Hosea 2:7 “She will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but…”

Hosea 2:7

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.’

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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.

World English Bible

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 it was better with me than now.’

American Standard Version

Geneva Bible 1599

Though shee follow 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 husband: for at that time was I better then nowe.

Darby Translation

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.

Young's Literal Translation

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.

Bible in Basic English

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.

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Cross references

“she shall follow”

Hosea 5:13 Ezekiel 23:22 2 Chronicles 28:20–22 Isaiah 30:16 Isaiah 31:1–3 Jeremiah 2:28

Hosea 5:13 · BSB

When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.

Ezekiel 23:22 · BSB

Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side—

2 Chronicles 28:20–22 · BSB

Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him.

Isaiah 30:16 · BSB

“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.

Isaiah 31:1–3 · BSB

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Jeremiah 2:28 · BSB

But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.

“I will”

Luke 15:17–20 Hosea 14:1 Psalm 116:7 Jeremiah 3:22–25 Jeremiah 31:18 Lamentations 3:40–42

Luke 15:17–20 · BSB

Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food, but here I am, starving to death!

Hosea 14:1 · BSB

Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.

Psalm 116:7 · BSB

Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

Jeremiah 3:22–25 · BSB

“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 31:18 · BSB

I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.

Lamentations 3:40–42 · BSB

Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.

“first”

Jeremiah 2:2 Ezekiel 23:4 Jeremiah 31:32 Ezekiel 16:18 Jeremiah 3:1

Jeremiah 2:2 · BSB

“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

Ezekiel 23:4 · BSB

The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 31:32 · BSB

It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt— a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them, ” declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 16:18 · BSB

You took your embroidered garments to cover them, and you set My oil and incense before them.

Jeremiah 3:1 · BSB

“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?” decla…

“for”

Jeremiah 14:22 Hosea 13:6 Deuteronomy 6:10–12 Deuteronomy 32:13–15 Daniel 4:17 Daniel 4:25

Jeremiah 14:22 · BSB

Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.

Hosea 13:6 · BSB

When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.

Deuteronomy 6:10–12 · BSB

And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build,

Deuteronomy 32:13–15 · BSB

He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag,

Daniel 4:17 · BSB

This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lo…

Daniel 4:25 · BSB

You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowl…

Also

Ezekiel 16:8

Ezekiel 16:8 · BSB

Then I passed by and saw you, and you were indeed old enough for love. So I spread My cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, declares th…

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

6Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her path with thorns; I will enclose her with a wall, so she cannot find her way.

8For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold— which they crafted for Baal.

Read Hosea 2