Hosea 2:21
New International Version
“In that day I will respond,” declares the LORD— “I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth;

New Living Translation
“In that day, I will answer,” says the LORD. “I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds. And the sky will answer the earth with rain.

English Standard Version
“And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth,

Berean Standard Bible
“On that day I will respond—” declares the LORD—“I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth.

King James Bible
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

New King James Version
“It shall come to pass in that day That I will answer,” says the LORD; “I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth.

New American Standard Bible
“And it will come about on that day that I will respond,” declares the LORD. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,

NASB 1995
“It will come about in that day that I will respond,” declares the LORD. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,

NASB 1977
“And it will come about in that day that I will respond,” declares the LORD. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,

Legacy Standard Bible
“And it will be in that day, that I will answer,” declares Yahweh. “I will answer the heavens, and they will answer the earth,

Amplified Bible
“It will come about in that day that I will respond,” says the LORD. “I will respond to the heavens [which ask for rain to pour on the earth], and they will respond to the earth [which begs for the rain],

Christian Standard Bible
On that day I will respond — this is the LORD’s declaration. I will respond to the sky, and it will respond to the earth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
On that day I will respond— this is the LORD’s declaration. I will respond to the sky, and it will respond to the earth.

American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer, saith Jehovah, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth;

Contemporary English Version
I will command the sky to send rain on the earth,

English Revised Version
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer, saith the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"On that day I will answer your [prayers]," declares the LORD. "I will speak to the sky, it will speak to the earth,

International Standard Version
"It will come about at that time that I will respond," declares the LORD, "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth.

Majority Standard Bible
“On that day I will respond—” declares the LORD—“I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth.

NET Bible
"At that time, I will willingly respond," declares the LORD. "I will respond to the sky, and the sky will respond to the ground;

New Heart English Bible
It will happen in that day, I will respond," says the LORD, "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;

Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

World English Bible
It will happen in that day, that I will respond,” says Yahweh. “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it has come to pass in that day, I answer,” "" A declaration of YHWH, "" “I answer the heavens, and they answer the earth.

Young's Literal Translation
And it hath come to pass in that day, I answer -- an affirmation of Jehovah, I answer the heavens, and they answer the earth.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it was in that day, I will answer, says Jehovah, I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it shall come to pass in that day: I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And this will happen in that day: I will listen closely,” says the Lord. “I will hear the heavens, and they will hear the earth.

New American Bible
On that day I will respond—oracle of the LORD— I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;

New Revised Standard Version
On that day I will answer, says the LORD, I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And it shall come to pass on that day, says the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And it will be in that day, says LORD JEHOVAH, I shall answer the Heavens and they shall answer the Earth
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will respond, saith the LORD, I will respond to the heavens, And they shall respond to the earth;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, I will hearken to the heaven, and it shall hearken to the earth;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Mercy to Israel
20And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.” 21 On that day I will respond—” declares the LORD— “I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth. 22And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.

Zechariah 8:12
“For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance.

Joel 2:19
And the LORD answered His people: “Behold, I will send you grain, new wine, and oil, and by them you will be satisfied. I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

Joel 2:23
Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

Isaiah 55:10
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,

Jeremiah 31:12
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD—the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden, and never again will they languish.

Ezekiel 34:26
I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season—showers of blessing.

Psalm 65:9-13
You attend to the earth and water it; with abundance You enrich it. The streams of God are full of water, for You prepare our grain by providing for the earth. / You soak its furrows and level its ridges; You soften it with showers and bless its growth. / You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your paths overflow with plenty. ...

Psalm 85:12
The LORD will indeed provide what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

Leviticus 26:4
I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.

James 5:18
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

Matthew 6:30-33
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? / Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ / For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ...

Acts 14:17
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

Romans 8:19-22
The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. / For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope / that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. ...

2 Corinthians 9:10
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.


Treasury of Scripture

And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, said the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

I will hear, saith.

Isaiah 65:24
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Zechariah 8:12
For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

Zechariah 13:9
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

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Hosea 2
1. The idolatry of the people.
6. God's judgments against them.
14. His promises of reconciliation with them.














On that day
This phrase points to a specific time in the future, a prophetic moment when God will act decisively. In the context of Hosea, "that day" often refers to a time of restoration and blessing following judgment. The Hebrew word for "day" (יוֹם, yom) can signify a literal day or a period of time, emphasizing God's control over history and His ability to bring about His purposes at the appointed time.

I will respond
The Hebrew root for "respond" (עָנָה, anah) implies answering or replying, often in a favorable manner. This indicates God's willingness to engage with His people, to hear their cries, and to act on their behalf. It reflects a relational God who is attentive to the needs and prayers of His people, promising to intervene positively in their circumstances.

—declares the LORD—
This phrase underscores the authority and certainty of the message. The use of "declares the LORD" (נְאֻם־יְהוָה, ne'um-YHWH) is a prophetic formula that authenticates the message as coming directly from God. It reassures the audience that the promise is not merely human hope but divine assurance, rooted in the unchanging character of God.

I will respond to the heavens
Here, the heavens are personified, suggesting a cosmic dimension to God's response. The heavens, often seen as the realm of divine activity, are depicted as awaiting God's command. This phrase highlights God's sovereignty over creation, where even the heavens are subject to His will and purpose.

and they will respond to the earth
The earth, in turn, responds to the heavens, indicating a harmonious interaction between the divine and the natural world. This reflects the biblical theme of creation's interconnectedness and God's ability to restore order and blessing to the earth. It suggests a reversal of the curse and a return to the intended harmony of creation.

(21-23) Will hear.--More correctly, I will answer (the prayer of) the heavens. A sublime personification! Heaven pleads with Jehovah, the earth pleads with heaven, and the products of the soil plead with the earth. To all these prayers an answer is vouchsafed. Jehovah answers the heavens with the gifts of dew and rain, wherewith the heavens answer the cravings of the earth, and the earth the cravings of the corn, wine, and oil. And these last, in their turn, answer the wants of Jezreel, a name which, like Achor, is to be invested with brighter meanings. It is to represent a Divine seed--the people whom the Lord hath blessed. (See Stanley, Lectures on the Jewish Church, II. Series, Lecture 32 ad fin., where this idea is eloquently set forth.)

Verses 21-23. - The eighteenth verse pictures a scene of peace for Israel's future; the verses following warrant the expectation of its perpetuity, owing to the higher and holier relationship; the verses before us are a vivid description of unlimited prosperity. The corn and wine and oil appeal, by a graphic personification, to mother earth; earth appeals to the over-canopying heavens; and the heavens appeal to him whose throne is in the heavens, but whom the heavens and heaven of heavens cannot contain. Soon the floating cloud is seen and the falling rain is heard; the parched earth drinks in the moisture; and its products, being nourished and refreshed, supply to the utmost the wants and wishes of Jezreel. Kimchi comments on this picture as follows: "He says that then, in the season of salvation, the heavens shall give their dew, and the earth shall give her increase. And he says, 'I will tear the heavens which were shut up when they were in the land, as in the days of Ahab; on their return to the land at the time of salvation they shall no more be shut.' And he says, 'I will answer,' as if the heavens asked that they might give rain according to their manner, and I will answer; [as if] their earth [asked] that they [the heavens] might give rain after their manner, even showers of blessing. And this ' I will answer' denotes that my favor shall be on them [the heavens]. 'And they shall answer the earth,' as if the earth asked rain and longed for it. 'And the earth shall hear when it shall give its increase, and the tree of the field shall give its fruit...' 'And they shall hear Jezreel,' for in the multiplying of good things the eaters thereof multiply, for the steppes shall be full of the sheep of Israel. In the punishments he called the name of Israel Jezreel, because they were scattered among the nations. In the time of salvation he likewise calls them Jezreel, because they were sown in their land; accordingly, he says afterwards, 'I will sow them to me in the land.'" Such is the prophet's pictorial representation of a prosperity including food in abundance, refreshment limited by moderation, and even luxuries without stint. Old things are passed away; sinful things have ceased; there is a complete reversal of the sorrowful circumstances into which sin had plunged Israel. God's scattering has now become God's sowing. "I sow her" is the remark of Aben Ezra, "that they may multiply and be fruitful as the seed of the earth." The unpitied one has found mercy; the rejected one is received with rejoicing. "I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God."



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“On that
הַה֗וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

I will respond—”
אֶֽעֱנֶה֙ (’e·‘ĕ·neh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

declares
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD—
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

“I will respond
אֶעֱנֶ֖ה (’e·‘ĕ·neh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

to the heavens,
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (haš·šā·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

and they
וְהֵ֖ם (wə·hêm)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

will respond
יַעֲנ֥וּ (ya·‘ă·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

to the earth.
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Prophets: Hosea 2:21 It will happen in that day (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 2:20
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