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.
The prophet is to take back his wife, though unfaithful, as foretold (Hosea 1:2). He purchases her from her paramour, stipulating she should wait for a long period, living on coarse fare, and kept apart as a slave, before she should be restored to her full conjugal rights. So Israel is to live for a long period without her ancient rites of religion, and yet be free from idolatry; then at last she shall acknowledge Messiah, and know Yahweh's goodness restored to her.
Go yet - `Go again,' referring to Hosea 1:2 (Henderson). The wife 'whom he had taken and raised from her degradation as a whorish woman' to be his wife, had fallen into impurity again, and was now living with another man in adultery. Hosea is told, not as in the first instance to take her, but to show active love toward her-to love her. She was still his wife, though unfaithful.
A woman. Purposely indefinite, instead of saying thy wife, to express the separation in which Hosea had lived from Gomer for her unfaithfulness. Beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress. Used for 'her husband,' on account of the estrangement between them. Hosea loved her still, though she was separated from him for adultery. God commands him to take her to a second time: she was already beloved of her husband, now he is actively to show his love, to her by restoring her to be his wife ones more. 'Fretful, wayward, jealous, ungovernable as are mostly those recovered from such sins as hers, the prophet, in his anxious, watchful charge of her, was a striking picture of the forbearing loving-kindness of God to us amid our provocations' (Pusey); and primarily of His loving-kindness to Israel, whom He is hereafter to restore to union with Him once more, after her shameful unfaithfulness to Him notwithstanding His great grace shown to her. Comer was still beloved of her husband, though an adulteress; just as God still loved Israel, though idolatrous х reea` (H7453), neighbour or friend, the same word as 'husband'-margin, friend]. (Jeremiah 3:20, "As a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye, deals treacherously with me, O, house of Israel.") The word implies that Gomer's husband had been her truest and most tender friend, so that there was no excuse for her conjugal infidelity: Christ is at once the Husband and the Friend (Song of Solomon 5:16; John 11:5; John 11:11; John 13:23; John 15:14-15) and the truest Neighbour of His people (Luke 10:36-37). Hosea is told, not as in Hosea 1:2, "take a wife," but "love" her - i:e., renew thy conjugal kindness to her.
According to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods - i:e., have done so heretofore, and are doing so now, but henceforth (from the return from Babylon) shall do so no more (Hosea 3:4). God was loving them all the time that they were looking to other gods. Though an adulteress, Gomer was yet beloved of her friend. Such is the love of God, which still yearns over His people, even when fallen a second time, and by His marvelous grace finally turns them to Himself.
And love flagons of wine - rather, pressed cakes of dried grapes, such as were offered to idols (Jeremiah 7:18). (Maurer.)