The Skeptics Annotated Bible (677 page)

(2.12)
“I will destroy … her fig trees.”
(God hates figs.)

13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and
she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

(2.13)
“She decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.”

14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.

17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

22 And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.

23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

(3.1-2) God tells Hosea to love an adulteress. (I thought he already did that in chapter 1.) In any case, Hosea buys (another?) one for a homer and a half of barley.

3
Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress
, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

(3.1)
“Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress.”
110 Is it wrong to commit adultery?

2
So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:

(3.2)
“So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley.”

3 And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall
fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days
.

(3.5)
“Fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.”
132 Should we fear God?

4
Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea
also shall be taken away.

(4.3)
“Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea.”
Because of the Israelites’ disobedience, the land mourns, and all the animals are dying.