Hosea 3:1

“Then said the Lord unto me, etc.] Or, as the Targum, “the Lord said unto me again”; for the word yet or again is to be joined to this, and not the following clause; and shows that this is a new vision, prophecy, or parable, though respecting the same persons and things: go, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress; not the prophet’s wife, not Gomer, but some other feigned person; beloved either of her own husband, as the Targum and Jarchi, notwithstanding her unchastity and unfaithfulness to him; or of another man, as Aben Ezra, who had a very great respect for her, courted her, and perhaps had betrothed her, but had not yet consummated the marriage; and, though a harlot, loved…”

“ISRAEL'S CONDITION IN THEIR PRESENT DISPERSION, SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR RETURN FROM BABYLON, SYMBOLIZED. (Hos 3:1-5) The prophet is to take back his wife, though unfaithful, as foretold in Hos 1:2. He purchases her from her paramour, stipulating she should wait for a long period before she should be restored to her 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 Jehovah's goodness restored to her. Go yet--"Go again," referring to Hos 1:2 [HENDERSON]. a woman--purposely indefinite, for thy wife, to express the separation in which Hosea had lived from Gomer for her…”

“Go yet, love a woman, beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress - This woman is the same Gomer, whom the prophet had before been bidden to take, and whom, (it appears from this verse) had forsaken him, and was living in adultery with another man. The “friend” is the husband himself, the prophet. The word “friend” expresses, that the husband of Gomer treated her, not harshly, but mildly and tenderly so that her faithlessness was the more aggravated sin. “Friend or neighbor” too is the word chosen by our Lord to express His own love, the love of the good Samaritan, who, not being akin, became “neighbor to Him who fell among thieves,” and had mercy upon him. Gomer is called “a woman,” in order…”

“Of her friend - Her husband. An adulteress - Either already tainted, or that certainly will be tainted with that vice. According to the love - Let this be the emblem of my love to the children of Israel. And love - Love the feasts of their idols, where they drink wine to excess. Hosea 3:2”

“3:1 Go and love your wife again, even though she: The Lord commanded Hosea to restore his marriage as testimony that the Lord had promised to restore wayward Israel. • love to worship them: Literally love their raisin cakes. The worship of Asherah, a Canaanite fertility goddess, often included offerings of raisin cakes.”

“Go yet: Hos 1:2, Hos 1:3 friend: Jer 3:1, Jer 3:20 \*marg. Mat 26:50 according: Hos 11:8; Deu 7:6, Deu 7:7; Jdg 10:16; Kg2 13:23; Neh 9:18, Neh 9:19, Neh 9:31; Psa 106:43-46; Jer 3:1-4, Jer 3:12-14, Jer 31:20; Mic 7:18-20; Zac 1:16; Luk 1:54, Luk 1:55 look: Psa 123:2; Isa 17:7, Isa 17:8, Isa 45:22; Mic 7:7 love flagons: Hos 4:11, Hos 7:5, Hos 9:1, Hos 9:2; Exo 32:6; Jdg 9:27; Amo 2:8, Amo 6:6; Co1 10:7, Co1 10:21; Pe1 4:3 wine: Heb. grapes Hosea 3:2”

“"And Jehovah said to me, Go again, and love a woman beloved of her companion, and committing adultery, as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, and they turn to other gods, and love raisin-cakes." The purely symbolical character of this divine command is evident from the nature of the command itself, but more especially from the peculiar epithet applied to the wife. עוד is not to be connected with ויּאמר, in opposition to the accents, but belongs to לך, and is placed first for the sake of emphasis. Loving the woman, as the carrying out of the divine command in Hos 3:2 clearly shows, is in fact equivalent to taking a wife; and 'âhabh is chosen instead of lâqach, simply for the purpose of…”