Hosea 2 15

Hosea 2:15 kjv

And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

Hosea 2:15 nkjv

I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

Hosea 2:15 niv

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

Hosea 2:15 esv

And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

Hosea 2:15 nlt

I will return her vineyards to her
and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.
She will give herself to me there,
as she did long ago when she was young,
when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.

Hosea 2 verses

Hosea 2 15 Meaning

Hosea 2:15 declares God's loving intention to restore Israel after a period of divine discipline. It portrays the Lord drawing His people back into intimacy, turning their places of affliction into sources of hope and blessing. Specifically, it states that the very "Valley of Achor" – a symbol of trouble and judgment – will be transformed into "a door of hope," and Israel will regain their prosperity and joy, echoing their fervent devotion from the days of the Exodus from Egypt.

Hosea 2 15 Context

Hosea 2 is a vivid allegory portraying God's relationship with Israel as a marriage. In the preceding verses (2:2-13), God brings charges of spiritual adultery against Israel due to her idolatry and attribution of blessings to Baal instead of Him. God announces a period of judgment where He will remove the prosperity Israel mistakenly attributed to her false gods, exposing her nakedness and leading her into barrenness and desolation (v. 3-13).

Verse 14 marks a turning point from divine judgment to tender restoration, foreshadowing a second 'Exodus'. The Lord, out of His unfailing love, promises to "allure" Israel back into the wilderness. Hosea 2:15 then elaborates on this restoration, particularly focusing on the spiritual and physical transformation of their circumstances. The "wilderness" here is not merely a place of punishment but a chosen setting for renewed intimacy, reminiscent of the covenant period immediately after Israel's initial deliverance from Egypt. The "Valley of Achor" (emek akor) harks back to Josh 7, where Achan's sin led to severe trouble and execution for Israel, turning a victory into defeat. For God to transform this specific valley of "trouble" into a "door of hope" is a profound theological reversal and a potent polemic against any notion that Israel's future rested on its own merit or pagan deities; rather, it lay solely in Yahweh's grace. This transformation underscores that even in the lowest point of affliction and consequence for sin, God opens a way to new beginnings.

Hosea 2 15 Word analysis

• Therefore, Behold:
  • Therefore (לָכֵ֗ן, lākhēn): Indicates a consequence, specifically a transition from the previous declaration of judgment (Hos 2:2-13) to a subsequent promise of gracious restoration. It shows divine purpose behind the discipline.
  • Behold (הִנֵּה֙, hinnēh): A deictic particle drawing attention to a new and significant divine action, often surprising and transformative.
• I will allure her:
  • allure (פָתָה, pathah): This Hebrew verb often means to persuade, entice, or trick. While sometimes used negatively (e.g., Ex 22:16, Judg 14:15), here, in the context of divine love, it means to tenderly persuade, woo, or draw someone out, demonstrating God's gentle, irresistible love rather than coercion, in order to renew a lost relationship. It signifies an appeal to Israel's affections.
• and bring her into the wilderness:
  • wilderness (מִדְבָּר, midbar): Not merely a desolate place but a significant biblical motif. It symbolizes a place of isolation, testing, purification, humility, and intimate encounter with God. It harkens back to Israel's initial "honeymoon" period with God after the Exodus (Jer 2:2), free from the distractions and idolatries of Canaanite society. God uses this wilderness experience to strip away their self-reliance and turn them back to Him alone.
• and speak comfortably to her:
  • speak comfortably (וְדִבַּרְתִּ֤י עַל־לִבָּהּ֙, wəḏibbārtî ʿal-libbāh): Literally, "and I will speak to her heart." This idiomatic expression denotes tender, consoling, and comforting speech; words of reassurance and affection. It contrasts sharply with the earlier threats and accusations.
• And I will give her her vineyards from there:
  • give her her vineyards (וְנָתַתִּ֨י לָהּ֙ אֶת־כְּרָמֶ֔יהָ, wəṇātattî lāh ʾet-kərāmeyhā): This promise directly addresses Israel's past error of attributing fertility and produce to Baal (Hos 2:5, 8). God explicitly states He will restore her vineyards (symbolic of prosperity and blessings, see Isa 5:1-7), affirming His exclusive sovereignty over all blessing, contrary to Canaanite fertility cults. The "from there" (מִשָּׁם, mishsham) signifies that these blessings will arise from the very place of stripping down – the wilderness experience – rather than from idolatrous practices.
• and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope:
  • Valley of Achor (עֵ֣מֶק עָכ֔וֹר, ʿēmeq ʿākôr): Literally "Valley of Trouble" or "Valley of Affliction." This refers to the specific location where Achan's sin and punishment occurred (Josh 7), bringing distress to the whole Israelite community. It was a site of defeat and judgment.
  • for a door of hope (לְפֶ֖תַח תִּקְוָ֑ה, ləphetaḥ tiqwāh): This is a powerful paradox. The very place that represented Israel's shame, failure, and the bitter consequences of sin is miraculously transformed by God into an opening or gateway to future expectation and well-being. It signifies that divine judgment and affliction, when embraced and repented through, become the pathway to restoration and hope. It highlights God's ability to redeem even the worst circumstances. This also stands in stark contrast to Baal, who brought no such redemption or transformation.
• And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth:
  • sing there (וְעָנְתָה־שָּׁ֤מָּה כִּימֵי֙ נְעוּרֶ֔יהָ, wəʿānətāh-shāmāh kîmey nəʿûreyhā): "She will respond in song there." Singing is an expression of deep joy, thanksgiving, celebration, and worship. It signifies a renewed covenant relationship, a joyful spiritual revival. The transformation of circumstances will evoke spontaneous praise.
  • days of her youth (כִּימֵי֙ נְעוּרֶ֔יהָ, kîmey nəʿûreyhā): Refers to the early, pure, fervent period of Israel's relationship with Yahweh, primarily during and immediately after the Exodus from Egypt. It was a time of direct reliance on God and great devotion before they succumbed to idolatry in Canaan (Jer 2:2-3).
• and as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt:
  • came up from the land of Egypt (וּכְי֖וֹם עֲלֹתָ֥הּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם, ûkhyōwm ʿălōtāh mēʾereṣ miṣrāyim): An explicit parallel to the Exodus, emphasizing that the future restoration will be as miraculous, powerful, and defining as their initial deliverance. It signifies a renewed national rebirth and spiritual "honeymoon," reinforcing the theme of a transformed, faithful relationship. This new "exodus" from their spiritual bondage will bring joy equal to the physical liberation from slavery.

Hosea 2 15 Bonus section

The transformation of the Valley of Achor from a place of trouble to a door of hope is a powerful example of divine irony and redemption throughout the Bible. This theme is mirrored in the New Testament concept of the cross: what appeared to be the ultimate defeat and shame (the crucifixion of Jesus) became the ultimate "door of hope" for all humanity, leading to salvation and reconciliation with God. The New Covenant established through Christ perfectly fulfills this Hoseanic prophecy of ultimate restoration and renewed relationship with God, allowing believers to sing songs of joy and experience new life in what once was a place of spiritual death or hopelessness.

Hosea 2 15 Commentary

Hosea 2:15 beautifully illustrates God's unyielding love and redemptive nature even in the face of profound covenant unfaithfulness. Following His necessary discipline, God actively pursues Israel, not to destroy, but to restore. He does so by "alluring" them, using gentle persuasion rather than brute force, drawing them into the metaphorical "wilderness." This wilderness is a place of stripping away false securities, allowing for re-evaluation and purification, akin to a spiritual detoxification process. Crucially, in this very place of solitude and dependence, God "speaks to her heart," extending words of comfort and profound tenderness.

The core promise of this verse is the complete reversal of fortune and perspective. God pledges to restore their physical blessings ("her vineyards") which were formerly corrupted by their association with Baal worship. More significantly, He transforms the "Valley of Achor" – a historic symbol of their profound failure, collective sin, and divine judgment from the incident with Achan – into "a door of hope." This symbolizes that God can redeem the very past and the very place of shame, making it the gateway to future expectation and spiritual renewal. It profoundly communicates that divine judgment is purposeful, not punitive; it intends to lead to repentance and a pathway to renewed grace.

The verse culminates in the promise that Israel will once again "sing there" with the same unadulterated joy and devotion as in the "days of her youth," recalling the immediate aftermath of the Exodus from Egypt. This "second Exodus" implies a full restoration of the covenant relationship, where joy replaces sorrow, abundance replaces barrenness, and faithfulness replaces idolatry. It emphasizes that the future ideal for Israel is a return to their foundational identity as God's beloved bride, full of passion and loyalty to Him alone. This message underscores that true hope and prosperity derive solely from God's gracious intervention and not from human effort or pagan cults.