The Meaning of Hosea 2:21 Explained

Hosea 2:21

KJV: 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;

YLT: And it hath come to pass in that day, I answer -- an affirmation of Jehovah, I answer the heavens, and they answer the earth.

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

ASV: And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer, saith Jehovah, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Hosea 2:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Hosea 2:14-23 - "a Door Of Hope"
The valley of Achor was a long wild pass up through the hills. The prophet says that a door of hope would open there, like the Mont Cenis tunnel which leads from the precipices and torrents on the northern slopes of the Alps to the sunny plains of Italy. That door opens hard by the heap of stones beneath which that troubler of Israel, Achan, was laid. We must put away our Achans before we can see doors of hope swing wide before us.
The prophet was bidden to make one further overture to his truant wife. She had been faithless, but the old love burnt in her husband's soul, and he was prepared to buy her back to himself at half the price of a female slave, Exodus 21:32. His only stipulation was that she should abide with him for many days. This was to be a time of testing, with the assurance that, if she were penitent and faithful, she would be perfectly restored.
What a wonderful verse is Hosea 2:3! We are purchased to God by the death of His Son. He only asks us to be for Himself and He promises to be for us. "The best of all," cried the dying Wesley, "is that God is for us!" Shall we not close with the offer and give ourselves to Him? [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 2

1  The idolatry of the people
6  God's judgments against them
14  His promises of reconciliation with them

What do the individual words in Hosea 2:21 mean?

And it shall come to pass in day that [That] I will answer says Yahweh I will answer - the heavens and they shall answer the earth
וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא אֶֽעֱנֶה֙ נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֔ה אֶעֱנֶ֖ה אֶת־ הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְהֵ֖ם יַעֲנ֥וּ הָאָֽרֶץ

וְהָיָ֣ה ׀  And  it  shall  come  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  in  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֗וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אֶֽעֱנֶה֙  [That]  I  will  answer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶעֱנֶ֖ה  I  will  answer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  the  heavens 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְהֵ֖ם  and  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
יַעֲנ֥וּ  shall  answer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.