Introduction to Hosea 6:1: A Call to Return and Be Healed
Hosea 6:1 begins a poetic and theological call for national repentance. Spoken by the prophet or the penitent community, the verse features a sequence of volitional and predictive verbs, framing divine discipline not as destruction but as a prelude to restoration. The tension between wounding and healing, striking and binding, mirrors the complex covenant relationship between YHWH and Yisra’el. This article explores the cohortative and imperfect verb forms and their syntactic interplay in the structure of hopeful repentance.
לְכוּ֙ וְנָשׁ֣וּבָה אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י ה֥וּא טָרָ֖ף וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ יַ֖ךְ וְיַחְבְּשֵֽׁנוּ׃
Analysis of Verbal Forms and Thematic Structure
1. לְכוּ וְנָשׁוּבָה אֶל־יְהוָה – “Come, let us return to YHWH”
- לְכוּ – Qal imperative masculine plural of ה־ל־ך: “Go!” or idiomatically “Come!”
- וְנָשׁוּבָה – Qal cohortative 1cp of שׁ־ו־ב: “Let us return”
- אֶל־יְהוָה – directional phrase: “to YHWH”
This opening line features an imperative–cohortative combination, a common construction in Biblical Hebrew to express communal resolve. The cohortative נָשׁוּבָה indicates volition or desire, often found in liturgical or confessional contexts. The use of אֶל with YHWH shows intentional directional movement, both physically and spiritually.
2. כִּ֛י הוּא טָרָ֖ף וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ – “For He has torn, and He will heal us”
- טָרָף – Qal perfect 3ms of ט־ר־ף: “he tore” (as a beast tears prey)
- וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ – Qal imperfect 3ms + 1cp suffix of ר־פ־א: “and he will heal us”
This line juxtaposes divine wounding and healing using perfect and imperfect verbs. The perfect טָרָף expresses completed action—YHWH has already inflicted covenantal discipline. The imperfect יִרְפָּאֵנוּ expresses future or expected healing, introducing hope and divine mercy. Thematically, this echoes a central prophetic truth: YHWH wounds to restore, not to destroy.
3. יַךְ וְיַחְבְּשֵׁנוּ – “He will strike, and He will bind us up”
- יַךְ – Hifil or Qal imperfect 3ms of נ־כ־ה: “He will strike”
- וְיַחְבְּשֵׁנוּ – Qal imperfect 3ms + 1cp suffix of ח־ב־שׁ: “He will bandage us” or “bind up”
Again, we find a wounding–healing pair. יַךְ signals continued divine discipline, while יַחְבְּשֵׁנוּ reflects a medical metaphor—YHWH is the healer who not only strikes but binds wounds. The imperfect aspect in both verbs points to anticipated future action, consistent with the penitential tone of the verse.
Syntactic Cohesion and Literary Parallelism
This verse is marked by parallel verbal couplets that mirror each other:
- Imperative + Cohortative: לְכוּ וְנָשׁוּבָה
- Perfect + Imperfect: טָרָף וְיִרְפָּאֵנוּ
- Imperfect + Imperfect: יַךְ וְיַחְבְּשֵׁנוּ
Each pair balances divine judgment with divine compassion. The repetition of YHWH as both judge and healer reinforces covenant themes in Hosea: though Yisra’el has strayed, repentance is always met with restoration. The volitional and predictive verb forms work together to move the audience from past failure toward future hope.
The Healing of Repentance: Divine Injury as Covenant Discipline
Hosea 6:1 encapsulates the theology of chastisement and healing. Through a masterful arrangement of cohortatives, perfects, and imperfects, the prophet speaks both repentance and hope. YHWH’s actions—tearing and striking—are not capricious punishments, but acts of covenantal correction, always with restoration in view. The grammar mirrors the message: volition, injury, healing, all flowing toward reconciliation. This verse is not just a cry of return—it is a liturgy of trust in the mercy of YHWH.
