Albert Barnes Commentary Hosea 2:19

"And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies." — Hosea 2:19 (ASV)

And I will betroth her to Me forever - God does not say here, "I will forgive her;" "I will restore her;" "I will receive her back again;" "I will again show her love and tenderness." Although these promises would have been significant, He says much more here. He so blots out, forgets, and abolishes all memory of the past that He speaks only of the future, of the new betrothal, as if it were the first espousal of a virgin. From now on, God would make her wholly His, and she would become wholly His, by a union nearer and closer than the closest bond of parent and child—that by which they are no more two, but one flesh. Through this oneness, formed by His own indwelling in her, giving her Himself, and taking her into Himself, He bestows on her a title to all that is His. And this is forever.

The betrothal and union of grace in this life passes over into the union of glory, of which it is said, Blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

He, by His Spirit, will be with His Church to the end of the world, and so bind her to Himself that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. The whole Church will never fail. This "betrothal" implies and involves a new covenant, as God says, Behold the days come, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to My covenant which I made with their fathers, which My covenant they broke (Jeremiah 31:31–32), and which vanishes away.

To those who had broken His covenant and been unfaithful to Him, it was great tenderness that He did not reproach them with the past, just as He does not reproach penitents now. But beyond this, in that He speaks of "espousing" her who was already espoused to Him, God shows that He means something new, and beyond that former espousal. What God here promised, He fulfilled not as God the Father, but in Christ.

What God promised of Himself, He alone could perform. God said to the Church, I will betroth you to Me. He who became the Bridegroom (John 3:29) of the Church was Christ Jesus; she became the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). To Him the Church was espoused, as a chaste Virgin (2 Corinthians 11:2). He then who fulfilled what God promised that He Himself would fulfill, was Almighty God.

I will betroth you to Me in righteousness - Or rather (and this is even more tender and merciful), it is by, with, righteousness, et cetera. These are the marriage-dowry, the bridal gifts, "with" which He purchases and espouses the bride to Himself. Righteousness, judgment, loving-kindness, mercies, and faithfulness or truth are then attributes of God, with which, as by gifts of espousal, He makes her His own.

"Righteousness" is that quality in God by which He Himself is righteous and just. "Judgment" is that by which He enacts what is right against those who do wrong, and so judges Satan; as when the hour of His Passion was near, He said, when the Comforter is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged (John 16:8, 16:11). "Loving-kindness" is that tender affection with which He cherishes His children, the works of His hands. "Mercies" are His tender yearnings for us (see the note above at Hosea 1:6), with which He has compassion on our weakness. "Faithfulness" is that by which He keeps covenant forever (Psalms 111:9), and loves His own to the end (John 13:1).

And these qualities, as they are His by which He saved us, He also imparts to the Church in her measure, and to faithful souls. These are her dowry, her jewels, her treasure, her inheritance. He gives to her and to each soul, as it can receive it, and in a secondary way, His Righteousness, Judgment, Loving-kindness, Mercies, and Faithfulness. His "Righteousness," contrary to her former unholiness, He pours into her, and gives her, with it, grace and love and all the fruits of the Spirit.

By His Judgment, He gives her a right judgment in all things, as contrary to her former blindness. Do you not know, says the Apostle (1 Corinthians 6:3), that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? "Loving-kindness" is tender love, with which we love one another, as Christ loved us (John 15:12). "Mercies" are that same love to those who need mercy, by which we are merciful, as our Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). "Faithfulness" is that constancy by which the elect will persevere to the end, as He says, Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

The threefold repetition of the word "betroth" is also undoubtedly mysterious, alluding chiefly to the Mystery of the All-Holy Trinity, so often and in so many ways foreshadowed in Holy Scripture by this sacred number. The Church is betrothed to Them, by the pronouncing of whose names each of her members is, in Holy Baptism, espoused as a chaste virgin to Christ. Our Lord especially espoused the Church to Himself at three times:

1. "First in His Incarnation, when He willed to unite His own Deity with our humanity," and "in the Virgin’s womb, the nature of the woman, our nature, human nature, was joined to the nature of God," and that "forever." "He will be forever the Word and Flesh, that is, God and Man."
2. Secondly, in His Passion, when He washed her with His Blood, and bought her for His own by His Death.
3. Thirdly, in the Day of Pentecost, when He poured out the Holy Spirit upon her, by which He dwells in her and she in Him.

And He who thus espoused the Church is God; she whom He espoused was an adulteress, and He united her to Himself, making her a pure virgin without spot or blemish. "Human marriage makes those who were virgins cease to be so; the divine espousal makes her who was defiled a pure virgin." "I have espoused you," says Paul to those whom he had won back from all kinds of pagan sins, "to one Husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). Oh, the boundless clemency of God! "How can it be possible that such a mighty King should become a Bridegroom, that the Church should be elevated to be a Bride? That alone has power for this, which is all-powerful: love, strong as death" (Song of Solomon 8:6).

"How could it not easily lift her up, when it has already made Him stoop? If He has not acted as a Spouse, if He has not loved as a Spouse, been jealous as a Spouse, then you should hesitate to think yourself espoused."