Hosea 2:14-20

 Hosea 2:14-20 (NRSV)

¹⁴ Therefore, I will now allure her,

and bring her into the wilderness,

and speak tenderly to her.

¹⁵ From there I will give her her vineyards,

and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.

There she shall respond as in the days of her youth,

as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ On that day, says the Lord, you will call me, “My husband,” and no longer will you call me, “My Baal.” ¹⁷ For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be mentioned by name no more. ¹⁸ I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety. ¹⁹ And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. ²⁰ I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.

 

Hosea 2:14-20 is part of a segment that extends from verse 4 and ends in verse 25, relating defection and retribution, reconciliation and renewal. 

In Hosea 2: 14-15, we have the conclusion of the internal dialogue the prophet envisions occurring within the being of the Lord. ¹⁴ Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. This speaks of restored relationships. The leading of Israel into the wilderness could mean either the enterprise of making a special people had failed or that there will be a new beginning.  The idea is that of speaking intimately is that of courtship. ¹⁵ From there I will give her her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she shall respond as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. Verses 16-25 make greater sense at a national level. The promises here have no relationship to any change in Israel. The Lord will punish her for the festival days of the Baals, offering incense to them, wearing jewelry, and went after lovers, while forgetting the Lord. ¹⁶ On that day, says the Lord, you will call me, “My husband,” and no longer will you call me, “My Baal.” ¹⁷ For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and Israel shall mention their names no more. ¹⁸ I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety. All of this suggests an eschatological formula.  The transformation of nature and achievement is for universal harmony. ¹⁹ In addition, I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. ²⁰ I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord. The prophet speaks of the covenant of peace. The beneficiaries of the covenant are the children.  A covenant like this has its nearest account in Gen 9:8-11. Paul refers to the verse in Romans 9:24ff, appealing to the election concept of the people of God as he finds this prophetic promised fulfilled in the emergence of the Gentile Christian missionary churches.^[1]

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[1] Systematic Theology Volume 3, 443, referring to Wilckens, Romer, II, 205f.