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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Hosea 3:2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/hosea/3-2.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/10/28_Hos_03_02.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Hosea 3:2 - Hosea Redeems His Wife" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley." /><script type="application/javascript" 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id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/hosea/3-1.htm" title="Hosea 3:1">◄</a> Hosea 3:2 <a href="/hosea/3-3.htm" title="Hosea 3:3">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/hosea/3.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/hosea/3.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/hosea/3.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/hosea/3.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/hosea/3.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/hosea/3.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her to me for fifteen <i>pieces</i> of silver, and <i>for</i> an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/hosea/3.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />So I bought her for myself for fifteen <i>shekels</i> of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/hosea/3.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I purchased her for myself for fifteen <i>shekels</i> of silver, and a homer and a lethech of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/hosea/3.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/hosea/3.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />So I bought her for myself for fifteen <i>shekels</i> of silver and a homer and a half of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/hosea/3.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />So I bargained for her for myself for fifteen <i>shekels</i> of silver and a homer and a half of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/hosea/3.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley [the price of a common slave].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/hosea/3.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and nine bushels of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/hosea/3.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and five bushels of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/hosea/3.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/hosea/3.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />So I paid 15 pieces of silver and about 150 kilograms of grain for such a woman. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/hosea/3.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/hosea/3.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />So I bought her for 23 ounces of silver and 10 bushels of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/hosea/3.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />So I paid fifteen pieces of silver and seven bushels of barley to buy her. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/hosea/3.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />So I bought her back for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and one and a half omers of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/hosea/3.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/hosea/3.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley to purchase her.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/hosea/3.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/hosea/3.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/hosea/3.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/hosea/3.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And I buy her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer and a lethech of barley;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/hosea/3.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And I buy her to me for fifteen silverlings, and a homer and a letech of barley;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/hosea/3.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And I shall buy her to me for fifteen of silver, and an homer of barley, and a measure of barley:<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/hosea/3.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a core of barley, and for half a core of barley. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/hosea/3.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And I contracted her to me for fifteen silver coins, and for a basket of barley, and half a basket of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/hosea/3.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />So I acquired her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/hosea/3.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/hosea/3.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and half of barley;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/hosea/3.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And I bought her for myself for fifteen silver pieces and for a cor and a half cor of barley<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/hosea/3.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/hosea/3.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />So I hired <i>her</i> to myself for fifteen <i>pieces</i> of silver, and a homer of barley, and a flagon of wine.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/hosea/3-2.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpPG1oLnpGk?start=419" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/hosea/3.htm">Hosea Redeems His Wife</a></span><br><span class="reftext">1</span>Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols.” <span class="reftext">2</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3739.htm" title="3739: wā·’ek·kə·re·hā (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs:: 3fs) -- To trade, get by trade. Usually assigned as a primitive root, but probably only a special application of karah; to purchase.">So I bought her</a> <a href="/hebrew/lî (Prep:: 1cs) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/2568.htm" title="2568: ba·ḥă·miš·šāh (Prep-b, Art:: Number-ms) -- Five. Masculine chamishshah; a primitive numeral; five.">for fifteen shekels</a> <a href="/hebrew/6240.htm" title="6240: ‘ā·śār (Number-ms) -- Ten. For eser; ten, i.e. -teen; also -teenth."></a> <a href="/hebrew/3701.htm" title="3701: kā·sep̄ (N-ms) -- Silver, money. From kacaph; silver; by implication, money.">of silver</a> <a href="/hebrew/2563.htm" title="2563: wə·ḥō·mer (Conj-w:: N-msc) -- From chamar; properly, a bubbling up, i.e. Of water, a wave; of earth, mire or clay; also a heap; hence, a chomer or dry measure.">and a homer</a> <a href="/hebrew/3963.htm" title="3963: wə·lê·ṯeḵ (Conj-w:: N-msc) -- A dry measure. From an unused root of uncertain meaning; a measure for things dry.">and a lethech</a> <a href="/hebrew/8184.htm" title="8184: śə·‘ō·rîm (N-fp) -- Barley. Or snowrah; and; also s or; or s-owr; from sa'ar in the sense of roughness; barley."></a> <a href="/hebrew/8184.htm" title="8184: śə·‘ō·rîm (N-fp) -- Barley. Or snowrah; and; also s or; or s-owr; from sa'ar in the sense of roughness; barley.">of barley.</a> </span><span class="reftext">3</span>Then I said to her, “You must live with me for many days; you must not be promiscuous or belong to another, and I will do the same for you.”…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/21-32.htm">Exodus 21:32</a></span><br />If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/25-44.htm">Leviticus 25:44-46</a></span><br />Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. / You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property. / You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/15-12.htm">Deuteronomy 15:12-15</a></span><br />If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. / And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. / You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/6-20.htm">1 Corinthians 6:20</a></span><br />you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/1-18.htm">1 Peter 1:18-19</a></span><br />For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, / but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/20-28.htm">Matthew 20:28</a></span><br />just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/3-13.htm">Galatians 3:13</a></span><br />Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/52-3.htm">Isaiah 52:3</a></span><br />For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_timothy/2-6.htm">1 Timothy 2:6</a></span><br />who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/3-24.htm">Romans 3:24</a></span><br />and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ephesians/1-7.htm">Ephesians 1:7</a></span><br />In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/5-9.htm">Revelation 5:9</a></span><br />And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/7-23.htm">1 Corinthians 7:23</a></span><br />You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/55-1.htm">Isaiah 55:1</a></span><br />“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/31-3.htm">Jeremiah 31:3</a></span><br />The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:</p><p class="hdg">I bought.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/31-41.htm">Genesis 31:41</a></b></br> Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/34-12.htm">Genesis 34:12</a></b></br> Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/exodus/22-17.htm">Exodus 22:17</a></b></br> If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.</p><p class="hdg">an homer.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/leviticus/27-16.htm">Leviticus 27:16</a></b></br> And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD <i>some part</i> of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: an homer of barley seed <i>shall be valued</i> at fifty shekels of silver.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/5-10.htm">Isaiah 5:10</a></b></br> Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ezekiel/45-11.htm">Ezekiel 45:11</a></b></br> The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer, and the ephah the tenth part of an homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer.</p><p class="hdg">half homer.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezekiel/45-13.htm">Barley</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-4.htm">Bought</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-4.htm">Buy</a> <a href="/ezekiel/45-12.htm">Fifteen</a> <a href="/daniel/12-7.htm">Half</a> <a href="/ezekiel/45-14.htm">Homer</a> <a href="/daniel/12-7.htm">Pieces</a> <a href="/ezekiel/45-12.htm">Shekels</a> <a href="/hosea/2-8.htm">Silver</a> <a href="/isaiah/7-23.htm">Silverlings</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/joel/1-11.htm">Barley</a> <a href="/matthew/13-44.htm">Bought</a> <a href="/amos/8-6.htm">Buy</a> <a href="/zechariah/5-2.htm">Fifteen</a> <a href="/zechariah/14-2.htm">Half</a> <a href="/leviticus/27-16.htm">Homer</a> <a href="/hosea/5-14.htm">Pieces</a> <a href="/zechariah/11-12.htm">Shekels</a> <a href="/hosea/8-4.htm">Silver</a> <a href="/zechariah/11-12.htm">Silverlings</a><div class="vheading2">Hosea 3</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/3-1.htm">The Lord's intended future kindness to Israel, not withstanding their wickedness, </a></span><br><span class="reftext">2. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/3-2.htm">illustrated by the emblem of Hosea's conduct toward his adulterous wife.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">4. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/3-4.htm">The desolation of Israel before their restoration.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/hosea/3.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>So I bought her</b><br />The act of buying here is significant in the context of Hosea's relationship with Gomer, symbolizing God's redemptive love for Israel. The Hebrew word used for "bought" is "קָנָה" (qanah), which can mean to acquire or purchase. This transaction is not merely a financial one but a profound act of love and redemption. Hosea's purchase of Gomer reflects God's willingness to redeem His people despite their unfaithfulness. It is a powerful illustration of grace, where God takes the initiative to restore a broken relationship.<p><b>for fifteen shekels of silver</b><br />The mention of "fifteen shekels of silver" is significant in understanding the value and cost of redemption. In ancient times, the price of a slave was typically thirty shekels of silver (<a href="/exodus/21-32.htm">Exodus 21:32</a>). The fact that Hosea pays only fifteen shekels, along with barley, suggests that Gomer's value had diminished due to her lifestyle. This reflects Israel's spiritual state, having devalued themselves through idolatry. Yet, God still sees worth in them, just as Hosea sees worth in Gomer. The silver symbolizes the preciousness of redemption, pointing to the ultimate price paid by Christ for humanity's salvation.<p><b>and a homer and a lethek of barley</b><br />Barley was considered a less valuable grain compared to wheat, often associated with the poor or with offerings of lesser value (<a href="/judges/7-13.htm">Judges 7:13</a>, <a href="/2_kings/4-42.htm">2 Kings 4:42</a>). The use of barley in this transaction underscores the humility and lowliness of Gomer's situation, as well as Israel's spiritual poverty. The specific measures, "a homer and a lethek," indicate a substantial amount, suggesting that Hosea's redemption of Gomer was costly and sacrificial. This mirrors the sacrificial nature of God's love, willing to give abundantly to restore His people. The combination of silver and barley in the purchase price highlights the completeness of redemption, encompassing both spiritual and material aspects.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/hosea/3.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(2) <span class= "bld">Pieces of silver.--</span>Shekels.<p><span class= "bld">So I bought her.</span>--Gomer was treated as no longer a wife, but requiring to be restored to such a position. The purchase of wives is still a very common practice in the East (See Henderson's <span class= "ital">Commentary,</span> and Deut. xxi 14.)<p><span class= "bld">Half homer of barley.--</span>Half a homer is the translation given to the Hebrew word <span class= "ital">lethekh,</span> which occurs only in this passage. This rendering is founded on the interpretation half a cor (cor = homer), which is given in all the Greek versions except the LXX. The latter read "and a <span class= "ital">nebhel</span> of wine," the <span class= "ital">nebhel</span> being probably a skin bottle of a certain liquid capacity. This pre-supposes a different Hebrew text. From <a href="/2_kings/7-1.htm" title="Then Elisha said, Hear you the word of the LORD; Thus said the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.">2Kings 7:1</a> we may infer that an ephah of barley at ordinary times would cost one shekel (comp. <a href="/amos/8-5.htm" title="Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?">Amos 8:5</a>), and since a homer contains ten ephahs, the price paid by the prophet was thirty shekels altogether. Reckoning a shekel as <span class= "ital">=</span> two drachms (so LXX.), or 2s. 6 d., the price paid by Hosea was about 3 15s. According to <a href="/exodus/21-32.htm" title="If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.">Exodus 21:32</a>, this was the compensation enacted for a slave gored to death by a bull, and is a hint of the degradation to which Gomer had sunk.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/hosea/3.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 2.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">So I bought</span> (<span class="accented">acquired</span>) <span class="accented"><span class="cmt_word"></span>her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley and an half-homer</span> (margin, <span class="accented">lethech</span>) <span class="cmt_word">of barley</span>. In narrating the prophet's compliance with the Divine command, the word <span class="hebrew">אֶכְּרֶהָ</span>is connected by Aben Ezra with <span class="hebrew">וֶכַר</span> in the sense of making acquaintance with; but it is more correctly referred by Kimchi to <span class="hebrew">כָרָה</span> with daghesh euphonic in the <span class="accented">caph</span> as in <span class="hebrew">יִקְּרֵך</span> shall meet thee. "The daghesh of the <span class="accented">caph</span> is for euphony as in <span class="accented">miqdush</span>, and the root is <span class="hebrew">כַרה</span> (Kimchi). The meaning is then simply and naturally traced as follows: to dig, obtain by digging, acquire. The price paid for the acquisition in this case was either the purchase money paid to the parents of the bride, as to Laban in the case of Rachel and Leah by Jacob, or the marriage present paid (<span class="accented">mohar</span>) to the bride herself. Another view represents the prophet paying the price to the woman's husband to whom she had been unfaithful, and who in consequence resigned her for so small a sum. It remains for us to attend to the amount thus paid. Fifteen pieces of silver or shekels would be about one pound fifteen shillings, or one pound seventeen and six-pence; while the price of the barley would he somewhere about the same. There were fifty or sixty shekels in a <span class="accented">mana</span>, Greek <span class="accented">mina</span>, and Latin <span class="accented">ulna</span>; while the maneh was cue-sixtieth of a talent (<span class="accented">kikteer</span>); and thus three thousand or three thousand six hundred shekels in a talent. The homer, the largest of the Hebrew dry measures, contained one cor or ten ephahs ( = ten baths of liquids = ten Attic <span class="greek">μέδιμνοι</span>), and the half-homer or <span class="accented">lethec</span> (<span class="accented">haemi-coros</span> in LXX.) was half a cop or five ephahs. These fifteen ephahs, at a shekel each - for under extraordinary circumstances (<a href="/2_kings/7-1.htm">2 Kings 7:1</a>) we read of" two measures of barley for a shekel" - would be equivalent to one pound fifteen or seventeen shillings and sixpence. Both together - the silver and the barley - would amount to thirty shekels, or three pounds and ten or fifteen shillings. Why this exact amount? and why such particularity in the reckoning? By turning to <a href="/exodus/21-32.htm">Exodus 21:32</a> we learn that thirty shekels were the estimated value of a manservant or maidservant; for it is there stated that "if the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant, he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver." The price paid by the prophet partly in money and partly in kind was exactly the price of an ordinary maidservant. The barley (<span class="hebrew">שְׂעֹרִים</span>, plural, equivalent to "grains of barley") may hint the woman's unchastity, as it was the offering for a woman suspected of adultery (<a href="/numbers/5.htm">Numbers 5</a>.) The low estate of the person purchased is a legitimate inference kern all this. The wife, for whom such a paltry sum should be paid, and paid in such a way, or to whom such a petty gift would be offered, must be supposed to be in a condition of deep depression or in circumstances of great distress. Thus the sum paid by the prophet for his partner symbolizes the servile state of Israel when Jehovah chose them for his peculiar people. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/hosea/3-2.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">So I bought her</span><br /><span class="heb">וָאֶכְּרֶ֣הָ</span> <span class="translit">(wā·’ek·kə·re·hā)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3739.htm">Strong's 3739: </a> </span><span class="str2">To trade, get by trade</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for fifteen [shekels]</span><br /><span class="heb">בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה</span> <span class="translit">(ba·ḥă·miš·šāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b, Article | Number - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2568.htm">Strong's 2568: </a> </span><span class="str2">Five</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of silver</span><br /><span class="heb">כָּ֑סֶף</span> <span class="translit">(kā·sep̄)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3701.htm">Strong's 3701: </a> </span><span class="str2">Silver, money</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and a homer</span><br /><span class="heb">וְחֹ֥מֶר</span> <span class="translit">(wə·ḥō·mer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2563.htm">Strong's 2563: </a> </span><span class="str2">A bubbling up, of water, a wave, of earth, mire, clay, a heap, a chomer, dry measure</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and a lethek</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלֵ֥תֶךְ</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lê·ṯeḵ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3963.htm">Strong's 3963: </a> </span><span class="str2">A measure for, things dry</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of barley.</span><br /><span class="heb">שְׂעֹרִ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(śə·‘ō·rîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8184.htm">Strong's 8184: </a> </span><span class="str2">Barley</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/hosea/3-2.htm">Hosea 3:2 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/hosea/3-2.htm">OT Prophets: Hosea 3:2 So I bought her for myself (Ho Hs Hos.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/hosea/3-1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Hosea 3:1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Hosea 3:1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/hosea/3-3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Hosea 3:3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Hosea 3:3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>