Hosea's Wife and Children
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. Hos. 1:2
said to Hosea... Hosea claimed that God spoke by him.
Go, take unto... Twenty-six Commands in Hosea
1. Go, take a wife of whoredoms (Hos. 1:2).
2. Call his name Jezreel (Hos. 1:4).
3. Call her name Lo-ruhamah (Hos. 1:6).
4. Call his name Lo-ammi (Hos. 1:9).
5. Say to your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah (Hos. 2:1).
6. Plead with your mother (Hos. 2:2).
7. Let her put away her whoredoms.
8. Go yet, love a woman beloved by her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of God for Israel (Hos. 3:1).
9. Hear the word of the Lord (Hos. 4:1).
10. Let not Judah offend (Hos. 4:15).
11. Come not to Gilgal.
12. Do not go up to Beth-aven.
13. Do not swear, the Lord liveth.
14. Let him alone (Hos. 4:17).
15. Hear this, O priests (Hos. 5:1).
16. Hearken, you house of Israel.
17. Give ear, O house of the King.
18. Blow the trumpet in Gibeah (Hos. 5:8).
19. Blow the trumpet in Ramah.
20. Cry aloud at Beth-aven.
21. Let us return to the Lord (Hos. 6:1).
22. Set the trumpet to the mouth (Hos. 8:1).
23. Rejoice not, O Israel (Hos. 9:1).
24. Sow to yourselves in righteousness.
25. Return to the Lord, O Israel (Hos. 14:1).
26. Take with you words and turn to the Lord: say to Him, Take away all iniquity (Hos. 14:2).
The prophet’s wife was a woman of the northern kingdom and was therefore regarded as an idolatress, being the child of people in a nation which had gone deep into idolatry. She became unfaithful to her husband, Hosea, as she was unfaithful to Jehovah (Hos. 2:1-13).
committed great whoredom... Whoredom referred to here not only meant backsliding from Jehovah, but included literal sex orgies and perversions in connection with idols, as we have seen through the historical books of the O.T.
children of whoredoms... This point to the future unfaithfulness of their mother. The children were possibly not fathered by Hosea. That Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was to depict God’s marriage to Israel is clearly set forth and becomes the key to the theme of the book.
This seems like such a ridiculous thing for Hosea to do. We must remember, that the prophet experiences in the flesh, what is going on with the people in their relationship to God in the spirit. Israel was the harlot wife of God in the spirit, so Hosea the prophet must experience this relationship in the natural. God plainly gives the reason for this (for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD).
Hosea’s Experience: A Portrayal of God’s Dealings with Israel
The message of the first three chapters (and of the entire book) oscillates between judgment and salvation. Hosea’s marital experiences, which included the heartbreak caused by his wife’s unfaithfulness and the joy of their renewed relationship, provide the framework for this message.
The symbolism of Hosea’s family
Both the language of Hos. 1:2 and the following context support this interpretation. The expression is similar to others in Hebrew that describe a married woman’s character (e.g., “wife of one’s youth,” “a quarrelsome wife” [“a wife of quarreling”], “a wife of noble character”. The Hebrew word zenûnı̂m (trans. here “adulterous”) refers elsewhere in Hosea to the activity of Israel under the figure of a married woman (cf. Hos. 2:2, 2:4; 4:12; 5:4). Also the emphasis in the following context (Hos. 1:2; 2:2-3:5) is on the unfaithfulness that characterized both the Lord’s and Hosea’s marriages, not on the brides’ premarital experiences. Thus the Lord’s command should be understood as follows, “Go, take to yourself a wife who will prove to be unfaithful.”
The Lord also told Hosea to take… children of unfaithfulness. This does not refer to children born from another father before Gomer’s marriage to Hosea. The Hebrew expression is elliptical with the second verb omitted. The command could be paraphrased, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and have (NASB) children of unfaithfulness.”
In Hos. 1:2 the land, which stands for those living in it (cf. Hos. 4:1), is personified as a wife who is guilty of the vilest adultery. This Hebrew verbal expression is emphatic, highlighting the extent to which Israel had departed from the Lord.
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