Hosea 1:2

Geneva Bible (1560)

At the beginning the Lorde spake by Hosea, and the Lord said vnto Hosea, Goe, take vnto thee a wife of fornicatios, and children of fornications: for the lande hath committed great whoredome, departing from the Lord.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

תְּחִלַּ֥ת דִּבֶּר־יְהוָ֖ה בְּהוֹשֵׁ֑עַ פ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־הוֹשֵׁ֗עַ לֵ֣ךְ קַח־לְךָ֞ אֵ֤שֶׁת זְנוּנִים֙ וְיַלְדֵ֣י זְנוּנִ֔ים כִּֽי־זָנֹ֤ה תִזְנֶה֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ מֵֽאַחֲרֵ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

Transliteration

Təḥillat diber-YHWH in-Hôšēaʿ [paragraph mark] and-yōʾmer YHWH to-Hôšēaʿ lēk qaḥ-to-you ʾēšet zənûnîm and-yaldê zənûnîm for-zānōh tizneh the-ʾāreṣ from-ʾaḥărê YHWH.

Grammar Details

• *Təḥillat*: construct state, feminine singular - beginning of
• *diber*: piel infinitive construct - speaking of
• *YHWH*: proper noun, divine name - Yahweh/LORD
• *yōʾmer*: qal imperfect consecutive, 3rd person masculine singular - and he said
• *lēk*: qal imperative, masculine singular - go
• *qaḥ*: qal imperative, masculine singular - take
• *ʾēšet*: construct state, feminine singular - wife of
• *zənûnîm*: masculine plural noun - harlotries/prostitutions
• *yaldê*: construct state, masculine plural - children of
• *zānōh*: qal infinitive absolute - fornicate/commit harlotry
• *tizneh*: qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular - commits fornication/harlotry
• *ʾāreṣ*: definite noun, feminine singular - land/earth
• *ʾaḥărê*: preposition with 1cs suffix - from after/behind

Word Meanings

• *Təḥillat*: beginning/start/commencement
• *zənûnîm*: harlotry/fornication/prostitution/unfaithfulness
• *zānōh tizneh*: emphatically prostituting/surely committing harlotry
• *ʾāreṣ*: land/earth/ground/territory

Referenced Verses

• Deut 31:16 : 16 And the Lorde said vnto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, and this people will rise vp, and goe a whoring after the gods of a strange land (whither they goe to dwell therein) and will forsake me, and breake my couenant which I haue made with them.
• Hos 3:1 : 1 Then said the Lord to me, Goe yet, and loue a woman (beloued of her husbande, and was an harlot) according to the loue of the Lorde toward the children of Israel: yet they looked to other gods, and loued the wine bottels.
• Hos 2:4-5 : 4 And I wil haue no pitie vpon her children: for they be the children of fornications. 5 For their mother hath plaied the harlot: she that conceiued them, hath done shamefully: for shee said, I will goe after my louers that giue me my bread and my water, my wooll and my flaxe, mine oyle and my drinke.
• Exod 34:15-16 : 15 Lest thou make a compact with the inhabitantes of the lande, and when they goe a whoring after their gods, and doe sacrifice vnto their gods, some man call thee, & thou eate of his sacrifice: 16 And least thou take of their daughters vnto thy sonnes, and their daughters goe a whoring after their gods, and make thy sonnes goe a whoring after their gods.
• Rev 17:1-2 : 1 Then there came one of the seuen Angels, which had the seuen vials, and talked with me, saying vnto me, Come: I will shewe thee the damnation of the great whore that sitteth vpon many waters, 2 With whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth, and the inhabitants of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication.
• Hos 5:3 : 3 I knowe Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for nowe, O Ephraim thou art become an harlot, and Israel is defiled.
• Jer 3:9 : 9 So that for the lightnesse of her whoredome shee hath euen defiled the lande: for shee hath committed fornication with stones and stockes.
• Ezek 6:9 : 9 And they that escape of you, shall remember me among the nations, where they shalbe in captiuitie, because I am grieued for their whorish hearts, which haue departed from mee, and for their eyes, which haue gone a whoring after their idoles, and they shalbe displeased in them selues for the euils, which they haue committed in all their abominations.
• Ezek 16:1-9 : 1 Againe, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, cause Ierusalem to knowe her abominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God vnto Ierusalem, Thine habitation and thy kindred is of the land of Canaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. 4 And in thy natiuitie whe thou wast borne, thy nauell was not cut: thou wast not washed in water to soften thee: thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in cloutes. 5 None eye pitied thee to do any of these vnto thee, for to haue compassion vpon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open fielde to the contempt of thy person in ye day that thou wast borne. 6 And when I passed by thee, I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood, and I said vnto thee, whe thou wast in thy blood, Thou shalt liue: euen when thou wast in thy blood, I saide vnto thee, Thou shalt liue. 7 I haue caused thee to multiplie as the bud of the fielde, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou hast gotten excellent ornaments: thy breastes are facioned, thine heare is growen, where as thou wast naked and bare. 8 Nowe when I passed by thee, and looked vpon thee, beholde, thy time was as the time of loue, and I spred my skirtes ouer thee, and couered thy filthines: yea, I sware vnto thee, and entred into a couenant with thee, saith the Lorde God, and thou becamest mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water: yea, I washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oyle. 10 I clothed thee also with broydred worke, and shod thee with badgers skin: and I girded thee about with fine linen, & I couered thee with silke. 11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets vpon thine handes, and a chaine on thy necke. 12 And I put a frontlet vpon thy face, and earings in thine eares, and a beautifull crowne vpon thine head. 13 Thus wast thou deckt with gold and siluer, and thy rayment was of fine linen, and silke, and broydred worke: thou didest eate fine floure, and honie and oyle, and thou wast very beautifull, and thou didest grow vp into a kingdome. 14 And thy name was spred among the heathen for thy beautie: for it was perfite through my beautie which I had set vpon thee, saith the Lord God. 15 Nowe thou didest trust in thine owne beautie, and playedst the harlot, because of thy renowme, and hast powred out thy fornications on euery one that passed by, thy desire was to him. 16 And thou didest take thy garments, & deckedst thine hie places with diuers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like thinges shall not come, neither hath any done so. 17 Thou hast also taken thy faire iewels made of my golde and of my siluer, which I had giuen thee, and madest to thy selfe images of men, and didest commit whoredome with them, 18 And tookest thy broydred garments, and coueredst them: and thou hast set mine oyle and my perfume before them. 19 My meate also, which I gaue thee, as fine floure, oyle, and honie, wherewith I fedde thee, thou hast euen set it before them for a sweete sauour: thus it was, saith the Lord God. 20 Moreouer thou hast taken thy sonnes and thy daughters, whome thou hast borne vnto me, and these hast thou sacrificed vnto them, to be deuoured: is this thy whoredome a small matter? 21 That thou hast slaine my children, and deliuered them to cause them to passe through fire for them? 22 And in all thine abominations and whoredomes thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. 23 And beside all thy wickednes (wo, wo vnto thee, saith the Lord God) 24 Thou hast also built vnto thee an hie place, and hast made thee an hie place in euery streete. 25 Thou hast built thine hie place at euery corner of the way, and hast made thy beautie to be abhorred: thou hast opened thy feete to euery one that passed by, & multiplied thy whoredome. 26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, which haue great members, and hast encreased thy whoredome, to prouoke me. 27 Beholde, therefore I did stretche out mine hand ouer thee, and will diminish thine ordinarie, and deliuer thee vnto the will of them that hate thee, euen to the daughters of the Philistims, which are ashamed of thy wicked way. 28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast insaciable: yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 29 Thou hast moreouer multiplied thy fornication from the land of Canaan vnto Caldea, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. 30 Howe weake is thine heart, saith the Lorde God, seeing thou doest all these thinges, euen the worke of a presumptuous whorish woman? 31 In that thou buildest thine hie place in the corner of euery way, and makest thine hie place in euery streete, and hast not bene as an harlot that despiseth a reward, 32 But as a wife that playeth the harlot, and taketh others for her husband: 33 They giue giftes to all other whores, but thou giuest giftes vnto all thy louers, and rewardest them, that they may come vnto thee on euery side for thy fornication. 34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy fornications, neither the like fornication shall be after thee: for in that thou giuest a rewarde, and no reward is giuen vnto thee, therefore thou art contrary. 35 Wherefore, O harlot, heare the worde of the Lord. 36 Thus sayeth the Lorde God, Because thy shame was powred out, and thy filthinesse discouered through thy fornications with thy louers, and with all the idoles of thine abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didest offer vnto them, 37 Beholde, therefore I wil gather all thy louers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loued, with al them that thou hast hated: I will euen gather them round about against thee, and will discouer thy filthines vnto them, that they may see all thy filthines. 38 And I wil iudge thee after ye maner of them that are harlots, and of them that shead blood, and I wil giue thee the blood of wrath & ielousie. 39 I will also giue thee into their handes, and they shal destroy thine hie place, and shall breake downe thine hie places. They shall strippe thee also out of thy clothes, and shall take thy faire iewels, and leaue thee naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring vp a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swordes. 41 And they shall burne vp thine houses with fire, and execute iudgements vpon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt giue no reward any more. 42 So will I make my wrath towarde thee to rest, and my ielousie shall depart from thee, and I will cease and be no more angrie. 43 Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, but hast prouoked me with all these things, behold, therefore I also haue brought thy way vpon thine head, sayeth the Lorde God: yet hast not thou had consideration of all thine abominations. 44 Beholde, all that vse prouerbes, shall vse this prouerbe against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. 45 Thou art thy mothers daughter, that hath cast off her husband and her children, and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsooke their husbandes and their children: your mother is an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, and her daughters, that dwell at thy left hand, and thy yong sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom, and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes, nor done after their abominations: but as it had bene a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more then they in all thy wayes. 48 As I liue, saith the Lorde God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, neither shee nor her daughters, as thou hast done and thy daughters. 49 Beholde, this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodom, Pride, fulnesse of bread, and aboundance of idlenesse was in her, and in her daughters: neither did shee strengthen the hande of the poore and needie. 50 But they were hautie, and committed abomination before mee: therefore I tooke them away, as pleased me. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed halfe of thy sinnes, but thou hast exceeded them in thine abominations, and hast iustified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou hast done. 52 Therefore thou which hast iustified thy sisters, beare thine owne shame for thy sinnes, that thou hast committed more abominable then they which are more righteous then thou art: be thou therefore confounded also, and beare thy shame, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters. 53 Therefore I will bring againe their captiuitie with the captiuitie of Sodom, and her daughters, and with the captiuitie of Samaria, and her daughters: euen the captiuitie of thy captiues in the middes of them, 54 That thou mayest beare thine owne shame, and mayest bee confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou hast comforted them. 55 And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall returne to their former state: Samaria also and her daughters shall returne to their former state, when thou and thy daughters shall returne to your former state. 56 For thy sister Sodom was not heard of by thy report in the day of thy pride, 57 Before thy wickednes was discouered, as in that same time of the reproch of the daughters of Aram, and of all the daughters of the Philistims round about her which despise thee on all sides. 58 Thou hast borne therefore thy wickednesse and thine abomination, saith the Lord. 59 For thus saith the Lord God, I might euen deale with thee, as thou hast done: when thou didest despise the othe, in breaking the couenant. 60 Neuerthelesse, I wil remember my couenant made with thee in ye dayes of thy youth, and I wil confirme vnto thee an euerlasting couenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receiue thy sisters, both thy elder & thy yonger, and I will giue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenat. 62 And I wil establish my couenant with thee, and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord, 63 That thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, & neuer open thy mouth any more: because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.
• Ezek 23:1-9 : 1 The worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 And they committed fornication in Egypt, they committed fornication in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teates of their virginitie. 4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, & Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sonnes and daughters: thus were their names. Samaria is Aholah, and Ierusalem Aholibah. 5 And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine, and she was set on fire with her louers, to wit, with the Assyrians her neighbours, 6 Which were clothed with blewe silke, both captaines and princes: they were all pleasant yong men, and horsemen riding vpon horses. 7 Thus she committed her whoredome with them, euen with all them that were the chosen men of Asshur, and with all on whome she doted, and defiled her selfe with all their idoles. 8 Neither left she her fornications, learned of the Egyptians: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginitie, and powred their whoredome vpon her. 9 Wherefore I deliuered her into the hands of her louers, euen into the hands of the Assyrians, vpon whome she doted. 10 These discouered her shame: they tooke away her sonnes and her daughters, and slewe her with the sworde, and she had an euill name among women: for they had executed iudgement vpon her. 11 And when her sister Aholibah sawe this, she marred her selfe with inordinate loue, more then she, and with her fornications more then her sister with her fornications. 12 She doted vpon the Assyrians her neighbours, both captaines and princes clothed with diuers sutes, horsemen ryding vpon horses: they were all pleasant yong men. 13 Then I sawe that she was defiled, and that they were both after one sort, 14 And that she encreased her fornications: for when she sawe men painted vpon the wall, the images of the Caldeans painted with vermelon, 15 And girded with girdles vpon their loynes, and with dyed attyre vpon their heads (looking all like princes after the maner of the Babylonians in Caldea, the land of their natiuitie) 16 Assoone, I say, as she sawe them, she doted vpon them, and sent messengers vnto them into Caldea. 17 Nowe when the Babylonians came to her into the bed of loue, they defiled her with their fornication, and she was polluted with them, and her lust departed from them. 18 So she discouered her fornication, and disclosed her shame: then mine heart forsooke her, like as mine heart had forsaken her sister. 19 Yet she encreased her whoredome more, and called to remembrance ye dayes of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20 For she doted vpon their seruants whose members are as the members of asses, and whose yssue is like the yssue of horses. 21 Thou calledst to remembrance the wickednes of thy youth, when thy teates were bruised by ye Egyptians: therefore ye paps of thy youth are thus. 22 Therefore, O Aholibah, thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, I will raise vp thy louers against thee, from whome thine heart is departed, and I will bring them against thee on euery side, 23 To wit, the Babylonians, and all the Caldeans, Peked, and Shoah, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: they were all pleasant yong men, captaines and princes: all they were valiant and renoumed, riding vpon horses. 24 Euen these shal come against thee with charets, waggons, and wheeles, and with a multitude of people, which shall set against thee, buckler and shield, and helmet round about: and I will leaue the punishment vnto them, and they shall iudge thee according to their iudgements. 25 And I wil lay mine indignation vpon thee, and they shal deale cruelly with thee: they shall cut off thy nose and thine eares, and thy remnant shal fall by the sword: they shall cary away thy sonnes and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be deuoured by the fire. 26 They shal also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fayre iewels. 27 Thus wil I make thy wickednes to cease from thee and thy fornication out of the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift vp thine eyes vnto them, nor remember Egypt any more. 28 For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I wil deliuer thee into the hand of them, whome thou hatest: euen into the hands of them from whome thine heart is departed. 29 And they shall handle thee despitefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leaue thee naked and bare, and the shame of thy fornications shalbe discouered, both thy wickednes, and thy whoredome. 30 I wil doe these things vnto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idoles. 31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister: therefore wil I giue her cup into thine hand. 32 Thus saith ye Lord God, Thou shalt drinke of thy sisters cup, deepe and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorne and had in derision, because it containeth much. 33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkennes and sorow, euen with the cup of destruction, and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. 34 Thou shalt euen drinke it, and wring it out to the dregges, and thou shalt breake the sheards thereof, and teare thine owne breasts: for I haue spoken it, sayth the Lord God. 35 Therefore thus saith the Lorde God, Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behinde thy backe, therefore thou shalt also beare thy wickednes and thy whoredome. 36 The Lord sayd moreouer vnto me, Sonne of man, wilt thou iudge Aholah & Aholibah? and wilt thou declare to them their abominations? 37 For they haue played the whores, and blood is in their hands, and with their idoles haue they committed adulterie, and haue also caused their sonnes, whome they bare vnto me, to passe by the fire to be their meate. 38 Moreouer, thus haue they done vnto me: they haue defiled my Sanctuarie in the same day, and haue prophaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when they had slaine their children to their idoles, they came the same day into my Sanctuarie to defile it: and loe, thus haue they done in the middes of mine house. 40 And howe much more is it that they sent for men to come from farre vnto whom a messenger was sent, and loe, they came? for whome thou diddest wash thy selfe, and paintedst thine eyes, and deckedst thee with ornaments, 41 And satest vpon a costly bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oyle. 42 And a voyce of a multitude being at ease, was with her: and with the men to make the company great were brought men of Saba from the wildernes, which put bracelets vpon their hands, and beautifull crownes vpon their heads. 43 Then I sayd vnto her, that was olde in adulteries, Now shall she and her fornications come to an end. 44 And they went in vnto her as they goe to a common harlot: so went they to Aholah and Aholibah the wicked women. 45 And ye righteous men they shal iudge them, after the maner of harlots, and after the maner of murtherers: for they are harlots, and blood is in their hands. 46 Wherefore thus sayth the Lord God, I will bring a multitude vpon them, and will giue them vnto the tumult, and to the spoyle, 47 And the multitude shall stone them with stones, and cut them with their swordes: they shal slay their sonnes, and their daughters, and burne vp their houses with fire. 48 Thus will I cause wickednesse to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to doe after your wickednesse. 49 And they shall laye your wickednesse vpon you, and ye shall beare the sinnes of your idoles, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord God.
• Jer 13:1-9 : 1 Thus sayth the Lorde vnto mee, Goe, and buy thee a linen girdle, & put it vpon thy loynes, and put it not in water. 2 So I bought the girdle according to the commandement of the Lord, and put it vpon my loynes. 3 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me the second time, saying, 4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is vpon thy loynes, and arise, goe towarde Perath, and hide it there in the cleft of the rocke. 5 So I went, and hid it by Perath, as the Lord had commanded me. 6 And after many dayes, the Lorde sayde vnto mee, Arise, goe towarde Perath, and take the girdle from thence, which I commaunded thee to hide there. 7 Then went I to Perath, and digged, & tooke the girdle from the place where I had hid it, and behold, the girdle was corrupt, and was profitable for nothing. 8 Then the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 9 Thus sayth the Lord, After this maner will I destroy the pride of Iudah, and the great pride of Ierusalem. 10 This wicked people haue refused to heare my word, and walke after ye stubbernesse of their owne heart, and walke after other gods to serue them, and to worship them: therefore they shalbe as this girdle, which is profitable to nothing. 11 For as the girdle cleaueth to the loynes of a man, so haue I tied to me the whole house of Israel, and the whole house of Iudah, saith the Lorde, that they might bee my people: that they might haue a name and prayse, and glory, but they would not heare.
• Ezek 4:1-5 : 1 Thou also sonne of man, take thee a bricke, and lay it before thee, and pourtray vpon it the citie, euen Ierusalem, 2 And lay siege against it, and builde a fort against it, and cast a mount against it: set the campe also against it, and lay engins of warre against it rounde about. 3 Moreouer, take an yron pan, and set it for a wall of yron betweene thee and the citie, and direct thy face towarde it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it: this shall be a signe vnto the house of Israel. 4 Sleepe thou also vpon thy left side, and lay the iniquitie of the house of Israel vpon it: according to the nomber of the dayes, that thou shalt sleepe vpo it, thou shalt beare their iniquity. 5 For I haue layed vpon thee the yeeres of their iniquitie, according to the nomber of the dayes, euen three hundreth and ninetie dayes: so shalt thou beare the iniquitie of the house of Israel.
• 2 Chr 21:13 : 13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, & hast made Iudah & the inhabitantes of Ierusalem to go a whoring, as the house of Ahab went a whoring, & hast also slaine thy brethre of thy fathers house, which were better then thou,
• Ps 73:27 : 27 For loe, they that withdrawe themselues from thee, shall perish: thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring from thee.
• Ps 106:39 : 39 Thus were they steined with their owne woorkes, and went a whoring with their owne inuentions.
• Isa 20:2-3 : 2 At the same time spake the Lord by ye hand of Isaiah the sonne of Amoz, saying, Goe, and loose the sackecloth from thy loynes, and put off thy shooe from thy foote; he did so, walking naked and barefoote. 3 And the Lord said, Like as my seruant Isaiah hath walked naked, & barefoote three yeeres, as a signe and wonder vpon Egypt, and Ethiopia,
• Jer 2:13 : 13 For my people haue committed two euils: they haue forsaken mee the fountaine of liuing waters, to digge them pittes, euen broken pittes, that can holde no water.
• Jer 3:1-4 : 1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she goe from him, and become another mans, shall hee returne againe vnto her? Shall not this land be polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many louers: yet turne againe to mee, sayeth the Lord. 2 Lift vp thine eyes vnto the hie places, and beholde, where thou hast not plaied the harlot: thou hast sit waiting for them in the waies, as the Arabian in the wildernesse: and thou hast polluted the lande with thy whoredomes, and with thy malice. 3 Therefore the showres haue beene restrained, and the latter raine came not, and thou haddest a whores forehead: thou wouldest not bee ashamed. 4 Diddest thou not stil crie vnto me, Thou art my father, and the guide of my youth?
• Mark 1:1 : 1 The beginning of the Gospel of Iesus Christ, the Sonne of God:
• 2 Pet 2:14 : 14 Hauing eyes full of adulterie, and that can not cease to sinne, beguiling vnstable soules: they haue heartes exercised with couetousnesse, they are the children of curse:
• Rev 17:5 : 5 And in her forehead was a name written, A mysterie, that great Babylon, that mother of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth.