^3:1The Lord said to me, “Go, show love to¹ your wife² again, even though she loves³ another man⁴ and continually commits adultery.⁵ Likewise, the Lord loves⁶ the Israelites⁷ although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”⁸

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Footnotes

1 Heb “Go again! Love!” Cf. “Give your love to.”
2 Heb “a woman.” The probable referent is Gomer. Some English translations (e.g., , ) specify the referent as “your wife.”
3 The vocalizes אֲהֻבַת (’ahuvat) as a construct form of the Qal passive participle and takes רֵעַ (rea’) as a genitive of agent: “who is loved by רֵעַ.” However, the ancient versions (, , ) all vocalize אֲהֻבַת as an absolute form of the Qal active participle, and take רֵעַ as the accusative direct object: “who loves רֵעַ.” The English translations consistently follow the . The editors of suggest the revocalization but with some reservation. For discussion of the vocalization, see D. Barthélemy, e.d., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:230. Heb “a woman who is loved by a companion” (אִשָּׁה אֲהֻבַת רֵעַ, ’ishah ’ahuvat rea’). The substantival participle אֲהֻבַת (“one who is loved”) is in apposition to אִשָּׁה (“a woman”). The genitive noun רֵעַ (“companion”) functions as the agent of the preceding construct noun: “who is loved by a companion” (אֲהֻבַת רֵעַ). Cf. “a woman beloved of a paramour”; “a woman who has a lover.”
4 The meaning of the noun רֵעַ (rea’) is debated because it has a broad range of meanings: (1) “friend,” (2) “lover,” (3) “companion,” (4) “neighbor,” and (5) “another” ( II רֵעַ; 945–46 II רֵעַ). The Hebrew lexicons favor the nuance “lover; paramour” here ( 2; 946 1). Most scholars adopt the same approach; however, a few suggest that רֵעַ does not refer to another man, but to her husband (Hosea). Both approaches are reflected in English translations: “a woman who is loved by her husband”; “though she is loved by another”; “a woman beloved of a paramour”; “a woman beloved of her friend”; “a woman who, while befriended by a companion”; “a woman who is committing adultery with a lover”; “an unfaithful woman who has a lover.”
5 Heb “love a woman who is loved of a lover and is an adulteress.”
6 Heb “like the love of the Lord.” The genitive after the construct functions as a subjective genitive.
7 Heb “sons of Israel” (so ); “children of Israel”; “people of Israel.”
8 Heb “they are lovers of cakes of raisins.” A number of English translations render this literally (e.g., , , , ).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Yahweh said to me again,

“Go, love a woman

who has a lover and is committing adultery,

just like the love of Yahweh for the children of Israel,

but they are turning to other gods

and love raisin cakes.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

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