Hosea 3:2So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley.
The setting
A slave market in Samaria (modern-day West Bank), ~750 BC. Hosea uses his own money to buy back his wife from slavery or prostitution...
The emotion here: heartbroken but determined to pay whatever it takes
The original word
kāra' (כָּרָה) — to acquire by digging deep, paying full price with personal cost
Why it matters
Fifteen shekels plus barley was exactly half the price of a slave — she was considered damaged goods
Read with care
What most readers miss in Hosea 3:2
The specific amount shows Gomer's degraded value in society — Hosea paid what others wouldn't
Common misconceptionPeople focus on the romance, missing that this is about the actual cost of redemption. Love isn't just feelings — it's expensive sacrifice.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Hosea 3:2
Bible Genome reading
Hosea 3:2 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Hosea 3:2 comes from the book of Hosea, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Hosea. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include redemption, cost, purchase, symbolic action. Notable phrases: bought her; fifteen pieces of silver; homer and a half of barley.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Hosea 3:2 mean to you, today?
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