The Meaning of Hosea 1:7 Explained

Hosea 1:7

KJV: But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

YLT: and the house of Judah I pity, and have saved them by Jehovah their God, and do not save them by bow, and by sword, and by battle, by horses, and by horsemen.'

Darby: But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God; and I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by battle, or by horses, or by horsemen.

ASV: But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But I will have mercy  upon the house  of Judah,  and will save  them by the LORD  their God,  and will not save  them by bow,  nor by sword,  nor by battle,  by horses,  nor by horsemen. 

What does Hosea 1:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In contrast, the Lord would have compassion on the Southern Kingdom of Judah and deliver her from such a fate. He said He would do this by Yahweh their God, perhaps using His own name this way to impress on the Israelites who their true God was. He said He would not do this in battle, however. The Israelites relied on human arms and alliances, but the Judahites trusted in the Lord, generally speaking, so He delivered the Judahites supernaturally. He did it in701 B.C. by killing185 ,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night while they lay camped around Jerusalem ( 2 Kings 19:32-36; Isaiah 37). Jerusalem was the only great city that did not fall to the Assyrians during this invasion of Syria-Palestine. Judah"s sins were not as great as Israel"s at this time. Judah enjoyed a succession of four "good" kings (Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jotham), and Hosea may have received this prophecy when Uzziah or Jotham was reigning.
"The northern kingdom had arrogated the name of Israel to itself. It clung obstinately to the belief that its greater riches, area and strength showed that it was the true representative of God"s people. The mention of Judah underlines the vital truth that the rejection of the North in no way involved God"s complete repudiation of Israel"s sonship." [1]

Context Summary

Hosea 1:1-11 - God Gathers The Outcast
The story of Hosea is a pathetic one. He felt impressed that it was his duty to take as wife one whose earlier life had been unchaste. From this marriage resulted three children, the names of whom are terribly significant. They are as follows:-God will scatter; Not an object of favor; and Once my people, but not so now. Here is the history of many a soul. In spite of all God's tender love, we may wander from Him into the path of sin.
The chapter closes with brighter prognostications. In part, these latter verses were fulfilled by the return from Babylon, and they will be fulfilled in literal fulness someday-probably sooner than we have been wont to suppose. It is good to lay the emphasis on In the place"¦ there. How often we are taken back to the very circumstances in which we appear to have failed most conspicuously, in order that there we may receive the crowning blessing of our life, Hosea 1:10. Leave God to vindicate you. He will bring you from the land of the enemy, and extort, this confession from the mouth of your critics and foes, Hosea 1:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 1

1  Hosea, to show God's judgment for spiritual unfaithfulness, takes Gomer,
4  and has by her Jezreel;
6  Loruhamah;
8  and Lo-Ammi
10  The restoration of Judah and Israel under one head

What do the individual words in Hosea 1:7 mean?

And yet on the house of Judah I will have mercy and will save them by Yahweh their God and not will save them by bow nor by sword or battle by horses or horsemen
וְאֶת־ בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ אֲרַחֵ֔ם וְהֽוֹשַׁעְתִּ֖ים בַּיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹ֣א אֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֗ם בְּקֶ֤שֶׁת וּבְחֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבְמִלְחָמָ֔ה בְּסוּסִ֖ים וּבְפָרָשִֽׁים

וְאֶת־  And  yet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בֵּ֤ית  on  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
אֲרַחֵ֔ם  I  will  have  mercy 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: רָחַם  
Sense: to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.
וְהֽוֹשַׁעְתִּ֖ים  and  will  save  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
בַּיהוָ֣ה  by  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם  their  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֗ם  will  save  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
בְּקֶ֤שֶׁת  by  bow 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁת  
Sense: bow.
וּבְחֶ֙רֶב֙  nor  by  sword 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וּבְמִלְחָמָ֔ה  or  battle 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
בְּסוּסִ֖ים  by  horses 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
וּבְפָרָשִֽׁים  or  horsemen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.