Hosea’s Family: Symbols of the Lord for Ancient Israel

Hosea was a prophet of the northern kingdom who ministered and prophesied a few years before the kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians (721 BC). The northern kingdom is also referred to as the ten tribes of Israel. The prophet Hosea lived during a period when the house of Israel was committing grievous transgressions, including worshipping false deities. The lord called His people to repentance by using a number of symbols or similitudes (Hosea 12:10). These similitudes included Hosea and his wife Gomer, his daughter Lo-ruhamah, and his two sons Jezreel and Lo-ammi. This family of five became living symbols unto the house of Israel. Hosea represented the lord Himself. Gomer, “a wife of whoredoms,” signified Israel’s infidelity, and each of their three children symbolized an additional aspect of Israel’s relationship with God.

The chart sets forth the Hebrew names of each of the five family members (column 1), the English meaning of the names (column 2), and the symbolic value of each of the family members (column 3). Note how the lord, through Hosea, employed special wordplays with the three children’s names to teach us about His relationship with the house of Israel.