Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth.
we know.
Hosea 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
Jeremiah 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
if.
Proverbs 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; …
Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
his going.
2 Samuel 23:4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
Psalm 19:4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
as the rain.
Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hosea 14:5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
Deuteronomy 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
This phrase uses the certainty of the sunrise to assure the people of God's faithfulness and His inevitable intervention. The imagery of the sun rising is a common biblical metaphor for God's reliability and the renewal of His mercies, as seen in Lamentations 3:22-23. The assurance of His appearance can be seen as a promise of His presence and deliverance, reminiscent of the hope found in Malachi 4:2, where the "sun of righteousness" will rise with healing. This also foreshadows the coming of Christ, who is described as the light of the world in John 8:12, bringing spiritual illumination and salvation.
He will come to us like the rain,
Rain in the ancient Near East was a vital and life-giving force, essential for agriculture and survival. This imagery conveys God's provision and blessing, as well as His refreshing and renewing presence. In Deuteronomy 11:14, rain is depicted as a sign of God's favor and faithfulness to His covenant. The comparison to rain also suggests the idea of spiritual revival and cleansing, aligning with the prophetic hope of restoration and renewal for Israel. This can be seen as a type of Christ, who brings spiritual nourishment and life, as described in John 4:14, where Jesus offers living water that quenches spiritual thirst.
like the spring showers that water the earth.
Spring showers are associated with new growth and fertility, symbolizing the rejuvenating and sustaining power of God. This imagery highlights the transformative effect of God's presence, bringing life and fruitfulness to His people. The reference to spring showers connects to the agricultural cycles in Israel, where the early and latter rains were crucial for a successful harvest, as mentioned in Joel 2:23. This promise of divine intervention and blessing is a reminder of God's ongoing care and provision, encouraging the faithful to trust in His timing and sovereignty. The showers can also be seen as a metaphor for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as prophesied in Joel 2:28-29 and fulfilled in Acts 2, bringing spiritual renewal and empowerment to the believers.
Hosea urges a determined pursuit of God, not a casual curiosity.
• “Know” appears twice, underscoring both the need and the urgency (cf. Hosea 4:6; Jeremiah 9:23-24).
• “Press on” speaks of perseverance—learning, obeying, worshiping until our whole life centers on Him (Philippians 3:8-10; 2 Peter 1:5-8).
• The call follows a plea for repentance (Hosea 6:1-2); genuine turning to God always leads to deeper relationship, never mere ritual (1 Samuel 15:22; John 17:3).
• Because Scripture is true in every detail, the command is binding for every believer today just as it was for Israel.
The certainty of dawn pictures the absolute reliability of God’s self-revelation.
• Daybreak never fails (Genesis 8:22), so His presence is guaranteed when His people seek Him (James 4:8).
• The wording echoes Lamentations 3:22-23; each morning’s light is a reminder that His mercies are fresh and dependable.
• Prophetically the image points to Christ, “the Sun of Righteousness” who rose with healing (Malachi 4:2) and will come again (Revelation 22:16, 20).
• Thus Hosea ties present pursuit to future hope: the Lord who meets us now is the same Lord who will visibly return.
Rain in Scripture symbolizes life-giving blessing.
• In the Middle East, rain turns parched ground into fertile fields; likewise God revives weary souls (Psalm 68:9; Isaiah 44:3).
• His Word “distills as the dew” (Deuteronomy 32:2), nourishing faith just as showers nourish crops.
• Pentecost fulfilled this promise in part when the Spirit was poured out (Acts 2:17-18), yet believers still experience fresh outpourings of grace (John 7:37-39).
• We do not manipulate the rain; we simply look up and receive. So it is with God’s presence—freely given, never earned.
“Spring showers” (the latter rains) arrive in Israel just before harvest, ensuring fruitfulness.
• Joel 2:23 celebrates these timely rains as evidence of covenant faithfulness; James 5:7-8 uses the same cycle to encourage patient expectancy until Christ’s return.
• Seasonal language reminds us that God’s timing is perfect. He sends exactly what is needed, exactly when it is needed (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Zechariah 10:1).
• The promise is literal—God truly controlled Israel’s weather—and spiritual, pointing to assured provision for every obedient believer (Matthew 6:31-33).
Hosea 6:3 calls God’s people to relentless, hope-filled pursuit of Him. As we press on to know the LORD, we are assured—by the unfailing dawn and by life-giving rains—that He will certainly reveal Himself, refresh us, and bring us to fruitfulness. The verse blends present invitation with future promise, grounding both in the unwavering faithfulness of the God who speaks and acts exactly as His Word declares.
Verse 3. - Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord. This is more accurately rendered by, let us therefore know, hunt after the knowledge of Jehovah, the verbs being both cohortative and no conditional particle ("if") in the second clause. The second clause is a more emphatic and energetic reaffirmation of the first, urging to active and zealous effort and steady perseverance in obtaining the knowledge of God - a knowledge theoretic, but especially practical. Aben Ezra understands the exhortation of intellectual knowledge: "To know Jehovah is the secret of all wisdom, and for this alone was man created. But he cannot know God till he has learnt many doctrines of wisdom, which are, as it were, a ladder in order to mount up to this highest step of knowledge." Kimchi, on the other hand, though quoting Aben Ezra's comment with approval, inclines to the practical side of knowledge: "Let us follow on to know Jehovah, exercising justice and righteousness." His going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. Here, again, the translation of the Authorized Version is susceptible of improvement: his going forth is fixed as the morning dawn; and he shall come to us as the plentiful rain, as the latter rain which watereth (or, watering) the earth. Here we have two beautiful figures - the morning dawn and the fertilizing rain. The going forth of Jehovah is represented as the sun rising upon the earth, or rather as the dawn which heralds the day. The advent of salvation to his people is identified with, or symbolized by, his appearance. But the dawn of day only brings the commencement of salvation; its complement is found in the fruits and blessings of salvation. The root of motsav is zatsa, which is applied to the sunrise in Genesis 19:23, as also in Psalm 19:7. Parallel passages are found in Isaiah 58:8, "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning (dawn), and thy health shall spring forth speedily;" and Isaiah 9:2, "The Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." Further, the word nakon, meaning "prepared," "fixed firm," is applied to the clear bright light of morning, as in Proverbs 4:18, "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect (nekon) day." The plentiful rain is that which falls after the sowing of the seed in October (the beginning of the Hebrew year) and in the following months; while the malqosh is the late or spring rain, which, tailing in March and till the middle of April, precedes and promotes the harvest. The LXX. translates the(1) concluding clause by ὑετὸς πρώιμος and ὄψιμος erroneously, for zoreh is not a noun with b, being understood before "earth;" neither is it
(2) the future Hiph., which would necessitate the ellipse being supplied by asher; it is the Qal participle in the sense of" watering." Geshem is "a violent or plentiful rain," stronger than the usual word for" rain," matar; while malqosh is "the late rain" which ceases a short time before harvest. The explanation of the "dawn" by Aben Ezra is erroneous: "The intelligent man at the beginning knows God - blessed be he! - by his works, like the dawn of day in its going forth; but moment after moment the light increases, until the full truth becomes visible." Kimchi more correctly explains the figure as follows: "If we shall do this, viz. follow on to know the Lord, then he will be to us as the morning dawn, of which the going forth is fixed [purposed by God and certain] as though he said, He will cause his light and his goodness to shine over us." His comment on the second similitude is equally appropriate: "He will come to us as the plentiful rain, as the plentiful rain which revives the dead plants; so man sunk in sorrow is like one dead; but when deliverance comes to him it is with him as if he revived out of his dead state." Thus he shall be to his people as "morning to the weary watcher," and as "plentiful rain to the parched ground."
Parallel Commentaries ...