1O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
2Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
3Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
4I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
5I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
6His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
7They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
8Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
9Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
📖 Chapter study
Summary
The book closes with a direct call to genuine repentance and a beautiful promise that God will heal Israel's unfaithfulness, making it flourish again like the lily and the cedar of Lebanon.
Explanation
After thirteen chapters of accusation and warning, Hosea closes with concrete hope: a model prayer of repentance ('take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously') and God's loving response, promising to heal, to love freely, and to make His people flourish like a garden. The images of the lily, the olive tree, and the wine of Lebanon point to the fruitfulness and beauty that idolatry could never truly deliver. The final verse sums up the whole message of the book: the ways of the Lord are right, and it is up to each person to choose to walk in them or to stumble. Today's application: sincere repentance always finds the open door of God's grace, no matter how great the previous fall.
Fun facts
- Lebanon was famous in ancient times for its towering cedars and its fine wine, making it a recurring biblical symbol of grandeur, beauty, and blessed prosperity.
- The book's final question, 'Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?', works as a direct invitation to readers of any era to reflect personally on the book's lessons, rather than simply reading them as ancient history.