Hosea 3:5

Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. AFTERWARD - after the long period ("many days," ) has elapsed. SHALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL RETURN - from their idols to "their God," from whom they had wandered. It shall not be their conversion merely, but their reverting to the God whose people they formerly were. AND SEEK. The Hebrew is intensive. As formerly she diligently sought after her idols (), so now shah she seek diligently after the Lord her God. AND SEEK THE LORD THEIR GOD, AND DAVID THEIR KING. Israel had forsaken the worship of Yahweh at the same time that they forsook their allegiance to Davi...

But it follows, _Afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king_. Here the Prophet shows by the fruit of their chastisement, that the Israelites had no reason to murmur or clamour against God, as though he treated them with too much severity; for if he had stretched out his hand to them immediately, there would have been in them no repentance: but when thoroughly cleansed by long correction, they would then truly and sincerely confess their God. We then see that this comfort is set forth as arising from the fruit of chastisement, that the Israelites might patiently bear the temporary wrath of God. _Afterwards_, he says, _they shall return_; as though he said, “They are now led away headlong into their impiety, and they can by no means be restrained except by this long endurance of evils.” _They shall _therefore _return, and then will they...

4-5 Here is the application of the parable to Israel. They must long sit like a widow, stripped of all joys and honours; but shall at length be received again. Those that would seek the Lord so as to find him, must apply to Christ, and become his willing people. Not only are we to fear the Lord and his greatness, but the Lord and his goodness; not only his majesty, but his mercy. Even Jewish writers apply this passage to the promised Messiah; doubtless it foretold their future conversion to Christ, for which they are kept a separate people. Though the first fear of God arise from a view of his holy majesty and righteous vengeance, yet the experience of mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, will lead the heart to reverence so kind and glorious a Friend and Father, and to fear offending him....

Verse Hosea 3:5. _AFTERWARD SHALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL RETURN_] Shall _repent_ of their iniquities, _and seek the Lord_; lay aside their _mock worship_, and serve the true God _in spirit and in truth_. _AND DAVID THEIR KING_] Or as the _Targum_, "They shall obey the Messiah, the Son of David, their King;" and thus look believingly upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn. And then shall their long _spiritual darkness_ and _dismal captivity_ have an end; but not before. The _Messiah_, as _David_, is promised in Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 37:22;...

AFTERWARD SHALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL RETURN - Elsewhere it is said more fully, “return to the Lord.” It expresses more than “turning” or even conversion to God. It is not conversion only, but reversion too, a turning “back from” the unbelief and sins, for which they had left God, and a return to Him whom they had forsaken. AND SHALL SEEK THE LORD - This word, “seek,” expresses in Hebrew, from its intensive form, a diligent search; as used with regard to God, it signifies a religious search. It is not such seeking as our Lord speaks of, “Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled” John 6:26, or, “many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able” Luke 13:24, but that earnest seeking, to whi

EXPOSITION This short chapter contains two sections, of which the first, comprising Hosea 3:1, is a symbolic representation; and the second, consisting of Hosea 3:4 and Hosea 3:5, gives the explanation. The prophet bestows his affections on a worthless wife, who, notwithstanding his tender love to her, proves utterly unfaithful and lives in adultery. He does not cast her off, but, in order to reclaim her and bring her to repentance, he places her in a position of restraint, where she is obliged to renounce all intercourse with her paramours. Thus it was with Israel. They had had multiplied experience of God's loving-kindness and tender mercies, but in spite of all his benefits, great and manifold, they were alike ungrateful and

AFTERWARD SHALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL RETURN,.... The ten tribes of Israel, and also the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which are included in the name of Israel, as Aben Ezra interprets it; and these are joined together in parallel places; see Jeremiah 30:3 for though they did not go into captivity together, yet their return and conversion will be at the same time; and they are all spoken of under the name of Israel by the Apostle Paul, when he foretells their conversion and salvation, Romans 11:26. The "return" of them, here prophesied of, does not barely mean their return to their own land, which will be at this time; see Jeremiah 30:3, but their return to the Lord by repentance; when they shall repent of, and turn

CHAPTER 3 ISRAEL'S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE _ 1. The past (Hosea 3:1) _ 2. The present (Hosea 3:4) 3. The future (Hosea 3:5) Hosea 3:1. The command here is not that the Prophet should enter into relation with another woman, but it concerns the same Gomer, the unfaithful wife. It seems she left the prophet and lived in adultery with another man. “And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a wife, who is beloved of her friend and who is an adulteress; just as Jehovah loves the children of Israel, who have turned towards other gods, and love raisin cakes” (correct translation; used in the idolatrous worship). She is not called “thy wife,

The prophet, bidden yet again to love a woman, who is loved by another and is an adulteress, in this respect imitating Yahweh's love for His unfaithful people, buys her out of slavery and subjects her to a purifying seclusion (Hosea 3:1). In the same way Israel shall be deprived for a time of her civil and religious institutions (? in exile), in order to return later under Yahweh, a purified and happy people. The reference is still to Gomer, though this is denied by Marti, who regards the piece as a later addition to the Book. [8] According to the usual interpretation, after her unfaithful conduct had led to her repudiation by her husband, Gomer had sold herself voluntarily into bondage to one of her paramours. The prophet, however, who has been led to see in his domestic tragedy a parable of God's relation with Israel, is taught to forgive and redeem his wife by seeing God's readiness t...

AFTERWARD, &C. This mark of time has not yet been reached. It corresponds with the "many days" of Hosea 3:4. See the Structure above ("4-. "). RETURN, &C.: i. e. return [to Jehovah]. See Hosea 5:15, and Hosea 6:1. SEEK. Compare Hosea 5:6; Jeremiah 1:4; Jeremiah 1:5. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. DAVID. Compare Jeremiah 30:9;...