Logos Bible Study

Hosea 14:4–9

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Divine Promise to Relent from Judgment and to Restore Blessings

14:4“I will heal their waywardness8

and love them freely,9

for my anger will turn10 away from them.

14:5I will be like the dew to Israel;

he will blossom like a lily,

he will send down his roots like a cedar of11 Lebanon.

14:6His young shoots will grow;

his splendor will be like an olive tree,

his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.

14:7People will reside again12 in his shade;

they will plant and harvest grain in abundance.13

They will blossom like a vine,

and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon.

14:8O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do14 with idols anymore!

I will answer him and care for him.

I am like15 a luxuriant cypress tree;16

your fruitfulness comes from me!17

Concluding Exhortation

14:9Who is wise?

Let him discern18 these things!

Who is discerning?

Let him understand them!

For the ways of the Lord are right;

the godly walk in them,

but in them the rebellious stumble.

Read in Logos
Hosea 14:4: I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.

Footnotes

  1. 8 The noun מְשׁוּבָתָה (méshuvatah, “waywardness”; cf. “backsliding”) is from the same root as שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return!”) in 14:1[2]. This repetition of שׁוּב (shuv) creates a wordplay which emphasizes reciprocity: if Israel will return (שׁוּבָה, shuvah) to the Lord, he will cure her of the tendency to turn away (מְשׁוּבָתָה) from him.
  2. 9 The noun נְדָבָה (nédavah, “voluntariness; free-will offering”) is an adverbial accusative of manner: “freely, voluntarily” ( 621 נְדָבָה 1). Cf. “without limit”; “with all my heart”; “my love will know no bounds.”
  3. 10 The verb שָׁב, shav, “will turn” (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to turn”) continues the wordplay on שׁוּב in 14:1–4[2–5]. If Israel will “return” (שׁוּב) to the Lord, he will heal Israel’s tendency to “turn away” (מְשׁוּבָתָה, méshuvatah) and “turn” (שָׁב) from his anger.
  4. 11 Heb “like Lebanon” (so ; also in the following verse). The phrase “a cedar of” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it is supplied in translation for clarity. Cf. “the trees of Lebanon”; “the forests of Lebanon.”
  5. 12 Hosea uses the similar-sounding terms יָשֻׁבוּ יֹשְׁבֵי (yashuvu yoshve, “the dwellers will return”) to create a wordplay between the roots שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) and יָשַׁב (yashav, “to dwell; to reside”).
  6. 13 Heb “they will cause the grain to live” or “they will revive the grain.” Some English versions treat this as a comparison: “they shall revive as the corn” (); “will flourish like the grain” ().
  7. 14 The Hebrew expression מַה־לִּי עוֹד (mah-li ’od) is a formula of repudiation/emphatic denial that God has anything in common with idols: “I want to have nothing to do with […] any more!” Cf., e.g., Judg 11:12; 2 Sam 16:10; 19:23; 1 Kgs 17:18; 2 Kgs 3:13; 2 Chr 35:21; Jer 2:18; Ps 50:16; 553 מָה 1.d.(c).
  8. 15 The term “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity, as in the majority of English versions (including ).
  9. 16 Cf. “a green fir tree”; , “a green pine tree”; “an evergreen cypress.”
  10. 17 Heb “your fruit is found in me”; “your faithfulness comes from me.”
  11. 18 The shortened form of the prefix-conjugation verb וְיָבֵן (véyaven) indicates that it is a jussive rather than an imperfect. When a jussive comes from a superior to an inferior, it may connote exhortation and instruction or advice and counsel. For the functions of the jussive, see §34.3.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

I will heal their apostasy;

I will love them freely,

for my anger has turned from them.

I will be like the dew to Israel;

he shall blossom like the lily;

he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;

his shoots shall spread out;

his beauty shall be like the olive,

and his fragrance like Lebanon.

They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;

they shall flourish like the grain;

they shall blossom like the vine;

their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?

It is I who answer and look after you.

I am like an evergreen cypress;

from me comes your fruit.

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;

whoever is discerning, let him know them;

for the ways of the Lord are right,

and the upright walk in them,

but transgressors stumble in them.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“I will heal their waywardness

and love them freely,

for my anger has turned away from them.

I will be like the dew to Israel;

he will blossom like a lily.

Like a cedar of Lebanon

he will send down his roots;

his young shoots will grow.

His splendor will be like an olive tree,

his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.

People will dwell again in his shade;

they will flourish like the grain,

they will blossom like the vine—

Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?

I will answer him and care for him.

I am like a flourishing juniper;

your fruitfulness comes from me.”

Who is wise? Let them realize these things.

Who is discerning? Let them understand.

The ways of the Lord are right;

the righteous walk in them,

but the rebellious stumble in them.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I will heal their apostasy;

I will freely love them,

for my anger will have turned from him.

I will be like the dew to Israel;

he will blossom like the lily

and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.

His new branches will spread,

and his splendor will be like the olive tree,

his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon.

The people will return and live beneath his shade.

They will grow grain

and blossom like the vine.

His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim, why should I have anything more

to do with idols?

It is I who answer and watch over him.

I am like a flourishing pine tree;

your fruit comes from me.

Let whoever is wise understand these things,

and whoever is insightful recognize them.

For the ways of the Lord are right,

and the righteous walk in them,

but the rebellious stumble in them.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

The Lord says,

“Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;

my love will know no bounds,

for my anger will be gone forever.

I will be to Israel

like a refreshing dew from heaven.

Israel will blossom like the lily;

it will send roots deep into the soil

like the cedars in Lebanon.

Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees,

as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon.

My people will again live under my shade.

They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines.

They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.

“O Israel, stay away from idols!

I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you.

I am like a tree that is always green;

all your fruit comes from me.”

Let those who are wise understand these things.

Let those with discernment listen carefully.

The paths of the Lord are true and right,

and righteous people live by walking in them.

But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

I will heal their disloyalty;

I will love them freely

because my anger has turned back

from them.

I will be like the dew to Israel;

he will blossom like the lily plant,

and he will strike his roots like the trees of Lebanon.

His new plant shoots will spread out;

his splendor will be like the olive tree,

and his scent like the trees of Lebanon.

They will again dwell in my shadow;

they will grow grain

and they will blossom like the plant vine;

his fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?

I myself have answered and looked after you.

I am like a luxuriant cypress;

your fruit comes from me.

Who is wise that he can understand these things?

Who is discerning that he knows them?

The ways of Yahweh are right,

and the righteous walk in them;

but transgressors stumble in them.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely:

For mine anger is turned away from him.

I will be as the dew unto Israel:

He shall grow as the lily,

And cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

His branches shall spread,

And his beauty shall be as the olive tree,

And his smell as Lebanon.

They that dwell under his shadow shall return;

They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine:

The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?

I have heard him, and observed him:

I am like a green fir tree.

From me is thy fruit found.

Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?

Prudent, and he shall know them?

For the ways of the Lord are right,

And the just shall walk in them:

But the transgressors shall fall therein.

Public Domain