• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Did Hosea have two wives?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
C

Crypto

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2013
777
28
✟1,032.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Single
I know that the traditional view is that he had only one wife, Gomer, and that the following verse:

"Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress..." (Hosea 3:1)

is a command to go looking for his own wife, who had been unfaithful. However, how can we know for certain that the woman mentioned in this verse is Gomer and not another woman? Is there a verse that I am missing, or a law of Moses that can explain everything?
 

St_Worm2

Simul Justus et Peccator
Site Supporter
Jan 28, 2002
28,138
45,792
68
✟3,106,421.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Married
Crypto said:
.... how can we know for certain that the woman mentioned in this verse is Gomer and not another woman?
Click to expand...

Hi Crypto, the commentary from the ESV Study Bible seems to answer your question so concisely that I will simply copy it for you here.
3:1 Though the name of this woman is not stated, she should be understood as Gomer, Hosea’s wife in chs. 1–2; otherwise, the analogy of the woman to Israel breaks down. It is Israel, the adulteress, that the Lord pursues, not another people. Hosea is to retrieve his adulterous wife so that Israel will clearly know that the Lord still loves Israel, his spiritually unfaithful wife.
​
--David
 
Upvote 0
M

Mark51

Newbie
Site Supporter
Nov 11, 2014
495
97
73
✟111,556.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
It does not seem that way to me.

Gomer apparently abandoned Hosea for adulterous practices, but it is not said that the prophet divorced her even though he could have and remain scripturally clean. Evidently she was later forsaken by her lovers and fell into poverty and slavery. Hosea 3:1-3 seems to indicate that the prophet purchased her as though she were a slave and took her back as a wife. This arrangement paralleled that of Jehovah with Israel, God being willing to take back his erring people after they repented of their spiritual adultery.-Hosea 2:16, 19, 20; 3:1-5.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Whither the “Harmful Spirit?”
Replies
0
Views
205
Christian Scriptures
newton3005
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands?
Replies
33
Views
2K
Exploring Christianity
ViaCrucis
A Woman's Story
Replies
0
Views
288
Daily Devotionals
Christsfreeservant
Pope Leo XIV: God’s love is so great that Jesus does not keep even his mother for himself
Replies
1
Views
131
One Bread, One Body - Catholic
RileyG
Did Jesus Stop Eating After His 40-Day Fast? Some Food for Thought
Replies
10
Views
1K
Christian Scriptures
linux.poet
Menu
Log in
Register