Hosea 6:3
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: 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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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These words come in a passage where Israel resolves to return to the Lord after His chastening, expressing confidence that He will revive and restore those who seek Him.
What Does Hosea 6:3 Mean?
Hosea 6:3 promises that those who keep pursuing the Lord will come to know Him, for His arrival is as dependable as sunrise and as refreshing as rain. The verb "follow on" pictures persistent, ongoing pursuit -- not a single moment of curiosity but a settled determination to keep moving toward God. Knowing the Lord here is not mere information; it is the relational, covenant knowledge of someone who has tasted His faithfulness and longs for more.
Hosea draws on two images the farming people of Israel understood instantly. First, "his going forth is prepared as the morning" -- the dawn never fails to break, however dark the night. God's faithful response to those who seek Him is just that reliable. Second, He comes "as the latter and former rain unto the earth." In that land the early autumn rain softened the ground for planting and the late spring rain swelled the grain before harvest. Both were essential, both were gifts, and both came in their season. So the Lord's presence revives the seeking heart and brings its labor to fruit. The verse answers the despair of the previous chapters with hope: God can be known, and He longs to refresh those who turn back to Him.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew yada (to know) means relational, experiential knowledge, not mere facts. The phrase for "follow on" (radaph) literally means to pursue or chase after, conveying eager, sustained effort.
Cross References
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
- Jeremiah 29:13
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”
- James 5:7
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”
- Proverbs 4:18
Application
Keep pursuing the Lord steadily, trusting that He responds to the seeking heart as surely as dawn follows night and rain renews dry ground.