Hosea 2 2

Hosea 2:2 kjv

Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

Hosea 2:2 nkjv

"Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband! Let her put away her harlotries from her sight, And her adulteries from between her breasts;

Hosea 2:2 niv

"Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.

Hosea 2:2 esv

"Plead with your mother, plead ? for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband ? that she put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts;

Hosea 2:2 nlt

"But now bring charges against Israel ? your mother ?
for she is no longer my wife,
and I am no longer her husband.
Tell her to remove the prostitute's makeup from her face
and the clothing that exposes her breasts.

Hosea 2 verses

Meaning

Hosea 2:2 is a direct and dramatic declaration from God concerning the spiritual unfaithfulness of Israel, personified as an unchaste wife, or mother. God calls for Israel's "children"—either a faithful remnant, the prophetic voice, or even a divine command to all within the nation—to confront and denounce the idolatry and spiritual prostitution of the nation ("mother"). It asserts that due to her adulterous pursuit of other gods, the sacred covenant bond between God and Israel, akin to a marriage, has been severely fractured, prompting a disavowal by God of her fidelity ("she is not My wife, and I am not her husband"). The verse then demands a removal of all visible and inward signs of her spiritual unfaithfulness, symbolically represented by "adulteries from her face" and "unfaithfulness from between her breasts," signifying an imperative to abandon all open and intimate acts of idolatry and cultic practices that betray the divine covenant.

Cross References

Context

Hosea chapter 2 is a vivid portrayal of God's indictment against unfaithful Israel, employing the profound and painful metaphor of a broken marriage. Chapter 1 introduces the prophet Hosea and his call to marry Gomer, a woman of harlotry, and their children, whose names are symbolic of God's judgment on Israel (Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi). Chapter 2 directly continues this marital allegory.Hosea 2:2 is the immediate start of God's "lawsuit" (rib) against Israel. The preceding verses introduce the children as products of this unholy union, and verse 2 initiates the divine command for these children to "rebuke" their "mother" (Israel as a nation). The verse functions as a powerful legal and emotional declaration of the covenant's breach due to Israel's widespread idolatry and unfaithfulness. This is set against the backdrop of Hosea's 8th-century BCE ministry, specifically to the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim/Israel), a period marked by political instability, reliance on foreign alliances, and pervasive Baal worship, which often involved immoral cultic practices perceived as spiritual harlotry by God. This polemic targets the prevailing syncretism where YHWH worship was blended with Canaanite fertility cults, distorting the unique covenant relationship.

Word analysis

• Rebuke your mother, rebuke her (רִיבוּ בְאִמְּכֶם רִיבוּ֙)

  • רִיבוּ (Rivu): The imperative verb, meaning "to contend," "to plead," "to strive," "to litigate." It is a strong command signifying a formal accusation or a legal challenge within a divine lawsuit ("rib-motif"), highlighting Israel's guilt in a covenant breach. The repetition intensifies the command and urgency.
  • אִמְּכֶם (Im-khem): "Your mother." Metaphorically represents the entire nation of Israel, including its leadership and dominant practices, specifically its pervasive idolatry. It points to the collective identity and foundational apostasy that the "children" (e.g., faithful remnant) are commanded to confront.

• for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband (כִּי־הִיא֙ לֹא אִשְׁתִּ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹֽא־אִישָֽׁהּ)

  • אִשְׁתִּי (Ishtī): "My wife." Refers to the sacred covenant relationship, emphasizing fidelity and exclusivity.
  • אִישָׁהּ (Ishah): "Her husband." This paired declaration emphasizes the two-sided nature of the broken marital covenant. God is declaring a formal separation or withdrawal due to a severe breach, challenging Israel's presumption that their covenant with Him remained valid despite their actions.

• Let her remove her adulteries from her face (וְתָסֵר֙ זְנוּנֶ֔יהָ מִפָּנֶ֔יהָ)

  • תָסֵר (Taser): "And let her remove," "put away," "take off." A jussive form, indicating a strong exhortation for active and complete removal.
  • זְנוּנֶיהָ (Z'nuneyhā): "Her adulteries," "her harlotries," "her prostitutions." This broadly encompasses spiritual infidelity—the worship of other gods, syncretism, and the immoral cultic practices of pagan deities like Baal and Asherah.
  • מִפָּנֶיהָ (Mip-paneyhā): "From her face." This signifies openly displayed idolatrous practices or visible marks of apostasy, visible for all to see. The face symbolizes public presentation, identity, and visible shame/honor.

• and her unfaithfulness from between her breasts (וְנַאֲפוּפֶ֖יהָ מִבֵּ֣ין שָׁדֶֽיהָ)

  • נַאֲפוּפֶיהָ (Na'afūfehā): "Her unfaithfulness," "her adulteries." This term refers more specifically to acts of sexual adultery, metaphorically extended to severe covenant infidelity and idolatry, implying a deeper breach.
  • מִבֵּין שָׁדֶֽיהָ (Mib-bein shādeyhā): "From between her breasts." This imagery points to deeper, more intimate acts of idolatry, perhaps involving pagan symbols worn or worshipped close to the heart, or highly personal and sensual aspects of cultic worship. It also implies deeply ingrained and cherished forms of apostasy.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Rebuke your mother, rebuke her": This phrase functions as a direct summons to a divine legal proceeding (a rib lawsuit), with those aligned with God's covenant within Israel commanded to act as accusers against the apostate nation. The doubling of the verb intensifies the urgent and imperative nature of this divine injunction to expose and condemn sin.
• "she is not my wife, and I am not her husband": This emphatic declaration underscores the severity of Israel's breach of the covenant, which God likens to a marriage. It asserts that Israel's actions have effectively nullified her special status as God's exclusive "wife," signaling God's withdrawal of spousal responsibilities and blessings. While strong, subsequent passages in Hosea indicate it's not a final, irreparable divorce but a severe conditional statement aimed at evoking repentance.
• "Let her remove her adulteries from her face and her unfaithfulness from between her breasts": This command graphically calls for Israel to cleanse herself comprehensively from both overt and subtle forms of idolatry. "From her face" refers to publicly visible and shamefully displayed acts of pagan worship or adherence. "From between her breasts" delves into the intimate and ingrained nature of her apostasy, possibly referring to hidden amulets, pagan ornaments worn close to the body, or deeply cherished but defiling ritualistic practices. Together, they represent a demand for radical and thorough purification from all spiritual impurity.

Commentary

Hosea 2:2 initiates a profound prophetic judgment, utilizing the powerful, relational metaphor of marriage to expose Israel's covenant infidelity. God, acting as the offended husband, calls His "children" (the faithful remnant or perhaps prophetically, the divine accusation) to "rebuke" the "mother" (the corporate nation of Israel). This "rebuke" is a call to litigation, signifying a divine lawsuit where Israel is charged with breaching her covenant vows through spiritual harlotry. The assertion, "she is not My wife, and I am not her husband," is a declaration of estrangement. While not necessarily a permanent "divorce" in an absolute sense, it highlights the severe brokenness and God's withdrawal of blessings due to Israel's unfaithfulness. It challenges Israel's presumption that their relationship with YHWH remained intact despite their pervasive idolatry. The subsequent demand to remove "adulteries from her face" and "unfaithfulness from between her breasts" underscores the pervasive and intimate nature of Israel's sin. This speaks to both overt, public acts of pagan worship (displayed on the "face") and more personal, ingrained practices of syncretism and idolatrous sensuality ("between her breasts"). This verse serves as an urgent summons to radical repentance, a call for Israel to strip away all outward signs and inward desires for spiritual adultery, thereby cleansing herself for a potential restoration with her divine Husband.

Bonus section

• The call for "children" to "rebuke their mother" is a significant departure from typical Israelite familial ethics where parental honor was paramount (Exo 20:12). This unconventional command underscores the profound severity of Israel's national apostasy, suggesting that the "mother" (nation) has become so corrupted that even those dependent on her are now mandated to denounce her.
• The "rib" (lawsuit) motif is a prominent literary device in Hosea and other prophetic books, where God assumes the role of plaintiff and judge, and the prophet or the righteous within Israel act as accusers or witnesses. Hosea 2:2 directly inaugurates this judicial process against Israel.
• The specific imagery of removing "adulteries from her face" and "unfaithfulness from between her breasts" is a direct polemic against the sensual allure and practices of Canaanite fertility cults, which Israel had eagerly embraced. These cults often involved ritual prostitution and the wearing of idolatrous symbols for perceived benefits, all of which are commanded to be utterly purged.
• While this verse uses the language of separation, God's overall plan revealed throughout Hosea, especially in chapters 11 and 14, is one of redemptive discipline followed by restoration. The strong declaration of "not My wife" functions as a severe warning designed to bring Israel to repentance, rather than an irreversible decree of abandonment.