John Calvin Commentary Hosea 2:16

"And it shall be at that day, saith Jehovah, that thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali." — Hosea 2:16 (ASV)

The Prophet now expands his subject and shows that when the people repented, the fruits of repentance would openly appear. One fruit he records, and it is that they would then begin to worship God purely, all superstitions being abolished. It shall be, he says, in that day that you shall call me, My husband; and he mentions the word, husband, to show the people that after having been corrected, they would be mindful of the covenant that God had made with them; and in that covenant, as stated before, there was the condition of a mutual engagement.

We thus see what the Prophet means: he tells us that the people would then no longer be given to superstitions as before, but on the contrary would be mindful of God’s covenant, and would continue sincere and true to their conjugal vow. Thus, you shall call me, My husband; that is, “You shall know what I am to you, that I am joined to you by a sacred and inviolable marriage.” And you shall not call me, My Baal; that is, “You shall not give me a false and heathenish name:” for the word, Baal, as I have said before, was everywhere in everyone’s mouth. But the next verse must be added—