The Bible

 

Hosea 14

Study

   

1 Turn back, O Israel, unto Jehovah thy God, For thou hast stumbled by thine iniquity.

2 Take with you words, and turn to Jehovah, Say ye unto Him: `Take away all iniquity, and give good, And we do render the fruit of our lips.

3 Asshur doth not save us, on a horse we ride not, Nor do we say any more, Our God, to the work of our hands, For in Thee find mercy doth the fatherless.'

4 I heal their backsliding, I love them freely, For turned back hath Mine anger from him.

5 I am as dew to Israel, he flourisheth as a lily, And he striketh forth his roots as Lebanon.

6 Go on do his sucklings, And his beauty is as an olive, And he hath fragrance as Lebanon.

7 Return do the dwellers under his shadow, They revive [as] corn, and flourish as a vine, His memorial [is] as wine of Lebanon.

8 O Ephraim, what to Me any more with idols? I -- I afflicted, and I cause him to sing: `I [am] as a green fir-tree,' From Me is thy fruit found.

9 Who [is] wise, and doth understand these? Prudent, and knoweth them? For upright are the ways of Jehovah, And the righteous go on in them, And the transgressors stumble therein!

   

Commentary

 

Green

  
by Danielle Schnarr

The color green is almost exclusively used in connection with plants in the Bible, and the meaning is closely connected to the meaning of plants as well. Plants, in general, represent facts, knowledge that we can gather from the world. Green plants are ones that are alive and growing. Since life represents love and goodness, it makes sense that green plants are facts that have the potential for good use. It also indicates that they are the kinds of things we learn through directly through our senses, since to identify green plants we need to actually see the greenness.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 507; Apocalypse Revealed 426; Arcana Coelestia 7691)