HoseaChapter 3

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Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another and is an adulteress — love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love their raisin cakes."

So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethek of barley.[^1] [^1]: A homer was roughly 220 liters of grain; a lethek was about half a homer.

And I said to her, "You are to stay with me for a long time. You must not be a prostitute, and you must not belong to any other man — and I will be yours."

For the Israelites will remain a long time without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or household idols.

Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; in the last days they will come trembling to the LORD and to his goodness.

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Summary2

Chapter 3

Main Theme: God’s faithful love for Israel illustrated through Hosea’s redemption of an unfaithful wife.

Content: God commands Hosea to love a woman who is unfaithful, just as God loves Israel despite their idolatry. Hosea buys her for fifteen pieces of silver and some barley, and she must wait many days without being unfaithful. This symbolizes that Israel will be without king, prince, sacrifice, or religious objects for a long time, before they turn back to the Lord and to David their king in the last days.

Key Words/Images:

Love for an unfaithful wife: Symbolizes God’s unconditional love for wayward Israel.
Many days: A period of waiting and purification, both for the woman and for Israel in exile.
Without king or sacrifice: Israel’s loss of political and religious institutions during the exile.
David their king: Messianic hope of restoration under a Davidic ruler.
The last days: Eschatological promise of Israel’s final repentance and blessing.

Historical context

Events and Customs

The chapter describes how Hosea buys back a woman for fifteen shekels of silver, one homer of barley, and half a homer (letek) of barley (verse 2). This mixture of silver and goods as payment reflects common trade practices in ancient Israel. The total value has traditionally been calculated at about thirty shekels of silver—the price of a slave according to Exodus 21:32—although this calculation depends on assumed grain prices. That the payment is partly made in barley (a cheaper grain than wheat) may indicate that the woman had low status, possibly as a temple prostitute or debt slave. The purchase or redemption of a woman from such a status was legally recognized in the ancient Near East.

The raisin cakes (אֲשִׁישֵׁי עֲנָבִים, ashishei anavim, literally "grape cakes") mentioned in verse 1 were not only delicacies but also had cultic significance. They were used in Canaanite fertility rituals and as offerings to goddesses such as Astarte. The prophet's accusation that Israel "loves raisin cakes" therefore points to religious unfaithfulness through participation in pagan cults.

Key Terms

Verse 4 lists six things Israel will be without for "many days": king, prince, sacrifice, pillar (מַצֵּבָה, matsevah), ephod, and household gods (תְּרָפִים, terafim). Pillars were upright stones used both in legitimate Yahweh worship and in Canaanite cults. The ephod could be a priestly garment or an object used to seek divine guidance. Terafim were small deity figures used in household worship and for divination purposes. That both legitimate (king, sacrifice) and illegitimate (terafim) institutions would disappear emphasizes that the exile would involve total religious and political dissolution.

The expression "David their king" in verse 5 is not used of the historical David but as a messianic designation for a future ideal king from David's line. This reflects the significance of the Davidic covenant tradition in prophetic expectation.

People

No known people in this chapter.

Key words6

Love — A deep devotion and care for someone, used in the book of Hosea 3 to describe God's love for Israel.
Israel — A people and a nation that according to the Bible is God's chosen one. Hosea uses the marriage between himself and his unfaithful wife as an image of the relationship between God and Israel.
Unfaithfulness — Breaking the promise of loyalty to a partner, often through sexual relationships with others. In the book of Hosea 3 it symbolizes Israel's turning away from God by worshiping other gods.
Redemption — The act of buying back or ransoming something or someone. Hosea buys back his unfaithful wife, which symbolizes God's willingness to forgive and restore His relationship with Israel.
Faithfulness — Holding fast to promises and being loyal to someone, especially in a marriage. God calls Israel to return to Him and remain faithful to Him.
Longing — A strong desire or need for something or someone. Hosea describes Israel's longing for God and their future reunion with Him.