King James Version

Hosea 1:2

The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

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Hebrew

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תְּחִלַּ֥תtechilatbeginתְּחִלָּהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “begin”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8462a commencement; rel. original (adverb, -ly)begin(-ning), first (time).דִּבֶּרdiberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.יְהוָ֖הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).בְּהוֹשֵׁ֑עַbehosheain Hosheaהוֹשֵׁעַpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Hoshea”H1954Hoshea, the name of five IsraelitesHosea, Hoshea, Oshea.וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יְהוָ֜הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הוֹשֵׁ֗עַhosheaHosheaהוֹשֵׁעַnoun, proper name — “Hoshea”H1954Hoshea, the name of five IsraelitesHosea, Hoshea, Oshea.לֵ֣ךְlekhecarryיָלַךְverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “carry”, a commandH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…קַחqachtakeלָקַחverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “take”, a commandH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.לְךָ֞lekhatoלְךָ֞preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toאֵ֤שֶׁתesheteachאִשָּׁהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “each”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.זְנוּנִים֙zenunimwhoredomזָנוּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “whoredom”, the ordinary formH2183adultery; figuratively, idolatrywhoredom.וְיַלְדֵ֣יveyaldeand childיֶלֶדconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “and child”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3206something born, i.e. a lad or offspringboy, child, fruit, son, young man (one).זְנוּנִ֔יםzenunimwhoredomזָנוּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “whoredom”, the ordinary formH2183adultery; figuratively, idolatrywhoredom.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…זָנֹ֤הzanocommit fornicationזָנָהverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “commit fornication”, the verb used for emphasisH2181to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)(cause to) commit fornication, [idiom] continually, [idiom] great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.תִזְנֶה֙tiznehcommit fornicationזָנָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “commit fornication”, an unfinished actionH2181to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)(cause to) commit fornication, [idiom] continually, [idiom] great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.הָאָ֔רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.מֵֽאַחֲרֵ֖יmeacharefrom afterאַחַרpreposition, preposition — “from after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…יְהוָֽהyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

When the LORD spoke at first with Hosea, the LORD said unto Hosea: 'Go, take unto thee a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry; for the land doth commit great harlotry, departing from the LORD.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

When Jehovah spake at the first by Hosea, Jehovah said unto Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom; for the land doth commit great whoredom, departing from Jehovah.

Young’s Literal Translation

The commencement of Jehovah's speaking by Hosea. And Jehovah saith unto Hosea, 'Go, take to thee a woman of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms, for utterly go a-whoring doth the land from after Jehovah.'

World English Bible

When Yahweh spoke at first by Hosea, Yahweh said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking Yahweh.”

Darby Translation

The beginning of the word of Jehovah through Hosea. And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms; for the land is entirely given up to whoredom, away from Jehovah.

Douay-Rheims

The beginning of the Lord’s speaking by Osse: and the Lord said to Osee: Go, take thee a wife of fornications, and have of her children of fornications: for the land by fornication shall depart from the Lord.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

When the LORD spoke at first with Hosea, the LORD said unto Hosea: 'Go, take unto thee a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry; for the land doth commit great harlotry, departing from the LORD.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The beginning of the word of the Lord by Osee. And the Lord said to Osee, Go, take to thyself a wife of fornication, and children of fornication: for the land will surely go a-whoring in departing from the Lord.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἀρχὴ λόγου Κυρίου ἐν Ὠσῆέ· καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Ὠσηὲ, βάδιζε, λάβε σεαυτῷ γυναῖκα πορνείας, καὶ τέκνα πορνείας, διότι ἐκπορνεύουσα ἐκπορνεύσει ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν τοῦ Κυρίου.