Gomer was the daughter of Diblaim and was called by God to become the prophet Hosea's wife. She was an unfaithful woman whose marriage to Hosea became a living picture of God's relationship with unfaithful Israel. Her story illustrates both Israel's spiritual adultery and God's unconditional love and willingness to reconcile.
God commanded Hosea to take an unfaithful wife to illustrate Israel's adultery against the Lord. Hosea took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, as his wife.
2When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to him: "Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of prostitution, for the land commits great prostitution by turning away from the LORD."
Gomer gave birth to her first son, who was named Jezreel, a prophetic name that foretold judgment on the house of Jehu for the bloodshed in the Valley of Jezreel.
4And the LORD said to him, "Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood shed at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
6She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, "Name her No Mercy, for I will no longer show mercy to the house of Israel; I will certainly not forgive them.[^1]
[^1]: Or "that I should in any way forgive them"; the Hebrew clause is difficult and has also been understood as "I will utterly take them away."
7But I will show mercy to the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or sword or battle, by horses or horsemen."
9And the LORD said, "Name him Not My People,[^1] for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.[^2]
[^1]: Hebrew Lo-Ammi.
[^2]: Hebrew "and I will not be yours"; the wording echoes the divine name revealed in Exodus 3:14.
After Gomer left Hosea to live in unfaithfulness, the prophet was commanded to love her again and buy her back. This symbolized God's endless love for Israel.
1Then 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."
2So 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.
3And 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."