Hosea 2:3-23 (2:1-25): And I Will Betroth You to Me

Note, “her festivals” and not “My festivals” or “the festivals of the Lord”. Further notice, “her new moons”, “her sabbaths”. The qualifier “her” denotes a desecration and therefore misapplication of the holy festivals of YHVH as commanded to Israel. These celebrations were defiled, syncretised versions of the holy convocations and not the convocations as practiced by the righteous remnant with godly integrity. An end will be put to the misapplication of HaShem’s festivals when Israel (northern kingdom) is sent into exile at the hand of the Assyrian Empire.

Introduction:
 
This chapter reads as prose and employs the couplets, triplets and word play of Hebrew poetic literature in order to emphasise the firmly established nature of the fallen condition of the people and the immutable redemptive purposes of God for His wayward bride Israel.
 
Biblical Hebrew poetic couplets and repetitions often use synonymous terms to reinforce concepts, practices, motivations, principles, outcomes etc. The use of this poetic mechanism strengthens the emotion and application of the text, which was to be proclaimed to the wayward children of Israel (northern tribes) and Judah (including Benjamin [the southern kingdom]).
 
Within the Hebrew text of Hosea 2 numerous word plays are employed to create juxtaposition that conveys the redemptive purposes of God in restoring that which has been defiled by idolatry (adultery).
 
As is so often the case in the rhythm of Biblical prophetic literature, this proclamation of God shows us yet again that Mercy (YHVH) precedes judgement, and is the result of it. This portion of Hosea begins (v.3 [1]) and ends (v.25 [23]) in right relationship.
 
2:3 Say to your brothers, “Amiy My people,” and to your sisters, “Ruchamah mercy, love, compassion, tenderness.”
 
1 Say to your brothers, “Amiy (My people),”
And to your sisters, “Ruchamah (Mercy).”
 
These couplets convey equity between the sexes (brother and sister) and link Belonging and identity (My people) to mercy (YHVH). This correlates to the hope of redemption of all Israel from her fallen state, as alluded to in chapter 1:6 (Lo-Ruchamah) and 1:9 (Lo-Amiy). The outcome of Israel’s self-imposed separation from the LORD will be her future reconciliation to Him purchased by the actions of His sacrificial love.
 
The opening instruction is to be spoken to Hosea’s brothers and sisters. Not merely blood related but spiritually kindred. God is affirming through Hosea those who like him are part of the remnant of the righteous of his generation, including but not limited to Amos, Micah and Isaiah. Therefore, those who belong to God through their acceptance of His mercy are contrasted against the adulterous mother (Israel as a whole), those who have rejected God and have followed after false gods (other husbands, masters, rulers).
 
Both Hosea and his righteous brothers and sisters are then instructed to bring an indictment based on Torah, against their mother (Israel, northern kingdoms), and proclaim to her that indictment and call her to repentance by saying “she must remove her whoredoms from her face, countenance, and her adultery from between her breasts”.
 
4 “Riyvu strive, wrestle, contend, quarrel, bring a law suit ve’imchem with/in your (plural) mother, Riyvu strive, wrestle, contend, quarrel, bring a law suit, because hiy she is lo ishtiy not My wife (woman), and I am lo ishah not her husband; and she must ve’taseir turn aside from, depart from zenuneiha her whoredoms, adulteries, fornications, infidelities, remove them mipaneyah from her face, sight, presence, intimate person ve’na’afupeyah and her adultery mibeiyn from between shadeyah her breasts,
 
2 “Quarrel with your mother, 
Bring a law suit against her,
 
These couplets emphasise the weight of Law [Torah] (law suit) as an indictment carried in the mouth of the prophet (quarrel) at the instruction of God.

Because she is not My wife (woman),
And I am not her husband (man);
 
These couplets emphasise the disconnect between husband (God) and wife (Israel, northern kingdom) and reveal the order in which the separation was manifest. In short, the wife first rejected the husband. “I am not her husband because she has first chosen not to be my wife.”

But she must remove her whoredoms from her face, countenance,
And her adultery from between her breasts,
 
These couplets emphasise the diverse sexual immorality (whoredoms [paid], adulteries[wanton]) participated in by the wife (Israel, northern kingdom) and the intimate exposure (face, breasts) of her person to lovers other than her husband.
 
This intimate connection with her lovers must be severed entirely in order for the wife to be able to begin her journey of redemption and purification. In short, holding on to even the smallest aspects of intimacy with her illegitimate lovers (false husbands, gods) will prevent her from being restored to her true husband (YHVH).
 
Although God has every right to divorce His wayward wife Israel due to her adultery, He none the less seeks to reconcile her to Himself.

3 Or else, afshiytenah I will strip her arumah naked And expose her kiy’yom for the day hivaldah of her birth, ve’samtiyha and will appoint her chamidbar (cha [from], mi [from], d’bar [word]) for a wilderness, veshatiha and set her ke’eretz for a land tziyah of drought, vahamitiyha And put her to death batzama in thirst.
 
3 Otherwise, I will strip her naked
And expose her for the day she was born

The couplets denoting complete vulnerability (naked, exposed) are followed by a sign pointing to the recollection of Israel’s past [desert wandering through disobedience] (the day she was born [out of Egypt]).
 
Ancient Biblical Jewish (Israelite) wedding custom places the responsibility for clothing a “faithful” wife entirely upon the husband (Exodus 21:10; Ezekiel 16:10). This is still practiced today by certain Orthodox and Haredi communities. In traditional ancient custom the ketubah (written marriage agreement) is signed only by the husband and is given to the wife as assurance of provision, providing she does not break the blood covenant (breaking of the hymen) of the marriage.
 
The faithful husband has the Biblical moral right to take back clothing and provision from an unfaithful wife (Jeremiah 13:26; Ezekiel 16:39).
 
“The day she was born” refers to God’s delivering her as a people from her naked vulnerable state as a slave in Egypt. This is affirmed by the following allusions to Israel’s wandering in the desert through disobedience.
 
I will also make her like a wilderness,
Make her like desert land,
And put her to death with thirst.

This triplet emphasises the fruit of Israel’s past disobedience (desert wandering through a refusal to obey God’s instruction to enter the land of Israel) as a figure for what is about to happen (exile at the hand of the Assyrian empire).
 
Death resulting from dehydration “thirst” refers to both physical and spiritual death. Elsewhere, through a contemporary of Hosea, the LORD speaks of thirst for His Word:
 
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of the Lord.” -Amos 8:11 (NASB)
 
The Targum Yonatan on Hosea affirms this understanding:
 
"lest I remove my Shechinah from her, and take away her glory, and set her forsaken, as in the days of old, before she came to my worship; and my fury shall remain upon her, as it remained upon the people of that generation that transgressed my law in the wilderness; and I will set the land desolate, and kill her with thirst.'' -Hosea 2:5 Targum Yonatan Ben Uzziel (2nd Centruy CE Aramaic paraphrase translation)

4 Ve’et-baneyah And her children, will experience lo aracheim no mercy kiy-veneiy for the children zenuniym of whoredoms, fornications, prostitutions, heimah are they.
 
4 Also, I will take no pity on her children,
Because they are children of infidelity.
 
The children are known as the fruit of their mother’s sin and by their fruit (infidelity). Therefore, this refers to those who are not of the righteous remnant.
 
The Targum affirms the interpretation that understands the children of Israel (northern kingdom) as practisers of idolatry (adultery) and not merely the fruit of it.
 
"for they are children that commit idolatry;'' -Hosea 2:6 Targum Yonatan Ben Uzziel (2nd Centruy CE Aramaic paraphrase translation)
 
5 Kiy For zanetah a fornicator, harlot is imam their mother; hoviyshah dried up (acted shamefully) horatam She who conceived them. Kiy For amerah she said, ‘Eilechah I will walk achareiy after (become a follower of) me’ahavay my lovers, noteneiy who give lachmiy my bread umeiymay and my water, tzamriy my wool ufishtiy and my linen, shamniy my oil veshikuyay and my drink, irrigation, moisture.’

5 For their mother has committed prostitution;
She who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.’
 
Israel (northern kingdom) a sinful mother of sinful children, has not just committed an act of prostitution but is committed to a lifestyle of prostitution. There is a distinction to be made here between someone who has sinned and is repentant and someone who has sinned, pretended repentance but is committed to continue to sin. The former is forgiven, the latter has refused forgiveness.
 
“My lovers” (Ba’aliym, husbands, masters, false gods) are those to whom I look for my sustenance, clothing, shelter and luxury items. In practical terms these lovers were the Canaanite deities and other nations, empires and their gods.
 
This is a haughty and rebellious statement by Israel (northern kingdom) because it spits on the ketubah (written marriage agreement) given to her by HaShem and says that she doesn’t need His provision, clothing etc. because she has plenty of other lovers who she can get provisions and luxuries from. This is of course a delusion, given that the provisions given to all peoples are given by God, we are caretakers, owning nothing of ourselves.

6 lachen Therefore, hin’niy behold, pay attention, now, I make sach a hedge, fence et-dar’keikh a way to you basiyriym in thorns, hooks, vegadartiy And I will close her off gederah with a double wall against her, unetiyvoteyha her paths she lo will not timtza find, attain.
 
6 Therefore, behold, I will obstruct her way with thorns,
And I will build a stone wall against her so that she cannot find her paths.
 
Her way (derekh), both physical and spiritual, will be obstructed by God. In fact, obstruction will become her way. Thorns and a wall are synonymous obstacles that will both imprison her and scare her.
 
Her way will become a hidden path. This will happen based on her own actions. Those she looks to and follows after will become thorns and a wall to her. In short, by giving her over to her own sinful lifestyle God allows her to become blind to His way for a period of time unto repentance.
 
Remember, all of this is pretext. This is a warning that is heard by all Israel (both northern kingdom and Judah) prior to their respective captivities, and yet, God has already witnessed Israel’s (collective) disobedience outside of time and space, seeing the end from the beginning He speaks her future into time and space through the prophet.
 
7 Veridefah And she will pursue, follow after et that me’ahaveiyha which is from her lovers, v’lo and not tasiyg take hold of them; Uvikshatam And she will seek, desire them, v’lo and will not timtza find, attain them. And she will say, ‘Eilechah I will walk veashuvah and return to ishiy my husband hariyshon the first, head, kiy for (it was) tov good (morally perfect) liy for me az then meiatah (better) than now!’

7 And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them;
And she will seek them, but will not find them.
Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband,
Because it was better for me then than now!’
 
Like a common man lusting after a naked movie star, Israel will long for sexual gratification (idolatry) but will not be satiated. When she needs the support of the ones she has chased after she will not receive it from them, nor will they be found by her because they only ever sought to use and discard her, as all wanton hedonists do.
 
Seeing that she has been left vulnerable and without help she will long to “shuvah” return (repent) to her first husband (YHVH), she will remember how good her days in His care were.
 
"I will go and return to the service of my first master, for it was well with me when I served him; henceforth I will not serve idols:'' -Hosea 2:9 Targum Yonatan Ben Uzziel (2nd Centruy CE Aramaic paraphrase translation)
 
8 “Ve’hiy And she lo does not yadeah know, perceive, understand kiy for Anochiy I Myself natatiy I gave lah her hadagan the grain, ve’hatiyrosh the new wine, vehayitzhar and the fresh oil, vekesef And silver, hirbeiytiy and multiplied it lah to her, vezahav and  gold, Which they asu fashioned laba’al into a husband, master, false god. 9 Lachen Therefore, ashuv I will return velakachtiy and take back deganiy My grain beito in the time (of harvest) vetiyroshiy and My new wine bemoado in its appointed time (season), vehitzaltiy and snatch away, rescue, take tzamriy My wool ufishtiy and My linen given lechasot to cover et-ervatah her nakedness, shame, undefended condition.
 
8 “Yet she does not know that it was I myself who gave her the grain,
the new wine, and the oil,
And lavished on her silver and gold,
Which they used for Baal.
9 Therefore, I will take back My grain at harvest time
And My new wine in its season.
I will also take away My wool and My linen
That I gave to cover her nakedness.
 
This stanza begins with Israel’s lack of knowledge of God which points to her resulting nakedness (vulnerability) at the end of the stanza.
 
“I myself” is the counterpoint to “Ba’al” (a false husband, a Canaanite deity believed to control the weather and fertility of crops, animals and human beings), both the provisions given for the sustaining of life and the luxuries of comfort are to be taken back at a prime time in season when the loss of them will be felt most. Why? Because Israel has given to gods of stone where demons gather, that which God had given to her for her good. Like a woman who, having received a beautiful necklace from her husband, proceeds to melt it down and turn it into a ring for her illegitimate lover.

10 Veatah And now agaleh I will uncover et-navlutah her genitals, immodesty, shame le’eiyneiy before the eyes me’ahaveyha of her lovers, veiysh and a man lo will not yatziylenah rescue, snatch, strip her miyadiy from My hand. 11 Vehishbatiy And I will put an end to kol-mesosah all her joy, chagah her festivals, chadeshah her new moons, veshabatah and her sabbaths, vekhol moadah and all her appointed times.
 
10 So now I will uncover her lewdness
Before the eyes of her lovers,
And no one will rescue her from My hand.
11 I will also put an end to all her joy,
Her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,
And all her festivals.

Her lewdness is the compound of her nakedness in the previous verse and it will be looked upon with distain by her lovers who have used her and tossed her aside.
 
Her joy was false joy found in temporal things. Her festivals were hers and not HaShem’s. Therefore, God will put an end to them.
 
Note, “her festivals” and not “My festivals” or “the festivals of the Lord”. Further notice, “her new moons”, “her sabbaths”. The qualifier “her” denotes a desecration and therefore misapplication of the holy festivals of YHVH as commanded to Israel. These celebrations were defiled, syncretised versions of the holy convocations and not the convocations as practiced by the righteous remnant with godly integrity. An end will be put to the misapplication of HaShem’s festivals when Israel (northern kingdom) is sent into exile at the hand of the Assyrian Empire.
 
It is important to note that the northern kingdom, being separated from the Temple mount by proximity, and being in rebellion against the line of David (the line of the King Messiah), had developed alternative practices in association with the moedim (sacred times) commanded by God. God had commanded that the sacrifices of Israel be made at the Temple mount where He had placed His Name. The northern tribes acted in disobedience to this commandment for years before God brought judgement upon them.

12 Va’hashimotiy And I will make desolate gafnah her vines ute’einatah and fig trees, Of which she said, ‘They are my etnah reward which natenu-liy given to me meahavay by my lovers.’ And I will make them into a forest, and the animals of the field will devour them.
 
12 And I will destroy her vines and fig trees,
Of which she said, ‘They are my wages for prostitution
Which my lovers have given me.’
And I will turn them into a forest,
And the animals of the field will devour them.

The vines and fig trees are both literal and figurative. They are a payment from Israel’s political friends (fake friends) and are figurative of the false teaching of the apostate priests and teachers of the northern kingdom. Therefore, God will allow both the literal plants and the seat of false teaching to be consumed.

13 I will punish her for the days of ha-baaliym the masters, husbands, gods when she taktiyr burned incense to them vata’ad and removed nizmah her nose ring vecheyatah and jewellery, vateilekh and walked achareiy after meahaveyha from her lovers, ve’otiy and being with Me was something shachechah she forgot,” ne’um YHVH declares the Lord.
 
13 I will punish her for the days of the Baaliym
When she used to offer sacrifices to them
And removed from herself with her nose ring and jewellery,
And follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,” declares the Lord.
 
Punishment comes in established terms because the sin of Israel is twofold. She has gone after other lovers and she has worshipped them with sacrifices made of provisions given by her true Husband HaShem.
 
“Ba’aliym” is plural and denotes numerous false gods, idols, shrines etc.
 
The common English mistranslation of the second clause is unfortunate. The text does not say she “adorns” herself, rather the Hebrew describes the wife (Israel) removing her nose ring (a sign of betrothal) and following after lovers, rejecting her true husband.
 
Using the metaphor of marriage God speaks to Israel elsewhere saying:
 
“I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.” -Ezekiel 16:12
 
The use of a nose ring as a sign of betrothal continues today among certain Mizrachi (eastern) Jewish communities.
 
14 “Lachen Therefore, hineih behold, now, pay attention, I am going to persuade her, veholachtiyha and walk her into ha-midbar (ha, the, mi, from, d’bar, word) the wilderness, vedibartiy and I will speak al upon her comfort for her libah heart, inner being. 15 Venatatiy And I will give her, kerameyah her vineyards misham from there,
 ve’et-eimek and the valley of Achor (trouble, disturbance) lepetach to be a door tikvah of hope. Veanetah And she will respond, shouting there kiymeiy for the days of her youth, vichyom and for the day alotah when she went up mei’eretz-mitzrayim from the land of Egypt (Mitzrayim, double distress). 
 
14 “Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her,
Bring her into the wilderness,
And speak kindly to her.
15 Then I will give her, her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope.
And she will respond there as in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she went up from the land of Egypt.
 
Here there are couplets of corresponding experiences past and future. God will persuade Israel by returning her to the thirst of a desert experience like that of her wandering after leaving Egypt, and there He will speak redemption to her and provide her with streams in the desert. In the valley of trouble (Achor) He will open a door of Hope (Tikvah).
 
"and I will do for her wonders and great things, as I did for her in the wilderness; and by the hand of my servants the prophets I will speak comforts to her heart.'' -Hosea 2:16 Targum Yonatan Ben Uzziel (2nd Centruy CE Aramaic paraphrase translation)
 
Some of our sages interpret these verses as referring to the King Messiah. They ask “Will he (Messiah) lead them (Redeemed Israel)?” One of their answers is “Into the desert of Sihon and Og (the wilderness passed through on Israel’s escape from Egypt) [Shirhashhirim Rabba, fol. 11. 2. Midrash Ruth, fol. 33. 2.].

16 Vehayah And it has come about vayom in the day,” declares YHVH (Mercy) the Lord, “That you will tikreiy proclaim Me ‘Ishiy, my Man (Husband)’ velo and no longer tikreiy proclaim Me ‘my Baaliy (master, husband, god)’. 17 For I will remove the shemot names of ha-baaliym the masters, husbands, gods from her mouth, So that they will od never again, be yizacheru mentioned, remembered by their names.
 
16 And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,
“That you will call Me my husband
And no longer call Me my Baal.
17 For I will remove the names of the Baaliym from her mouth,
So that they will no longer be mentioned by their names.
 
YHVH (Mercy) the true Husband of Israel will be her Man (as it were) and will not put up with being called by the title Ba’al (master, husband, god), as if He were one of many masters. Therefore, He will remove the many names of the false gods and place One Name on the tongue of Israel, “Ishiy” my Man (Husband) YHVH alone!
 
It is important to note that Ba’al is used by king David to describe YHVH elsewhere in Scripture (2 Samuel 5:20; 1 Chronicles 14:11), in and of itself it is simply a title, what’s important is the qualifying factors associated with its use. Therefore, it is foolish to say that one shouldn’t use the word in modern Hebrew to describe one’s husband. On the other hand, nowhere in Scripture does God instruct Israel to call Him Ba’al, though He is her true Master.

18 Vecharatiy And I will cut lahem with them berit a covenant bayom in the day hahu the he im-chayat with the creatures hasadeh of the field veim and with the fowls hashamayim of the heavens veremez and creeping things haadamah of the ground. Vekeshet And the bow vecherev and sword umilchamah and battle eshbor I will break min-haaretz from the land, And will cause them to lie down lavetach in safety, security.
 
18 On that day I will also cut a covenant for them
With the animals of the field,
The birds of the sky,
And the crawling things of the ground.
And I will eliminate the bow, the sword, and war from the land,
And will let them lie down in safety.
 
This speaks of a time when war will cease. Therefore, it has yet to find its fullness. This covenant which God cuts will make it possible for death to be conquered. It is a reference to the sacrificial death of the King Messiah.
 
We note that the language correlates to the first creation and denotes a new creation unaffected by sin and death.

19 Ve’erastiykh And I will betroth you liy to Me le’olam forever; Ve’erastiykh And I will betroth you liy to Me betzedek in righteousness uvemishpat and in justice, uvechesed and in kindness, goodness, unmerited favour uverachamiym and in compassion (womb), 20 Ve’erastiykh And I will betroth you liy to Me be’emunah in faith, trust, fidelity, firmness. Veyada’at And you will know Et – YHVH (The Mercy) the Lord.
 
19 I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
In favor and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will know the Lord.
 
Here the couplet becomes a triplet and convey the eternal nature of God’s betrothal to Israel through the covenant He will cut, as mentioned in the previous verses.
 
The threefold repetition of betrothal denotes more than just firmly established temporal reality. It denotes everlasting transcendent reality.
 
The betrothal will be forever, as will righteousness and justice, favour and compassion, fidelity and the knowledge of YHVH (Mercy). Thus, the couplets within the triplet are afforded eternal emphasis by the Hebrew poetic voice of Hosea in the Spirit of YHVH.
 
Contrary to the popular Christian scholarship interpretation the threefold betrothal phrasing does not denote a “bride price”, that price has been noted as paid by cutting a covenant in the previous verses. To the contrary, the text says “in righteousness and justice”, “in favour and compassion”, “in faithfulness”. This is an expression of the security and space created within the betrothal and not a reference to the price paid in order for the betrothal to take place.
 
These words are recited by Jewish men while wrapping the strap of the Tefillin Shel Yad (Prayer boxes of the hand) around the middle (wedding fingers connecting blood flow to the heart) fingers of the left hand (for right handed people). They are a reminder of Israel’s betrothal to God and His connection to our inner being (heart, lev).
 
21 “Vehayah And it has come about bayom in the day e’eneh that I will answer,” neum declares YHVH (Mercy) the Lord. “E’eneh I will answer et-hashamayim the heavens, vehem and they ya’anu will answer et ha-aretz to the earth/land, 22 Veha-aretz And the earth/land ta’aneh answers et ha-dagan to the grain, ve’et hatiyrosh and to the new wine, ve’et ha-yitzhar and to the oil, vehem and they ya’anu will answer to Yizre’el (the sowing of God).
 
21 “And it will come about on that day that I will answer,” declares the Lord.
“I will answer to the heavens, and they will answer to the earth,
22 And the earth will answer to the grain, to the new wine, and to the oil,
And they will answer to Jezreel.
 
Ultimately in the day everlasting God will answer the fallen world with a new creation through Yizre’el (the One seeded by God) and Yizre’el (the King Messiah) will answer in kind back to the Father crying “Abba” (Romans 8:15). This answer will resonate in the inner being of all who believe and in that day wayward Israel (all 12 tribes) will answer in, from and to the Lord (Mercy) through Yeshua (Yizre’el), from the renewed earth and below the renewed heavens. God will dwell with His creation as Husband (Ish) and all Ba’aliym (masters of subjugation) will be heard of no more.
 
“18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, [a]in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body.” -Romans 8:18-23 (NASB)

23 Vezeratiyha And I will sow her liy for Myself ba’aretz in the land/earth. Verichamtiy And I will have compassion, deep love, mercy on she who et-lo ruchamah had not obtained compassion, deep love, mercy, ve’amartiy and I will say lelio-amiy to those called ‘Not My people’, ‘Amiy atah You are My people!’ Vehu And he yomeir will say, ‘Elohay my God!’”
 
23 I will sow her for Myself in the land.
I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion,
And I will say to those who were not My people,
‘You are My people!’
And they will say, ‘My God!’”
 
This stanza employs the sowing metaphor to bring the redemptive purposes of God in full circle, made whole through Yizre’el the seeded One.
 
The Targum translates:
 
“I will establish you before me in the land of my Shechinah (manifest feminine light presence of God)” -Hosea 2:25 Targum Yonatan Ben Uzziel (2nd Centruy CE Aramaic paraphrase translation)
 
God will have compassion on those, who by their own choice had previously rejected His compassion and suffered greatly as a result. He will say to those who determined not to be His people, “You are My people!” And they will repent of denying Him and say, “My God!”
 
Copyright 2021 Yaakov Brown