Hosea 14:3 (Hosea 14:2)

קְח֤וּ עִמָּכֶם֙ דְּבָרִ֔ים וְשׁ֖וּבוּ אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה אִמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כָּל־תִּשָּׂ֤א עָוֹן֙ וְקַח־טֹ֔וב וּֽנְשַׁלְּמָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים שְׂפָתֵֽינוּ׃

Take with you words and return to YHWH; say to Him, “Take away all iniquity and receive good, and we will offer the bulls of our lips.

Morphology

1. קְחוּ (keḥu) – Root: לָקַח (laqach); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “Take”; Notes: A command urging action. Here, “take” implies preparing or bringing something—specifically words of repentance instead of physical sacrifices.
2. עִמָּכֶם (ʿimmakhem) – Root: עִם (ʿim); Form: Preposition + suffix 2mp; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Indicates accompaniment—Israel is to carry something intangible (their words) to present before YHWH.
3. דְּבָרִים (devarim) – Root: דָבָר (davar); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “words”; Notes: Refers to spoken words of repentance or confession, functioning as spiritual offerings instead of animal sacrifices.
4. וְשׁוּבוּ (veshuvu) – Root: שׁוּב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and return”; Notes: Continues the theme of repentance—calling Israel to turn back relationally and covenantally to YHWH.
5. אֶל־יְהוָה (ʾel-YHWH) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + proper noun; Translation: “to YHWH”; Notes: Expresses direction of movement and devotion, emphasizing personal return to the covenant God.
6. אִמְרוּ (imru) – Root: אָמַר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “Say”; Notes: Another command: repentance must be verbalized, symbolizing confession and renewed covenant acknowledgment.
7. אֵלָיו (ʾelav) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3ms; Translation: “to Him”; Notes: Directs the confession explicitly toward YHWH, highlighting relational restoration.
8. כָּל־תִּשָּׂא (kol-tissa) – Root: נָשָׂא (nasaʾ); Form: Noun כָּל + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular (jussive sense); Translation: “take away all”; Notes: A plea for total forgiveness, with “נָשָׂא עָוֹן” as a common idiom for the removal of sin’s burden.
9. עָוֹן (ʿavon) – Root: עָוָה (ʿavah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “iniquity”; Notes: Signifies moral guilt and its consequences; the request is for God’s mercy to cancel the offense entirely.
10. וְקַח־טוֹב (veqach-tov) – Root: לָקַח (laqach); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “and receive good”; Notes: An appeal for YHWH to accept the people’s renewed devotion or offerings of sincerity (“good”), instead of ritual sacrifices.
11. וּנְשַׁלְּמָה (uneshalləmah) – Root: שׁלם (shalem); Form: Piel cohortative 1st person common plural with conjunction וּ; Translation: “and we will offer” or “repay”; Notes: Conveys volitional commitment—Israel promises to present something to YHWH as restitution or worship.
12. פָרִים (farim) – Root: פַּר (par); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “bulls”; Notes: Symbol of sacrifice. Here, used metaphorically in the phrase “bulls of our lips,” referring to verbal praise as spiritual sacrifices replacing animal offerings.
13. שְׂפָתֵינוּ (sefatenu) – Root: שָׂפָה (safah); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + suffix 1cp; Translation: “our lips”; Notes: The phrase “פָּרִים שְׂפָתֵינוּ” expresses repentance through words of worship and confession instead of ritual sacrifices—showing Hosea’s shift from external ritual to internal devotion.