Following Israel"s decision to return to Yahweh after her punishment ( Hosea 2:7), the Lord promised to woo her back to Himself. He would appeal to her with tender and attractive words, lead her into a place where there would be few distractions (cf. Hosea 13:5; Jeremiah 2:2-3), and speak kindly to her heart. This verse presents the Lord as wooing Israel back to Himself. [1]
"As ... God persuaded Israel to leave Egypt, go out into the desert, and move on finally to the Promised Land; so in the final day he will persuade her to leave the Egypt of spiritual declension, go out into the wilderness of fellowship alone with God, and move on to the Promised Land of blessed rest." [2]Three messages of restoration follow the preceding two on coming judgment. They assured Israel that Yahweh would remain faithful to His promises to His people even though they were unfaithful to Him and incurred His punishment (cf. Hosea 1:10 to Hosea 2:1; 2 Timothy 2:13). [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Hosea 2:14-23 - "a Door Of Hope"
The valley of Achor was a long wild pass up through the hills. The prophet says that a door of hope would open there, like the Mont Cenis tunnel which leads from the precipices and torrents on the northern slopes of the Alps to the sunny plains of Italy. That door opens hard by the heap of stones beneath which that troubler of Israel, Achan, was laid. We must put away our Achans before we can see doors of hope swing wide before us.
The prophet was bidden to make one further overture to his truant wife. She had been faithless, but the old love burnt in her husband's soul, and he was prepared to buy her back to himself at half the price of a female slave, Exodus 21:32. His only stipulation was that she should abide with him for many days. This was to be a time of testing, with the assurance that, if she were penitent and faithful, she would be perfectly restored.
What a wonderful verse is Hosea 2:3! We are purchased to God by the death of His Son. He only asks us to be for Himself and He promises to be for us. "The best of all," cried the dying Wesley, "is that God is for us!" Shall we not close with the offer and give ourselves to Him? [source]
Chapter Summary: Hosea 2
1The idolatry of the people 6God's judgments against them 14His promises of reconciliation with them
What do the individual words in Hosea 2:14 mean?
ThereforebeholdIwill allure herand will bring herinto the wildernessand speaktoher comfort
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: הָלַךְ
Sense: to go, walk, come.