SUMMARY
The prophet uses a metaphor of a husband speaking to an adulterous wife to describe the unfaithful relationship between God and Israel.
ANALYSIS
The chapter is a judgment speech against Israel which uses the disturbing imagery of marital threats and abuse. The husband accuses the wife of prostitution, which represents metaphorically Israel’s unfaithfulness to the covenantA covenant is a promise or agreement. In the Bible the promises made between God and God's people are known as covenants; they state or imply a relationship of commitment and obedience. More. The imagery is particularly graphic as the husband, for example, threatens to strip his wife naked and expose her. On a metaphorical level, the language allows for the prophet to describe some of the consequences of Israel’s disobedience such as a parched and barren land.
