Hosea

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NASB	Hosea 1:1 The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
AMPLIFIED 2015 2015	Hosea 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea the son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel.

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Bible Question: why did Hosea marry prostitute

Bible Answer: My answer is purely from a cultural standpoint.

According to the Bible, the Canaanite peoples had a system of religious prostitution. This is seen, for example, in Genesis 38:21, where Judah asks Canaanite men of Adulam "Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side?". The Hebrew original employs the word "qedsha" in Judah's question, as opposed to the standard Hebrew "zonah". The word "qidsha" is derived from the root Q.D.Sh, which signifies uniqueness and holiness; thus it probably represents a religious prostitute, a term uncommon among the Israelites, but known to them from the neighboring people and used in communication between them.
Sacred prostitution was common in Israel albeit forbidden by the priests. We later see another sacred prostitute in Mary Magdelene. Magdela was a hub of Goddess worship(Asherah, God's wife) and prostitution was similar to paying for indulgences.

Now Hosea's story is an interesting one and we should take heed to hear its message.
The book may be divided into two parts, the first containing chapters 1-3, and symbolically representing the idolatry of Israel under imagery borrowed from the matrimonial relation. The figures of marriage and adultery are common in the Old Testament writings to represent the spiritual relations between God and the people of Israel. Here we see the apostasy of Israel and their punishment, with their future repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.

The second part, containing 4-14, is a summary of Hosea's discourses, filled with denunciations, threatenings, exhortations, promises, and revelations of mercy.

The first part is what pertains to your question. Hosea represents God and the prostitute represents Israel or man in general. Some may say that Hosea marries the woman to show how God gives undeserved sinners His grace. Perhaps this is a facet but the gnostic or hidden message is much more profound.

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Hosea

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