Hosea 1 3

Hosea 1:3 kjv

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

Hosea 1:3 nkjv

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Hosea 1:3 niv

So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Hosea 1:3 esv

So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Hosea 1:3 nlt

So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.

Hosea 1 verses

Hosea 1 3 Meaning

Hosea 1:3 records the prophet Hosea's immediate obedience to God's startling command to marry a harlot. This act, including the marriage to Gomer and the subsequent conception and birth of their first child, serves as a living, prophetic allegory. It vividly portrays the Lord's faithful yet sorrowful relationship with the idolatrous nation of Israel, illustrating their spiritual adultery and His unwavering covenant love despite their unfaithfulness.

Hosea 1 3 Context

Hosea prophesied primarily to the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) during a period of political instability and profound spiritual decay, roughly from 785 to 725 BC. His ministry overlapped with Kings Jeroboam II to Hoshea, concluding before the fall of Samaria in 722 BC to Assyria. This period was marked by pervasive idolatry, syncretism (mixing worship of Yahweh with Baal and Asherah), social injustice, and reliance on foreign alliances rather than God. Hosea chapter 1 begins the book by establishing the prophetic narrative, presenting the prophet's personal life as a dramatic illustration of God's relationship with Israel. God's command to marry "a wife of harlotry" in verse 2 sets the stage for Hosea's act in verse 3, making his marital experiences a profound and painful living parable of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to God, who remains their faithful Husband.

Hosea 1 3 Word analysis

• So he went (וַיֵּלֶךְ, vayelech): Emphasizes immediate, unquestioning obedience. Hosea’s complete compliance with the divine command, despite its social ramifications and personal pain, underscores the weight and divine origin of the message he is to convey. It is an active demonstration of faith.
• and took (וַיִּקַּח, vayiqach): From the root לָקַח (laqach), which signifies taking, acquiring, or marrying. It conveys the act of legal possession in the context of marriage, making the union official and binding despite the unconventional nature of the partner. It signifies the covenant-like binding that God maintained with Israel.
• Gomer (גֹּמֶר, Gomer): Her name means "completion" or "ceasing." Scholars interpret this in several ways: it could signify that Israel's apostasy has reached its "completion," demanding decisive action; or that a period of divine patience is "ceasing." Alternatively, some view it as referring to her "prodigality" or "degeneration," suggesting that she might already have been known for loose morals before the marriage.
• the daughter of Diblaim (בַּת־דִּבְלָיִם, bat-Diblayim): "Diblaim" is linked to the Hebrew word develah (דְּבֵלָה), meaning "cake of pressed figs" or "raisin-cakes." These cakes were sometimes associated with fertility cults and pagan worship (e.g., Jer 7:18; Hos 3:1). The name "Diblaim" (in dual form) might thus hint at a double measure of unholiness, a profligate nature, or a family known for such practices. This parental naming might reinforce Gomer's character even before the marriage, emphasizing that God knew what kind of woman she was, making the command even more deliberate and symbolic. It connects her directly to the idolatrous environment prevalent in Israel.
• and she conceived (וַתַּהַר, vattahar): The natural consequence of marital union. This phrase is literal and crucial because the subsequent children will each receive symbolic names directly from God, furthering the prophetic message of judgment and future restoration.
• and bore him a son (וַתֵּלֶד־לוֹ בֵּן, vatteled-lo ben): The birth of the first child, Jezreel (named in the following verse), is the initial step in the unfolding prophetic drama. The child is specifically his son ("him a son"), highlighting the direct involvement of Hosea as a participant in God's symbolic narrative.

Words-group analysis:

• So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim: This phrase highlights Hosea's unhesitating obedience and the explicit identification of his wife. The deliberate naming, beyond a mere descriptor, ties Gomer and her origins directly into the overarching message of Israel's moral and spiritual decay, which has deep roots in pagan practices.
• and she conceived and bore him a son: This group of words signals the tangible beginning of the prophetic signs. The physical reality of a child, a son in this instance, makes the abstract concept of Israel's spiritual harlotry concretely manifest. It establishes the vehicle for the subsequent prophecies concerning God's judgment and grace upon Israel through the children's names.

Hosea 1 3 Bonus section

The command for Hosea to marry a woman already known for "harlotry" or who would become so is highly debated among scholars. Some argue "wife of harlotry" means she was literally a cultic prostitute, others that she was generally immoral, or that the phrase applies to her after the marriage as her unfaithfulness became apparent, mirroring Israel’s post-covenant infidelity. The most compelling view suggests her pre-marital character or family name (Diblaim) already marked her as someone embodying the spiritual harlotry pervasive in Israel, thus emphasizing the prophetic symbolism from the outset, not just through future actions. This makes Hosea's obedience even more profound and indicative of God's proactive judgment and sorrow over His chosen nation's pre-existing spiritual defilement. The very first act of the prophetic book lays down the painful truth: Israel's relationship with God is akin to a faithful husband with an unfaithful wife, right from the beginning of their union.

Hosea 1 3 Commentary

Hosea 1:3 showcases Hosea's unparalleled obedience, an immediate response to a divine command that defied social norms and personal inclination. His act of marrying Gomer, "daughter of Diblaim," is not merely a literal event but the central metaphor of his prophetic ministry. Gomer's background, suggested by her father's name, subtly underscores the spiritual corruption permeating Israel, specifically linking it to the idolatrous worship practices and moral degradation associated with Baal. Her eventual conception and birth of a son mark the first living prophecy. This child, Jezreel, would later be named to symbolize divine judgment. The prophet’s family life becomes a continuous, painful object lesson: God's loyal love for Israel, enduring even their flagrant spiritual prostitution, paralleled by Hosea's faithfulness to Gomer, even as her character (or eventual actions, as subsequent chapters reveal) mirrored Israel's harlotry. The verse sets the stage for one of the most profound portrayals of covenant love and persistent grace in the Old Testament, illustrating God's deep anguish over His people's infidelity but also His ultimate redemptive purpose.