. And Jehovah saith unto Hosea, 'Go, take to thee a woman of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms, for utterly go a-whoring doth the land from after Jehovah.' |
Go, take unto thee – Hosea's own experiences in life in some degree pictured the Lord's experiences with Israel. R5809:2
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| 3 And he goeth and taketh Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceiveth and beareth to him a son; |
And took Gomer – Picturing Israel, as a false wife, and God himself as a merciful husband. R2491:1
An attractive girl who, at the time of their marriage, was quite possibly true and worthy of his affection. R2491:1
And bare him a son – Only her first child was recognized by the prophet. R2491:1
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| 4 and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little, and I have charged the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and have caused to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel; |
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| 5 and it hath come to pass in that day that I have broken the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.' |
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| 6 And she conceiveth again, and beareth a daughter, and He saith to him, 'Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, for I add no more to pity the house of Israel, for I do utterly take them away; |
Lo-ruhamah – Meaning, "she that never knew a father's love"; an orphan, not by death, but by her mother's sin. Not claimed by Hosea as his child. R2491:1*
House of Israel – The ten tribes. C296; R1341:5
Utterly take them away – The ten tribes; but he would have mercy on Judah, the two tribes (see verse 7). C296; R1341:5
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| 7 and the house of Judah I pity, and have saved them by Jehovah their God, and do not save them by bow, and by sword, and by battle, by horses, and by horsemen.' |
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| 8 And she weaneth Lo-Ruhamah, and conceiveth, and beareth a son; |
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| 9 and He saith, 'Call his name Lo-Ammi, for ye [are] not My people, and I am not for you; |
Lo-ammi – Meaning, "not my people" or "no kin of mine"; disowned by Hosea. R2491:1*
Not my people – Rejection, for a time, of all Israel. C296; R1341:5
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| 10 and the number of the sons of Israel hath been as the sand of the sea, that is not measured nor numbered, and it hath come to pass in the place where it is said to them, Ye [are] not My people, it is said to them, Sons of the Living God; |
Israel shall be – As all nations, during the Millennium, gradually flow to Israel and come under obedience to the New covenant regulations, thus becoming Israelites indeed on the earthly plane. R4575:6
Sand of the sea – At the close of the Mediatorial Kingdom, our Lord will deliver over only Israelites--the seed of Abraham. R4575:6
Sons of the living God – Those from among the Gentiles who had formerly not been recognized by the Lord. R1341:5; C296
Applied to Gentile Christians by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 9:23-26. C296; R1341:5
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| 11 and gathered have been the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel together, and they have appointed to themselves one head, and have gone up from the land, for great [is] the day of Jezreel. |
Then – At the time of the rejection of fleshly Israel and the recognition of spiritual Israel. C296; R1341:5
Gathered together – As one nation. The distinction between Israel and Judah ended with the restoration from Babylon. R1364:6
One head – Be reunited under one head. C296; R1341:5
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