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Christian Standard Bible ®
Hosea 2:7
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She will follow after her lovers, But she won't overtake them; And she will seek them, But won't find them. Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; For then was it better with me than now.'
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.'
"And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my first husband, Because it was better for me then than now!'
She will run after her lovers, but she won't catch them. She will look for them, but she won't find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband, because life was better then for me than it is now.'
"She will [passionately] pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, 'Let me go and return to my first husband, For it was better for me then than now!'
Though shee followe after her louers, yet shall shee not come at them: though shee seeke them, yet shall shee not finde them: then shall she say, I will goe and returne to my first husbande: for at that time was I better then nowe.
"She will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my first husband, For it was better for me then than now!'
So she will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them;And she will seek them, but will not find them.Then she will say, ‘I will go, and I will return to my first husband,For it was better for me then than now!'
She will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will return to my first husband, for then I was better off than now.'
She will run after her lovers, but not catch them; she will search, but not find them. Then she will say, "I'll return to my first husband. Life was better then."
their mother prostituted herself, she who conceived them behaved shamelessly; she said, ‘I will pursue my lovers, who give me my food and water, wool, flax, olive oil and wine.'
And she shall pursue after her lovers, and shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, and shall not find them: and she shall say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now.
She will run after her lovers, but she will not be able to catch up with them. She will look for her lovers, but she will not be able to find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband. Life was better for me when I was with him. Life was better then than it is now.'
And she shall follow after her lovers and shall not overtake them, and she shall seek them, but shall not find them; then shall she say, I will return and go to my first husband; for it was better with me then than now.
She will run after her lovers but will not catch them. She will look for them but will not find them. Then she will say, "I am going back to my first husband—I was better off then than I am now."
Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; she will seek them and not find them; and she will say, "I will go and return to my first husband because it was better for me then than now."
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them. And she shall look for them, but she shall not find them . Then she shall say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better with me thannow.
and though she runne after hir louers, yet shall she not get them: she shal seke them, but not fynde them. Then shal she saye: well, I will go turne agayne to my first hu?bonde, for at yt tyme was I better at ease, then now:
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
And if she goes after her lovers she will not overtake them; if she makes search for them she will not see them; then will she say, I will go back to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now.
For their mother hath played the harlot, she that conceived them hath done shamefully; for she said: 'I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.'
And she shall follow after her louers, but she shall not ouertake them, and she shall seeke them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will goe and returne to my first husband, for then was it better with me then now.
And though she runne after her louers, yet shall she not ouertake them: she shall seeke them, but not finde them. Then shall she say, I wyll go and returne to my first husbande: for at that tyme it was better with me then nowe.
And she shall follow after her lovers, and shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: and she shall say, I will go, and return to my former husband; for it was better with me than now.
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
She will follow after her lovers, But she won't overtake them; And she will seek them, But won't find them. Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; For then was it better with me than now.'
And sche schal sue hir louyeris, and schal not take hem, and sche schal seke hem, and schal not fynde; and sche schal seie, Y schal go, and turne ayen to my formere hosebonde, for it was wel to me thanne more than now.
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then it was better with me than now.
And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find [them]: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then [was it] better with me than now.
Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not catch them; she will seek them, but she will not find them. Then she will say, "I will go back to my husband, because I was better off then than I am now."
She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, "I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now.'
When she runs after her lovers, she won't be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, ‘I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.'
She will go after her lovers but will not catch up with them. She will look for them but will not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will return to my first husband. For it was better for me then than now.'
She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, "I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now."
And, when she shall pursue her lovers, and not overtake them, and shall seek them and not find, then will she say, Let me go my way now! and return unto my first husband, for it was better with me, then, than, now!
And she shall follow after her lovers, and shall not overtake them: and she shall seek them, and shall not find, and she shall say: I will go, and return to my first husband: because it was better with me then than now.
She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better with me then than now.'
And she hath pursued her lovers, And she doth not overtake them, And hath sought them, and doth not find, And she hath said: I go, and I turn back unto My first husband, For -- better to me then than now.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
she shall follow: Hosea 5:13, 2 Chronicles 28:20-22, Isaiah 30:2, Isaiah 30:3, Isaiah 30:16, Isaiah 31:1-3, Jeremiah 2:28, Jeremiah 2:36, Jeremiah 2:37, Jeremiah 30:12-15, Ezekiel 20:32, Ezekiel 23:22
I will: Hosea 5:15, Hosea 6:1, Hosea 14:1, Psalms 116:7, Jeremiah 3:22-25, Jeremiah 31:18, Jeremiah 50:4, Jeremiah 50:5, Lamentations 3:40-42, Luke 15:17-20
first: Jeremiah 2:2, Jeremiah 3:1, Jeremiah 31:32, Ezekiel 16:18, Ezekiel 23:4
for: Hosea 13:6, Deuteronomy 6:10-12, Deuteronomy 8:17, Deuteronomy 8:18, Deuteronomy 32:13-15, Nehemiah 9:25, Nehemiah 9:26, Jeremiah 14:22, Daniel 4:17, Daniel 4:25, Daniel 4:32, Daniel 5:21
Reciprocal: Genesis 20:6 - withheld 1 Samuel 25:39 - kept his servant Psalms 119:67 - but now Ecclesiastes 7:14 - set Jeremiah 2:31 - Have I been Lamentations 1:2 - among Lamentations 1:7 - remembered Hosea 2:13 - she went Hosea 2:16 - Ishi Luke 15:18 - will arise
Cross-References
The name of the third river is Tigris, which runs east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found corresponding to him.
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place.
So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.
Everything with the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils—everything on dry land died.
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “God, God who gives breath to all, when one man sins, will you vent your wrath on the whole community?”
“May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all, appoint a man over the community
how much more those who dwell in clay houses,whose foundation is in the dust,who are crushed like a moth!
as long as my breath is still in meand the breath from God remains in my nostrils,
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And she shall follow after her lovers,.... Before mentioned; that is, in her affections and desires, with great eagerness and earnestness, as men pursue what they are bent upon; otherwise, being hedged in and walled up, she could not go after them in a proper sense:
but she shall not overtake them; they fleeing from her, and she pent up:
she shall seek them, but shall not find them; shall not be able to enjoy them, or act according to her wishes and desires, with respect to the performance of sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies, as before observed:
then shall she say; in her heart, finding all endeavours fruitless, and that the things sought after were never to be had; the hedges and wall, the obstructions in the way, were never to be removed, while in such a pursuit; wherefore after a long time, many hundreds of years, even in the latter day, being convinced of her sin and folly in rejecting Christ, and pursuing after other objects, she will take up the following resolution:
I will go and return to my first husband; either the God of Israel, whom the ten tribes departed from by worshipping the calves Jeroboam set up; but in the latter day will seek the Lord their God again, who was a husband to them, and shall cleave to him again, and all Israel shall be saved: so the Targum,
"I will go and return to the service of my first master, for it was well with me when I served him; henceforth I will not serve idols:''
or Christ, who was promised and prophesied of as a husband to the Jewish church, Isaiah 54:5 and whom they believed in, and expected as such, but when he came rejected him; but now being convinced of their error shall seek David their King, appoint themselves one head, and embrace Christ as their husband, and adhere to him; see Hosea 3:5:
for then was it better with me than now; while in the faith, and hope, and expectation of the true Messiah; having a spiritual apprehension of him, true faith in him, and comfort from him, as held forth in the promise; being then possessed of the good land, in the enjoyment of the word and ordinances, and of all religious and civil privileges, but now deprived of them. This may be applied to the case of true believers in Christ, having partially departed from him, and being restored. Christ is a husband to them, who has betrothed them to himself, and they have given themselves to him, and have been loved, nourished, cherished, and provided for by him, and for a while had much nearness, familiarity, and communion with him; but unbelief prevailing, first love waxing cold, and being got into a carnal and sleepy frame, neglect both private and public worship, fall into sin, and removed from church communion, and so may be said to have departed from Christ their husband; but being recovered by divine grace, and sensible of their sins, resolve to return to him again by repentance and acknowledgment, by doing their first works, and by attendance on his word and ordinances; instigated hereunto very much by remembering how it has been with them when they kept close to him, and observing the difference between those times and the present; how they had then the presence of God and Christ, and communion with them, and the secret discoveries of the love of God; in what lively exercise the graces of the Spirit were; what delight and profit they had in ordinances, and what peace, joy, and comfort, in their souls; all which now they want; see Job 29:2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And she shall follow after - The words rendered âfollow after and seekâ (ר××, ×קש×) are intensive and express âeager, vehement pursuit,â and âdiligent search.â They express, together, a pursuit, whose minuteness is not hindered by its vehemence, nor its extent and wideness by its exactness. She shall seek far and wide, minutely and carefully, everywhere and in all things, and shall fail in all. For eighteen hundred years the Jews have chased after a phantom, a Christ, triumphing, after the manner of the kings of the earth, and it has ever escaped them. The sinful soul will too often struggle on, in pursuit of what God is withdrawing, and will not give over, until, through Godâs persevering mercy, the fruitless pursuit exhausts her, and she finds it hopeless. Oh the willfulness of man, and the unwearied patience of God!
Then shall she say, I will go and return - She encourages herself tremblingly to return to God. The words express a mixture of purpose and wish. Before, she said, âCome, let me go after my lovers;â now, she says, âCome let me go and return,â as the progical in the Gospel, âI will arise and go to my Father.â
To my first husband - âGod is the âfirst Husbandâ of the soul, which, while yet pure, He, through the love of the Holy Spirit, united with Himself. Him the soul longeth for, when it findeth manifold bitternesses, as thorns, in those delights of time and sense which it coveted. For when the soul begins to be gnawed by the sorrows of the world which she loveth, then she understandeth more fully, how it was better with her, with her former husband. Those whom a perverse will led astray, distress mostly converts.â âMostly, when we cannot obtain in this world what we wish, when we have been wearied with the impossibility of our search of earthly desires, then the thought of God returns to the soul; then, what was before distasteful, becomes pleasant to us; He whose commands had been bitter to the soul, suddenly in memory grows sweet to her, and the sinful soul determines to be a faithful wife.â And God still vouchsafes to be, on her return, the Husband even of the adulterous soul, however far she had strayed from Him.
For then it was better with me than now - It is the voice of the prodigal son in the Gospel, which the Father hears, âHow many hired servants of my Father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!â âI will serve,â Israel would say, âthe living and true God, not the pride of people, or of evil spirits, for even in this life it is much sweeter to bear the yoke of the Lord, than to be the servant of men.â In regard to the ten tribes, the âthenâ must mean the time before the apostasy under Jeroboam. God, in these words, softens the severity of His upbraiding and of His sentences of coming woe, by the sweetness of promised mercy. Israel was so impatient of Godâs threats, that their kings and princes killed those whom He sent unto them. God wins her attention to His accusations by this brief tempering of sweetness.
