'Return, O Israel, to Hashem your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity; take with you words' — 'I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; I will be as the dew to Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon'; whoever is wise, let him understand these things — for the ways of Hashem are right, and the just do walk in them.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Samaria shall bear her guilt, For she has rebelled against her God; They shall fall by the sword; Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, And their women with child shall be ripped up.
verse value 3944
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 53 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·his·pregnant·women" (וְהָרִיּוֹתָ֖יו, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "will·offend" (תֶּאְשַׁם֙), "was·contentious" (מָרְתָ֖ה), "against·her·God" (בֵּאלֹהֶ֑יהָ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 48x in Hosea); "against·her·God" (root אלהים, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'against·her·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: תֶּאְשַׁם֙ [will·offend] (741) + שֹׁמְר֔וֹן [Samaria] (596) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + מָרְתָ֖ה [was·contentious] (645) + בֵּאלֹהֶ֑יהָ [against·her·God] (53) + בַּחֶ֣רֶב [in·the·sword] (212) + יִפֹּ֔לוּ [they·will·fall] (126) + עֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם [their·children] (185) + יְרֻטָּ֔שׁוּ [they·will·be·dashed·to·pieces] (525) + וְהָרִיּוֹתָ֖יו [and·his·pregnant·women] (643) + יְבֻקָּֽעוּ [they·will·be·split] (188) = 3944.
Rashi
"Shomron shall be guilty. From now on, its guilt shall be revealed:"
her offspring. Pregnant women who are within her:
Ibn Ezra
"tasham" – it shall become a desolation.
"By the sword they shall fall" – its inhabitants.
And his remnants – Since the word is feminine, he did not bother to say yivake'u [they will be broken], as in: im ta'iru [if you awaken] and im ta'oreru [if you stir].
Radak
“Teshom.” The aleph is with a shva alone, and it denotes a state of desolation. And similarly, “And the inhabitants thereof shall mourn” (Hosea 10:5), and it mentions Samaria, for it was the capital of the kingdom of Ephraim. And similarly, it is stated, “The head of Ephraim is Samaria” (Isaiah 7:9). And it was captured last among the cities of the Land of Israel.
"For she rebelled against her God." This is because she persisted in the worship of the golden calf; for if the kings had been righteous, they would have restored Israel to the good.
And they shall dash them to pieces. This is a manner of cruelty: to throw the infants to the ground or against the walls to shatter them; and likewise, it is a manner of cruelty to shatter pregnant women.
“And its pregnant women.” On the pattern of “daliyotav” (its branches).
Metzudat David
Samaria shall be guilty. It shall become a desolation, because it rebelled against its God.
Their infants. Their young ones will be shattered by the idolaters, and even the pregnant women will have their wombs torn open to bring forth their offspring.
Metzudat Zion
"Tasham." The word is derived from the root meaning "desolation" (shemamon).
"Meratah." From the root *marah* and *mered*, meaning to rebel.
“their little ones.” Their young children:
"Yerutshu." The matter of crushing is similar to the verse "and their little ones shalt thou dash in pieces" (2 Kings 8:12).
“And her pregnant women.” The pregnant women:
Malbim
“Shomeron shall be guilty.” When the prophet heard that there was no relenting and that the Lord would not revoke the decree that had been firmly established without any possibility of change, he turned his face toward all of Israel, saying to them: “Is it not true that the primary sinner in rebellion and transgression was Shomeron, the royal city, which persisted in the worship of the golden calves and caused all of Israel to stumble? And Israel only stumbled because of the kings of Shomeron, who led them astray. If so, do they not have a remedy through repentance? If so, why should Israel perish together with Shomeron? It is only fitting that Shomeron alone should bear the guilt, for she rebelled against her God in defiance and rebellion. It is only fitting that she be punished until they fall by the sword and their infants are dashed in pieces. This is what they deserve according to strict justice, for they have no remedy, but...”
Return, O Israel, to Hashem your God; For you have stumbled in your iniquity.
verse value 1948
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֖ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "return" (שׁ֚וּבָה), "you·stumbled" (כָשַׁ֖לְתָּ), "in·your·iniquity" (בַּעֲוֺנֶֽךָ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 48x in Hosea); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea); "Israel" (root ישראל, 39x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: שׁ֚וּבָה [return] (313) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + עַ֖ד [until] (74) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ [your·God] (66) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + כָשַׁ֖לְתָּ [you·stumbled] (750) + בַּעֲוֺנֶֽךָ [in·your·iniquity] (148) = 1948.
Rashi
“Return, O Israel.” “Return in the land of Judah.” “Lest He deal with you as with Shomron.” The matters are linked together for this reason: Parable of a king against whom a province rebelled. The king sent a polemarch and said, “Destroy it.” That polemarch was experienced and settled; he said to them, “Take for yourselves days [to repent], and if not, I will do to you as I did to so-and-so province and its allies, and to so-and-so eparchy and its allies.” Therefore it is said, “Shomron shall be held guilty,” and it is said, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,” as it is stated in Sifrei, in the parashah of “And Israel dwelt in Shittim.”
“Until the Lord, your God.” It was taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God” – while He is still “the Lord,” in the attribute of mercy; and if not, “your God,” in the attribute of judgment, until no defense can be made against the prosecution.
"Because you stumbled": Obstacles came your way because of your sins.
Ibn Ezra
"Return" - little by little, until the Name.
And the meaning of “for you have stumbled in your sin” is that there is no one to raise you up except the Lord alone.
Radak
“Return, O Israel, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.” Since you see that you have stumbled in your iniquity, therefore you must return to God, blessed be He, for nothing can raise you from your stumbling block except your return to Him. And in His saying “until” (ad), just as in “and you shall return until” (veshuvta ad) and “return to Me” (shuvu ad), our Sages of blessed memory said: Great is repentance, that it reaches up to the Throne of Glory, as it is stated, “until the Lord your God.”
Metzudat David
"Return, O Israel." Therefore, [the verse states]: "Return, O Israel," etc., for because of your sin has come upon you this stumbling block of distress.
Malbim
“Return, O Israel,” but you, Israel, meaning the people as a whole, excluding Samaria—surely you can return in repentance, for you stumbled through your sin, for you did not sin with rebellion and revolt; rather, you stumbled through those who caused you to stumble, namely the kings of Samaria. And you were like one who sinned unintentionally and under duress, and therefore you have a remedy. Now, first it says, “Return to the Lord.” The word “to” (ad) indicates that the Lord stands distant from them, and they need to go to Him until they reach Him, to the place where He is. This means that they should abandon their previous sins and repent over the past, having erred from the path through mistake and duress, and they seek the way to return to the Lord.
Take with you words, And return to Hashem; Say to Him: ‘Forgive all iniquity, And accept that which is good; So will we render for bullocks the offering of our lips.
verse value 3826
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "take" (קְח֤וּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Hashem" (אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה, 6 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "take" (קְח֤וּ), "with" (עִמָּכֶם֙), "and·return" (וְשׁ֖וּבוּ). The root לקח appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea); "with" (root עם, 22x in Hosea); "say" (root אמר, 22x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: קְח֤וּ [take] (114) + עִמָּכֶם֙ [with] (170) + דְּבָרִ֔ים [words] (256) + וְשׁ֖וּבוּ [and·return] (320) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה [to·Hashem] (57) + אִמְר֣וּ [say] (247) + אֵלָ֗יו [to·Him] (47) + כׇּל־תִּשָּׂ֤א [utterly·forgive] (751) + עָוֺן֙ [perversity] (126) + וְקַח־ט֔וֹב [and·take·good] (131) + וּֽנְשַׁלְּמָ֥ה [and·we·will·render] (431) + פָרִ֖ים [bulls] (330) + שְׂפָתֵֽינוּ [our·lips] (846) = 3826.
Rashi
"Forgive the iniquity" – all our iniquities, forgive.
“Take good.” And we learn from this that the way of goodness is: “Take in your hand a few good deeds that are in our power, and judge Me on their basis.” Similarly, David says, “From before You, my judgments have gone out; Your eyes have seen uprightness” (Psalms 17:2). Another interpretation: “Take good” means “Accept thanks from us,” as it is stated, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord” (ibid. 92:2).
"And we shall make up for the bulls." That which we were obligated to offer before You, we shall make up for them by the appeasement of the words of our lips.
Ibn Ezra
“Take” – He is not asking of you, when you go to seek His will, wealth, or burnt offerings, but only things with which you will give thanks, as it is said: “And the goat shall bear upon him” (Leviticus 16:22). Rabbi Marinus said: “Every ‘you shall bear’ is reversed to ‘you shall remove every sin.’” And the correct interpretation is: “All that you shall bear of our iniquity – we shall return.”
"Take good" – either that which is excellent, or the good speech that we can utter before You; and the meaning is to give thanks. And Rabbi Yosef said: A small amount of good deeds.
And He will complete it – "the peace of bulls," as in: "For You have struck my enemies on the cheek," which means: a strike on the cheek, or lacking the letter kaf, and it mentions bulls, because they are the large and costly ones in the burnt-offering, and this is what you shall say.
Radak
"Take with you words." I do not ask of you a response of silver and gold, nor of burnt offerings; rather, I ask for good words through which you will confess your sins and return to the Lord with all your heart, not merely with your lips. Alternatively, its interpretation is: after you have returned, you will confess before Him.
And they said to him. That is to say, they said before him words like these and similar ones:
"Kol tisa avon" – "Kol" means every sin You shall forgive. And it is reversed, like "makom shem kvar" which is like "makom kvar shem," or its interpretation is: "kol tisa avon" – You shall forgive every sin, and "vekach tov" – and take a good thing, or a good heart.
“And we will offer the bulls of our lips.” In place of bulls, we will offer before You the confession of our lips, for You desire the words of repentance more, since sacrifices are not effective without confession of sin, for it is stated regarding all of them, “and he shall confess that he has sinned.” And regarding the scapegoat, there was only verbal confession, for nothing from it was brought upon the altar, only the confession, as it is stated, “and he shall confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, etc.”
Metzudat David
“Take with you words”: I do not ask of you burnt-offerings and peace-offerings; rather, take with you words, that you confess before Him, and through this you shall return to the Lord.
"All shall You bear away sin." This is the reverse of "all sin shall You bear away." That is to say: In prayer, we say, "Forgive all sin," and in the place of sin, take good in exchange for it. That is to say: The good deeds that we have done shall stand against the sin.
"And we shall offer the bulls of our lips." This means that in place of the sacrificial bulls, we shall fulfill [the requirement] with the confession of our lips.
Malbim
“Take with you words” – this adds further that after you have arrived before the Lord and become close to Him, then you will add to improving your deeds for the future and perform repentance out of love, until you take with you “words,” namely matters that will speak and plead for your righteousness and argue in your favor, which is the mitzvot and good deeds that you will perform. And “return again to the Lord” – this is repentance out of love, so that the intentional sins will not be counted as errors but as merits. And then the forgiveness will not be because they are considered as coerced, mistaken, or erring, but rather the forgiveness will be because He sees their merits and righteous deeds that they take with them to argue in their favor. And through this He will forgive them, even though it is considered that they initially sinned intentionally, upon seeing that after they transgressed against Him, they returned to His love and service with all their heart, not out of fear of punishment but out of love. And then they said to Him: “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over transgression?” – meaning that You will pardon all the iniquity, not as at the beginning when He did not pardon all the iniquity but only part of it, for there still remained the sin of error, and He only pardoned what He considered as a sin of error. But now He will pardon them even from this aspect, considering it as an intentional sin, and nevertheless He will pardon them. And this will be by taking good, that He will take before Him the good of the deeds and the merits (and also as our Sages of blessed memory stated, that the sin itself will be transformed into merit and He will make merits out of the sins, until the sin is transformed into good).
“And we shall make bullocks the offering of our lips” – this means that initially, when He did not bear the entire iniquity but merely regarded it as a stumbling block committed unintentionally, they were still obligated to bring bullocks as a sacrifice for the unintentional sin (for the congregation that sinned due to an error in instruction must bring a bullock as a sin-offering for each tribe). But now, since He will also forgive the unintentional sin, the requirement of the bullock sin-offering is fulfilled by the words spoken with our lips. And it explains what these words are that they will say with their lips.
Asshur shall not save us; We will not ride upon horses; Neither will we call any more the work of our hands our gods; For in You the fatherless finds mercy.’
verse value 3791
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 63 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "he·will·save·us" (יוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: again, our·hands. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "he·will·save·us" (יוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נוּ), "upon·horse" (עַל־סוּס֙), "we·will·mount·and·ride" (נִרְכָּ֔ב). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 49x in Hosea); "and·not·we·will·say" (root אמר, 22x in Hosea); "our·gods" (root אלהים, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'our·hands', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַשּׁ֣וּר [Asshur] (507) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נוּ [he·will·save·us] (452) + עַל־סוּס֙ [upon·horse] (226) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + נִרְכָּ֔ב [we·will·mount·and·ride] (272) + וְלֹא־נֹ֥אמַר [and·not·we·will·say] (328) + ע֛וֹד [again] (80) + אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ [our·gods] (102) + לְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה [to·work·of] (445) + יָדֵ֑ינוּ [our·hands] (80) + אֲשֶׁר־בְּךָ֖ [that·in·You] (523) + יְרֻחַ֥ם [finds·mercy] (258) + יָתֽוֹם [orphan] (456) = 3791.
Rashi
“Assyria will not save us.” They also said before Him: “We will no longer seek the aid of man, neither from Assyria nor from Egypt.”
"On a horse one does not ride." This refers to the aid of Egypt, which used to send them horses, as it is said in Isaiah, chapter 50: "For on a horse shall we flee, and on swift steeds shall we ride." And no further statement is made.
“By the work of our hands.” That is, they are our God.
"In You." In You alone shall our hope be, O You who have mercy on orphans.
Ibn Ezra
Assyria – for it is written, “And Assyria is his king” (Isaiah 31:3); [therefore] do not lean upon Assyria, nor upon their horses that are brought from Egypt.
And it is not said, “Our God, the work of our hands,” corresponding to the work of craftsmen, for there is no one who can help one who has no strength like the orphan; only You, as it is written: “Father of orphans.” And this corresponds to: “For you have stumbled because of your sin, and there is no one to help you.”
Radak
“Assyria will not save us.” And they acknowledged before Him and said, “Assyria, in whom we have trusted until now—we know that it will not save us, for it has no power to save us other than You, for to the Lord belongs salvation.”
“Upon a horse one does not ride.” For we used to send horsemen to Assyria to save us, but we shall no longer do this.
And it is not stated "still." It is clear:
“Who in You the orphan finds mercy.” For we know that in You alone the orphan finds mercy, and to one who has no strength, You give strength and deliver him; so too, do for us.
Metzudat David
Assyria will not save us. They also said: “Assyria,” etc., meaning: we will no longer seek help from Assyria.
"On a horse one does not ride." This means that we no longer rely on the strength of the horse in war.
And it is not stated, "Our God," etc. This means: We will no longer accept the idol made by our hands as a deity.
"Who is in you." This means that we know that only with Your help will the orphan find mercy and compassion, even though his strength is weakened and he cannot strengthen himself on his own.
Malbim
“Assyria” is said to you in our lips, meaning that from now on we will no longer rely on anything other than You. We will not rely on Assyria, in whom the kings of Israel placed their trust when they were in distress, for Assyria will not save us. Nor will we rely on Egypt, which provided us with horses and chariots to fight with our strength, for we will no longer ride on horses. Nor will we rely any longer on idols and graven images, for we will no longer say, “Our gods are the work of our hands.” Rather, we will rely only on You, because we know that through You the orphan finds mercy. He who has no helper or support from the natural order, You will have mercy upon him through Your compassion. And since we have no reliance or hope in anything else, we find mercy with You.
I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; For Mine anger is turned away from him.
verse value 1738
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·turning·away" (מְשׁ֣וּבָתָ֔ם, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "I·will·heal" (אֶרְפָּא֙), "their·turning·away" (מְשׁ֣וּבָתָ֔ם), "I·will·love·them" (אֹהֲבֵ֖ם). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 48x in Hosea); "returned" (root שוב, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'freewill·offering', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֶרְפָּא֙ [I·will·heal] (282) + מְשׁ֣וּבָתָ֔ם [their·turning·away] (788) + אֹהֲבֵ֖ם [I·will·love·them] (48) + נְדָבָ֑ה [freewill·offering] (61) + כִּ֛י [for] (30) + שָׁ֥ב [returned] (302) + אַפִּ֖י [My·anger] (91) + מִמֶּֽנּוּ [from·him] (136) = 1738.
Rashi
"I will heal their apostasy." The prophet said: Thus said to me the Holy Spirit: Since they will say before Me, "Heal their apostasy," and "I will love them freely," even though they are not worthy of love, I will freely bestow My love upon them, for My anger has turned away from them.
Ibn Ezra
"Arpa" (I will heal): The word "mishuvah" (healing/return) is used in a derogatory sense throughout the entire Scripture. It does not mean here "their healing" in every place where they were struck, but rather the healing of the soul, which is like the illness of the body. Therefore, the word "Arpa" (I will heal) corresponds to "Hikiti" (I struck) Ephraim.
"Love them" – This is the love of a free-will offering; whereas "He will detest them" refers to the detestation of the Divine.
“Because they have turned aside” – I turned My wrath against them:
Radak
"I will heal their apostasy." And if you do so, He will answer you: "I will raise up a long and bitter remedy for their apostasy and for their rebellion, with which they have rebelled against Me until now."
“Love them with a voluntary love.” “Love them”—with a love that is voluntary, from a good heart; for even though I was angry with him, since he has returned to Me in repentance, I shall return to him. And it uses the plural language in the manner of a particular case, and singular language in the manner of a general principle.
Metzudat David
"I will heal their apostasy." When they will say so, then I will forgive them for having walked in a way of wantonness and rebelled against Me.
“His love for them is a voluntary gift.” And then I will love them with the voluntary gift of My heart, even though they are not worthy of love, for confession suffices to remove hostility but does not bring about love.
"For My anger has turned away from him." And thus, the first love remains.
Metzudat Zion
"mishuvatem" – The meaning is rebellion and following the ways of the heart, as it says, "Return, O rebellious children" (Jeremiah 3:14).
Malbim
"I will heal": The Holy One, blessed be He, responds to them, "I will first heal their rebellion, for I liken their rebelliousness to a wound attached to them, and I will heal the wound, so that through repentance they will be healed of their wound. And afterward, I will love them freely; I will return to loving them. Not only will I forgive them for the past, but I will love them, and this I will do out of the generosity of My heart. After My anger has turned away from them—that is, from their rebellion—for until now My anger was kindled against their rebellion, and through the turning away of My anger, I will return to loving them."
I will be as the dew to Israel; He shall blossom as the lily, And cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
verse value 2640
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "and·he·will·strike" (וְיַ֥ךְ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "as·the·dew" (כַטַּל֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Israel" (לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "I·will·be" (אֶהְיֶ֤ה), "as·the·dew" (כַטַּל֙), "will·bud" (יִפְרַ֖ח). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Israel" (root ישראל, 39x in Hosea); "I·will·be" (root היה, 28x in Hosea). First appearance of the root לבנון ("as·Lebanon") in Hosea. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·the·lily', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶהְיֶ֤ה [I·will·be] (21) + כַטַּל֙ [as·the·dew] (59) + לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [to·Israel] (571) + יִפְרַ֖ח [will·bud] (298) + כַּשּׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑ה [as·the·lily] (681) + וְיַ֥ךְ [and·he·will·strike] (36) + שׇׁרָשָׁ֖יו [his·roots] (816) + כַּלְּבָנֽוֹן [as·Lebanon] (158) = 2640.
Rashi
And He struck. He cast down their roots and made them flourish like Lebanon, as the roots of the trees of Lebanon, which are great.
Ibn Ezra
"I will be" – reverse their root, which is dry and withered, and its source, and the lily will blossom quickly; and because it has no root but a thin one, it said, "And its roots shall be like the roots of the cedars of Lebanon."
"and He struck its roots" – in length and breadth, as it is said, "and He swept it away to the shoulder of the Sea of Kinneret," according to the measurements of Sheverim and Teverita.
Radak
“I will be like dew to Israel.” This is in contrast to what was said, “His spring dried up,” where he spoke of dew, because dew does not cease; so too, the goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He, will not cease from them. And this will be in the future, when the exile returns.
It shall blossom forth as the rose. He said “as the rose” because the Congregation of Israel is likened to a rose, as it is written: “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.” And just as it says, “As a rose among thorns, so is my beloved among the young women.” If you were to say that the rose has no roots and is easily uprooted:
“And He struck its roots like Lebanon.” Just as the trees of Lebanon are large and their roots are numerous, so too shall they be planted in their land and put forth strong roots, such that they cannot be uprooted from their place, as it is stated, “And they shall no more be uprooted from their land.” In this manner it is said, “Those who come shall take root,” and what is stated, “He struck,” is in the sense of “He wiped away the shoulder of the Sea of Kinneret,” meaning that the roots shall strike here and there, in length and in breadth.
Metzudat David
"I will be like dew to Israel." This means that My love for them will never cease, just as dew is never withheld.
"She shall blossom as the rose." She shall put forth pleasant blossoms like the rose, and her roots shall spread like the roots of the trees of Lebanon.
Metzudat Zion
As the rose. It is the rose:
"And He smote." He says this figuratively, regarding the spreading out, and its parallel is "and He smote upon the shoulder of the Sea of Kinneret" (Numbers 34:11); and "smote" is the translation of "strike."
"Like Lebanon": A name of a forest.
Malbim
"I will be like dew to Israel; they shall blossom like the rose." It has already been cited in accounts of nature that there is a rose called the Rose of Jericho, which does not take root in the ground, but the wind carries it to distant lands through deserts. It becomes moistened by the dew, blooms, and grows with splendor and majesty. This is an allegory for Israel, who are carried by the wind from place to place, exiled and tossed about, and the Lord is the dew that sustains them in their exile, and they bloom in beauty and splendor like the rose.
“And He smote their roots, even as Lebanon.” This means: Although He smote their roots, which were originally rooted in their land with the strength of Lebanon—for the cedars are rooted deeply—and these roots were smitten and uprooted from their place, so that they have no fixed root or abode, nevertheless, even though the roots were smitten.
His branches shall spread, And his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, And his fragrance as Lebanon.
verse value 1555
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "his·branches" (יֹֽנְקוֹתָ֔יו, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "his·branches" (יֹֽנְקוֹתָ֔יו), "as·the·olive-tree" (כַזַּ֖יִת), "His·glory" (הוֹד֑וֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·let·it·be" (root היה, 28x in Hosea); "they·shall·spread" (root הלך, 22x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·glory', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: יֵֽלְכוּ֙ [they·shall·spread] (66) + יֹֽנְקוֹתָ֔יו [his·branches] (582) + וִיהִ֥י [and·let·it·be] (31) + כַזַּ֖יִת [as·the·olive-tree] (437) + הוֹד֑וֹ [His·glory] (21) + וְרֵ֥יחַֽ [and·odor] (224) + ל֖וֹ [to·him] (36) + כַּלְּבָנֽוֹן [as·Lebanon] (158) = 1555.
Rashi
“The sucklings shall go.” Sons and daughters shall increase, and their splendor shall be like the radiance of the Holy One’s candelabrum, and their fragrance shall be like the fragrance of the incense of spices.
"Like Lebanon": Like the Temple.
Radak
"And their sucklings shall go forth." Just as the roots extend far and wide, so too do their sucklings go forth far and wide; that is to say, they spread in every direction. The "sucklings" are the tender branches, akin to a nursing infant. And the sucklings serve as an allegory for the good things that are renewed for them day by day. Alternatively, the roots may be an allegory for the Torah of our Master Moses, peace be upon him, which shall endure forever, and the sucklings are the insights that are renewed for them in the knowledge of God, blessed be He, day by day.
"And it shall be as the size of an olive, its splendor." This means that the strength of its moisture shall remain intact, like that of the olive tree, whose leaves are moist throughout the year; that is to say, its goodness shall not cease all the days.
"And Lebanon shall yield a fragrance to it." Just as the fragrance of the field which the Lord has blessed, for Lebanon contains many species of trees and herbs, and among them are those that emit a good fragrance; meaning that its good reputation shall go far and wide.
Metzudat David
“Her sucklings shall go forth.” Her branches shall extend far and wide, and the glory of her beauty shall be like that of an olive tree, whose leaves are fresh throughout the year, and whose fragrance shall be wafted like the scent of Lebanon, which is the most fragrant due to the abundance of herbs and trees that grow there. This means that they shall be abundant in many kinds of good things.
Metzudat Zion
יונקותיו: His sucklings, i.e., his tender branches; and similarly: "And he grew up like a sapling before Him" (Isaiah 53:7).
"Hodu." The meaning is that it is beautiful and comely.
Malbim
“They shall walk, their sucklings,” meaning the tender shoots that rise from the ground near the roots—they shall walk and spread out. This refers to the children who will be in the end of days; they are the sucklings who arose after the ancient roots, which were struck down and nullified. They shall become fresh trees bearing fruit, and “their glory shall be like the olive tree,” just as the olive tree yields oil for light, so too shall their offspring shine with the light of the Lord. And the olive tree is fresh in its leaf both in summer and in winter; likewise, they shall continually prosper in all seasons. And “its fragrance shall be like Lebanon and Eden”; they shall have the fragrance of Lebanon, which is the holiness and purity associated with Lebanon, which is in the Land of Israel, the place of purity and holiness.
They that dwell under his shadow shall again Make corn to grow, And shall blossom as the vine; The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
verse value 1783
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "corn" (דָגָ֖ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·will·bud" (וְיִפְרְח֣וּ, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "dwelling" (יֹשְׁבֵ֣י), "in·his·shadow" (בְצִלּ֔וֹ), "they·will·let·live" (יְחַיּ֥וּ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "again" (root שוב, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·the·vine', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ [again] (318) + יֹשְׁבֵ֣י [dwelling] (322) + בְצִלּ֔וֹ [in·his·shadow] (128) + יְחַיּ֥וּ [they·will·let·live] (34) + דָגָ֖ן [corn] (57) + וְיִפְרְח֣וּ [and·they·will·bud] (310) + כַגָּ֑פֶן [as·the·vine] (153) + זִכְר֖וֹ [his·memorial] (233) + כְּיֵ֥ין [like·the·wine·of] (90) + לְבָנֽוֹן [Lebanon] (138) = 1783.
Rashi
"They shall return, the inhabitants of its shade." Those who were already sitting in the shade of Lebanon, in which Israel and the Temple were likened, and who now have been exiled from it, shall return to it.
“Remember it as the wine of Lebanon.” Just as they would blow the trumpets over the old wine that was poured out in the Sanctuary, for they would blow the trumpets over the libations when the Levites were singing.
Ibn Ezra
"Yeshuvu" – Yefet said: "The inhabitants of the shadow of Lebanon." But in my opinion: "The inhabitants of the shadow of Israel," and they are the servants, who will be their plowmen and vinedressers.
"May the grain live" – and the blossoms shall sprout like the vine.
"וזכרו" – their fragrance, as it is said, "her remembrance." And Yefet said: "Their vine's memory is far off, like the wine of Lebanon."
Radak
"Those who dwell in his shade shall return." They shall return to their land and dwell in the shade of the Holy One, blessed be He.
“May they live like grain.” They shall sustain themselves at all times with the commandments of the Lord, blessed be He, fulfilling them, just as grain sustains humanity. The word “grain” (dagan) is written without a kaf, lacking the letter of resemblance, and similarly [the word] “heart” (lev) [in the phrase] “A joyful heart” [is likewise missing the kaf of comparison, as in] “It will do well,” [and similarly] “For rebellion is like the sin of divination,” and words like them. And if you were to say that their goodness would cease, like grain that ceases and dries up until it is sown again, no; rather, “they shall flourish like a vine,” like the vine, for after its fruits are gathered, it does not cease and dry up, but rather it blossoms in the following year, and so each and every year.
“Remember them like the wine of Lebanon.” Its fragrance is like the remembrance of it before the Lord. It says: The fragrance of the wine of the vine, to which Israel is compared, shall be like the fragrance of the wine of Lebanon, which has a good smell. And I saw in the book Asaf HaRofeh that the wine of Lebanon, the wine of Hermon, the wine of Carmel, the wine of the mountains of Israel and Jerusalem, the wine of the mountains of Samaria, and the wine of the mountains of Kefar in Egypt—these wines are superior to all kinds of wine in fragrance and taste, and even for healing. And the metaphor of the fragrance is that the good Name shall be for Israel among all the nations in the future. And some explain “they shall return and rest” like “in returning and resting” (Isaiah 30:15). And some explain “they shall live” [regarding] grain, that there will be a change in the nature of the grain in the future, when the Redeemer comes, that He will cause it to live like the vine, and they will not need to sow the grain except once, like the vine. And something like this our Sages of blessed memory remembered regarding the change in nature that will be in the future concerning wheat.
Metzudat David
"And the inhabitants of its shade shall return." These are those who will return and dwell in the shade of the Omnipresent, with repentance and comfort.
"Yichyu dagan." They shall live themselves in comfort and luxury, like grain that sustains all living creatures.
"And they blossomed." Let the blossoms increase.
"Remember them." Their name shall be remembered like the wine that grows in Lebanon, which is mentioned as a praise.
Metzudat Zion
They shall return. The matter of quieting and resting, as in “Return and rest” (ibid. 30):
"Yichyu." The matter of restoring the soul from weakness is similar to it, as it is said, "until they were alive" (Joshua 5:10).
Dagan (grain). [The word] "dagan" is written with a missing kaf, as in "ve-yitav ga'ah" (Proverbs 17:22), and similarly, "ve-mishpatav ka-ga'ah."
Malbim
They shall return, and among them shall return those who desire to dwell in His shadow, meaning in the shadow of Lebanon. This refers to the prophecy that many of the exiles will return to dwell in the Land of Israel and establish their residence in the Holy Land, in the shadow of Lebanon, and they shall live on grain, meaning that grain will be available for the bread of their homes.
And they shall blossom like a vine that spreads far and wide, for they shall increase and multiply there, and they shall bear fruit and yield abundance.
“Remember,” meaning: the remembrance of Lebanon shall be like the wine of Lebanon, in that even those who do not return to dwell in the shade of Lebanon and to reside in the Land of Israel will constantly remember Lebanon, just as one remembers the exceedingly good wine of Lebanon, and its memory will not depart from the heart of the one who drinks it. So too, they will remember the good mountain and Lebanon in all their prayers, and they will place Jerusalem at the head of their joy.
Ephraim [shall say]: ‘What have I to do any more with idols?’ As for Me, I respond and look on him; I am like a leafy cypress-tree; From Me is your fruit found.
verse value 3498
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "anymore" (ע֖וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·look·on·him" (וַאֲשׁוּרֶ֗נּוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, I. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "what·to·me" (מַה־לִּ֥י), "to·the·idols" (לָעֲצַבִּ֑ים), "I·am·afflicted" (עָנִ֣יתִי). The root אני appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Ephraim" (root אפרים, 37x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·idols', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: אֶפְרַ֕יִם [Ephraim] (331) + מַה־לִּ֥י [what·to·me] (85) + ע֖וֹד [anymore] (80) + לָעֲצַבִּ֑ים [to·the·idols] (242) + אֲנִ֧י [I] (61) + עָנִ֣יתִי [I·am·afflicted] (540) + וַאֲשׁוּרֶ֗נּוּ [and·I·look·on·him] (569) + אֲנִי֙ [I] (61) + כִּבְר֣וֹשׁ [like·a·cypress] (528) + רַעֲנָ֔ן [leafy] (370) + מִמֶּ֖נִּי [from·me] (140) + פֶּרְיְךָ֥ [your·fruit] (310) + נִמְצָֽא [was·found] (181) = 3498.
Rashi
Ephraim. He will say, “What more is there for me to go among the distressing places?” And they will return from idolatry; I will answer him from his distress.
And I will regard him. I will look upon his affliction:
"I am like a fresh cypress. I bow down to Him, to be holding His hand, like a fresh cypress that bends toward the ground, so that a person can hold onto its branches; that is to say, I will be constantly present with Him."
From Me, the inquiry arises: Is it not I from whom all your good comes?
Ibn Ezra
Ephraim – Regarding His statement: “Ephraim,” [He says]: “What more do I have need of? I have no further need of them; I will answer him to grant him all his desires,” just as it is said: “And the silver will answer all.”
"And I shall be like a green cypress" – to direct my gaze toward the good in Him, until it is found that I shall be like a fresh cypress. And do not fear, because the cypress does not bear fruit; rather, it is found that I bear fruit.
Radak
Ephraim. And then they will say, "What more do I have to do with idols? For while I was serving them, I had all evil; and now that I serve the Lord, I will have all this good." And the Holy One, blessed be He, said: When Ephraim says this...
"I answered, and I will look upon him." That is to say, I will look upon Him at a time of favor; conversely, I have hidden My face from them. And what do I say to Him?
"I am like a fresh cypress. I will be to you like the fresh cypress, whose head is bent down near its roots; so too, I am exalted and holy, yet I dwell in humility and lowliness of spirit. And if you were to say that the cypress does not bear fruit, from Me fruit is found at all times and in every season."
Metzudat David
"Ephraim..." means: When Ephraim says, "What is there left for me to turn to idolatry? Is it not that now it is better for me than before?"
"I answered." This means: Then I will answer him regarding everything that he will ask of me.
"And I will look at him." I will look and pay heed to Him, to provide for all His needs:
"I am like a leafy cypress." This means: Just as a moist, dewy cypress bends its top down toward its roots, so too I, who dwell on high, lower My gaze to watch over you, and all the fruit of your success comes to you from Me.
Metzudat Zion
“To the idols.” They are the idolaters:
I answered. From the language of answering and responding to a question:
"Va'ashurenu" (and I will gaze upon him). This is an expression of looking and seeing, as in, "I behold him, but not near" (Numbers 24:17).
Like a cypress. The name of a tree:
Re’anan. The meaning is moisture and dampness, as in “with fresh oil” (Psalms 92:11-12):
Malbim
Ephraim: Even Ephraim, who were the first to serve idolatry, will then say, “What more do I have to do with idols?” and will recognize that there is no truth in them.
"I have answered, and I will look upon him; and then I will respond to their prayers and watch over them from afar with My providence." And he explains what He will answer them, saying to them: "I am like a fresh cypress; I am compared to a cypress whose branches are numerous and spread out, and whose leaves are always fresh, so that the one sitting beneath it finds shelter from the heat of the sun and refuge from wind and rain. So too, the one who takes refuge in Me will find shelter from all the afflictions of time, at all times and in all seasons. And do not imagine that I am like a cypress that does not bear fruit. For from Me fruit is found; the fruits that you find are from Me. This means that I am the One who bestows both physical and spiritual good. And 'My fruit is the fruit of the Tree of Life.'"
Whoso is wise, let him understand these things, Whoso is prudent, let him know them. For the ways of Hashem are right, And the just do walk in them; But transgressors do stumble therein.
verse value 2582
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֔לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·right" (כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 68: wise, and·let·him·understand. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "who?" (מִ֤י), "discerning" (נָב֖וֹן), "and·let·him·know·them" (וְיֵדָעֵ֑ם). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea); "they·walk" (root הלך, 22x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·let·him·know·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Rashi
"Who is wise?" "Among you, and let him understand these things." Whoever is wise among you, let him consider and take to heart all these things, and return to Me.
"And the wicked shall stumble therein." On account of them, because they did not walk in them; so too did Jonathan [the Aramaic translator] render it.
Radak
“Who is wise, and he shall understand these things.” And when Hosea completed his prophecy, he said: “Who among you is wise, and shall understand these reprimands that I have spoken until now?”
"For the ways of the Lord are upright" – not like those who say that it is impossible for the way of the Lord to be as it is stated in Ezekiel: "If you return in complete repentance, your former abominations shall not be remembered against you."
And the righteous shall walk in them. For they will recognize and know that all His ways are just. And if they see a righteous person and evil befalls him, or a wicked person and good befalls him, they will consider that all is truth and a straight path from God, blessed be He. For the righteous person whom we see may perhaps not be righteous in his heart as he appears outwardly, and God searches the heart and examines the kidneys. Or perhaps He is punishing him for his benefit in the World to Come, which is the world of reward. And likewise, the wicked person to whom good befalls him may perhaps have done some good deeds, and God, blessed be He, repays him in his lifetime so that he may be lost due to the majority of his wickedness in the World to Come, as it is stated in the Torah of Moses our Teacher, peace be upon him: “He repays his enemies to their face, to destroy them.”
“And sinners shall stumble in them.” For they will say, “There is no One who arranges and guides the world, and He does not act in a straight path, for evil befalls the righteous and good befalls the wicked.” Therefore, they do not return from their wickedness, but go after the desires of their hearts, and they stumble and perish. My master and father, of blessed memory, explained, “And sinners shall stumble in them”: When sinners return to the ways of the Lord, since they are not accustomed to them as the righteous are, they stumble in them, like a person who does not know the way. This is said of sinners whose hearts are still on the path of their transgression. But those who return with a whole heart, their God will help them so that they will not stumble. And the righteous will walk in their custom, on a smooth and straight path.
Metzudat David
“Who is wise?” When he concluded his words of reproof, he said: “Let him who is wise understand these words; and if he is discerning to understand one matter from another, he will know and comprehend that the ways of the Lord are straight, with no winding or crookedness in them. The righteous will walk in them, as they walk, without stumbling. But the wicked will stumble in them, as if there were in them a place of winding and crookedness, for the inclination of their heart’s thoughts distorts the paths for them. But not so is it with the righteous, who straighten their ways.”
Malbim
“Who is wise?”—the wisdom is that which is received, and understanding is that by which a person derives one matter from another. And a person is able to understand through his understanding even in matters in which he has no tradition from his teachers, such as the intellectual inferences that a person makes according to matters built upon first principles and sensory data. However, in matters to which the intellect has no entry, such as knowing God’s governance and providence and all matters of divinity, it is impossible for a person to understand them through intellect unless he has received premises transmitted through the ways of wisdom, such as the foundations of the Torahs and beliefs that he received from the mouths of the prophets. And then he will be able to understand one matter from another from matters that he received in the statutes of wisdom. And this is what it says: “Who is wise, and will understand these things.”
And it has already been explained by us that there is no “proof of the intellect” regarding the statutes of wisdom, for the definition of knowledge is a matter in which there is clear cognition, such as matters that one attained through his senses. But the statutes of wisdom one does not know on his own; only one who is discerning and investigates the statutes of wisdom to understand one matter from another will arrive at them to the level of knowledge, that he will know with clear cognition. And therefore it says: “Discerning, and will know them.”
And this is because “the ways of the Lord are upright.” All the complaints that people complain about providence, from what they see: a righteous man and evil befalls him, and a wicked man and good befalls him—which appears to us as evil order in governance, and that there is no providence, reward, or punishment—whoever has received the statutes of wisdom that God provides providence and that His ways are good, kindness, and mercy, will understand and know that the ways of the Lord, in themselves, are upright. And the evil order that appears to us is from the side of those who are governed: the sinners stumble on the upright paths because they do not make their steps good on the straight path. And yet, there is no defect in the path, only in the walkers who do not straighten their steps to walk in the ways of uprightness. But the righteous, they will walk and not stumble.
And he said this against those who complain about the exile and about God’s punishments upon His people, which appears as if He abandoned them to chance and abandonment. For the wise and understanding know that everything is under providence, and the ways of the Lord are upright; He is righteous and upright.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim