What the Bible says about Israel's Whoredom
(From Forerunner Commentary)
There is a lot of emotion in the word "broken." The marginal reference for it gives "crushed." God says, "I am crushed." This is how He felt in the rejection He received from Israel within this marriage.
The idols represent what she greatly desired, and as the context clearly shows, what she greatly desired, God (her Husband) prohibited.
This "whoring" is their fickle drive. They were always curious about how others did things. They were always ready for excitement in some new thing and ever willing to experience a variety of things. Almost always what she chased after was outside the guidelines that God gave in His commands, but to her His commands always appeared to be denying her pleasure.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Where Is the Beast? (Part Seven)
Hosea's dominant theme is Israel's faithlessness in contrast to God's patience, mercy, and faithfulness. The prophet is especially creative in metaphorically describing Israel's spiritual condition and relationship with God. He introduces two dominant ones in the book's second verse.
The primary metaphor is Israel as a faithless wife, and the second is Israel as a child of adultery or faithlessness. A child is the fruit or product of a relationship. Hosea implies that Israel, as a child of an adulterous relationship, manifests its characteristics because the next generation tends to continue the traits of the former and perhaps even increase their effects. A primary characteristic of adultery is faithlessness.
In the first metaphor, God is a faithful husband, and in the second, a loving and long-suffering parent. Israel is faithless in carrying out her responsibilities in both cases. God bluntly calls her actions adultery, harlotry, or whoredom because she did not fulfill the duties she had promised in a contract, a covenant. In more intimate terms, this contract is a marriage.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Seventh Commandment (1997)Related Topics: Adultery | Faithlessness | God as Faithful Husband | God as Long-Suffering Parent | Hosea | Hosea's Marriage | Israel as a Faithless Wife | Israel's Adultery | Israel's Faithlessness | Israel's Harlotry | Israel's Relationship with God | Israel's Unfaithfulness | Israel's Whoredom | Marriage Analogy | Marriage Covenant