Hosea 3:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet, due to her continual treachery, she faced rightful consequences, experiencing captivity and falling under the dominion of adversaries. God, however, distinctly revealed to the prophet that during the period of Jezreel, which indeed was significant, they would emerge from foreign lands. This indicated their transition from being strangers and captives, unwillingly residing in a foreign territory. For the Savior proclaimed liberation to the captives and sight to the blind, as it is written in the prophecy (Isaiah 61:1). He pointed out that they would receive grace and be identified as the people of God, granted forgiveness. Following the arrival of the Savior, His sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave, a multitude of Israelites embraced salvation through faith. Nonetheless, many remained in disbelief, akin to the unfaithful woman, as they did not accept the heavenly Bridegroom, rejecting Him who called them to Himself by faith, instead surrendering their souls to seducers—the scribes and Pharisees—who propagated the traditions and teachings of men. Thus, as the prophet associated with the wayward woman, representing God who endured Israel's spiritual infidelity, He gently chastised them in order to lead them to repentance and understanding. This illustrates how the mystery is artfully conveyed to us through the narrative. The prophet, embodying God, engages with the wayward spouse and her proclivity for evil; yet, through promises and hopeful assurances, he revives her spirit, preventing her from succumbing to despair. The depth of this mystery is illustrated by God’s command to the prophet: “You shall love the woman who loves, and the one who loves evil, just as God loves the children of Israel, who turn towards foreign gods and indulge in sweet pleasures.” For God desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tim. 2:4); in His infinite goodness, He loves even those who resist His will and turn their affections towards false idols. The Scriptures suggest that at the time of Christ’s coming, many among the Jews still hesitated, lacking pure allegiance to Moses' commandments and were not completely cleansed of erroneous beliefs while they revered foreign gods, offering treats such as biscuits filled with raisins or honey cakes, items commonly presented to demons.

This unfaithful woman either enjoys wickedness or is the one cherished by a close companion; the Hebrew term re can imply either evil or friend. To clarify any misconceptions about the prophet’s affection for the unfaithful woman as being different from God's love for the children of Israel, it adds, Just as the Lord loves the children of Israel. Therefore, while the prophet extends love toward the adulteress, he does not unite with her in illicit relations but rather loves the sinner. He symbolizes God’s love for the most wayward among the children of Israel, who, having received divine love, turn to foreign gods and idols and crave worthless things, which lack wine and have lost their previous charm, similar to demons who have fallen from their nobility and possess none of their former gifts but have withered away and lost their vigor due to prolonged barrenness. Consequently, instead of fresh grape products, which in Hebrew is termed asisae, Aquila translated it as παλαιά, meaning old, and Simmachus as ἀκάρπους, meaning barren. It is not merely grape products but rather old ones, indicating ongoing transgressions. It’s essential to recognize that this state of unfaithfulness represents the current condition of the Jews, who lack a relationship with God, knowledge of the Scriptures, and grace from the Holy Spirit, yet whom the Lord loves, expecting the salvation of all, and opens the way to the repentant. Nevertheless, they pursue unfruitful things, favoring human traditions and emptiness, lacking grapes, wine, and presses filled with fresh wine, but instead have discarded old grape pomace. Instead of the cakes interpreted by the Seventy, which are consumed with dried grapes or pomace, one might refer to them in Latin as plaseptae or crustula, which are offered to idols, known in Greek as πόπανα. In this context, the children of Israel are referred to as the twelve tribes, while previously the ten were mentioned, those in Samaria with Jezrael as their capital.