Hosea 1:7 (ASV)

Passage

But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

Nearby Context

Hosea 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

Hosea 1:6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And [Jehovah] said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah; for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, that I should in any wise pardon them.

Hosea 1:7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

Hosea 1:8 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

Hosea 1:9 And [Jehovah] said, Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not my people, and I will not be your [God].

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "upon", "house", "judah", "save", "jehovah", and "sword". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "upon", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And she conceived again and bare a..." into verse 8's "Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah she...", so "mercy" and "upon" belong inside that flow. In Hosea context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "upon" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.