Hosea 14:5 (KJV)

Passage

I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

Nearby Context

Hosea 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

Hosea 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

Hosea 14:5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

Hosea 14:6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

Hosea 14:7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "israel", "shall", "grow", "lily", "cast", "forth", "roots", and "lebanon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "israel" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "I will heal their backsliding I will..." into verse 6's "His branches shall spread and his beauty...", so "israel" and "shall" 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 "israel" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.