Introduction to Hosea 2:3
Hosea 2:3 (in the Hebrew text) is part of a larger prophetic rebuke where YHWH warns Israel of the consequences of her spiritual unfaithfulness. The verse employs vivid metaphors—exposing Israel as a naked woman, a barren wilderness, and a land of thirst—to illustrate the severity of divine judgment.
This passage also contains a series of jussive and cohortative verbs, which express divine intention and the certainty of impending punishment. The progression of verbs intensifies the severity of judgment, moving from shame (nudity) to desolation (wilderness) to death (thirst).
This study will analyze the grammatical structure of the prophetic warning, the function of jussive and cohortative forms, and the theological implications of Israel’s punishment.
פֶּן־אַפְשִׁיטֶ֣נָּה עֲרֻמָּ֔ה וְהִ֨צַּגְתִּ֔יהָ כְּיֹ֖ום הִוָּֽלְדָ֑הּ וְשַׂמְתִּ֣יהָ כַמִּדְבָּ֗ר וְשַׁתִּ֨הָ֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה וַהֲמִתִּ֖יהָ בַּצָּמָֽא׃
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
- פֶּן־אַפְשִׁיטֶ֣נָּה עֲרֻמָּ֔ה (pen afshitennah arumah)
- Root: פָּשַׁט (“to strip, remove”)
- Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular + 3rd feminine singular suffix
- Translation: “Lest I strip her naked”
- Function: Expresses divine threat in the Hifil stem, indicating total exposure and shame.
- וְהִ֨צַּגְתִּ֔יהָ כְּיֹ֖ום הִוָּֽלְדָ֑הּ (vehitsagtihah keyom hivaldah)
- Root: נָצַג (“to set, place”)
- Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular + 3rd feminine singular suffix
- Translation: “And I will expose her as on the day of her birth”
- Function: Parallels the nudity metaphor, reinforcing Israel’s vulnerability.
- וְשַׂמְתִּ֣יהָ כַמִּדְבָּ֗ר (vesamtihah kamidbar)
- Root: שִׂים (“to place, set”)
- Translation: “And I will make her like the wilderness”
- Function: Moves from exposure to desolation, emphasizing total abandonment.
- וְשַׁתִּ֨הָ֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה (veshatihah ke’eretz tsiyyah)
- Root: שָׁתָה (“to place”)
- Translation: “And I will make her like a dry land”
- Function: Intensifies the wilderness imagery, suggesting drought and famine.
- וַהֲמִתִּ֖יהָ בַּצָּמָֽא (vahamitihah batzama)
- Root: מוּת (“to die”)
- Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular + 3rd feminine singular suffix
- Translation: “And I will put her to death with thirst”
- Function: Final stage of punishment, transitioning from suffering to ultimate destruction.
Explanation of Grammatical Function
The Cohortative Verb אַפְשִׁיטֶ֣נָּה (“I Will Strip Her”)
Cohortative (1st-person volitional form) → Indicates divine intention.
Hifil stem → Suggests deliberate action by YHWH to bring shame upon Israel.
The Intensification of Judgment Through Progressive Verbs
Stripping her naked → Exposing her → Making her barren → Causing her to die.
Each verb escalates the punishment, culminating in death from thirst.
The Role of פֶּן (“Lest”) in Warning Formulae
פֶּן (“lest”) introduces a conditional warning, meaning “unless repentance occurs, this will happen.”
Common in prophetic warnings and legal contexts (cf. Deuteronomy 6:12).
Theological Implications of Divine Judgment
- Israel’s Spiritual ExposureNudity symbolizes Israel’s shame, revealing her spiritual unfaithfulness.
- Wilderness as JudgmentThe wilderness represents punishment, contrasting with the Promised Land’s blessings.
- Thirst as a Symbol of Divine AbsenceWater represents divine provision (Isaiah 55:1); thirst symbolizes divine withdrawal.
The Role of Jussive and Cohortative Verbs in Prophetic Warnings
Hosea 2:3 employs a structured escalation of divine punishment, moving from shame to desolation to death. The cohortative and jussive forms emphasize divine intention, reinforcing the severity of Israel’s sin and the certainty of judgment unless repentance occurs.
Thus, this verse serves as both a warning and a call for restoration—showing the consequences of spiritual infidelity while implicitly inviting repentance.
