Hosea 14:4

“I will heal their waywardness ¹  and love them freely, ²  for my anger will turn ³  away from them.

Ex 15:26; Nu 25:4,11; De 7:7,8; Ps 78:38; Isa 12:1; Isa 57:18; Jer 3:22; Jer 5:6; Jer 8:22; Jer 14:7; Jer 17:14; Jer 33:6; Ho 11:7; Zep 3:17; Mt 9:12,13; Ro 3:24; 2Co 5:19-21; Eph 1:6; Eph 2:4-9; 2Ti 1:9; Tit 3:4

¹ sn The noun מְשׁוּבָתָה (mÿshuvatah, “waywardness”; cf. KJV “backsliding”) is from the same root as שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return!”) in 14:1[2]. This repetition of שׁוּב (shuv) creates a wordplay which emphasizes reciprocity: if Israel will return (שׁוּבָה, shuvah) to the Lord, he will cure her of the tendency to turn away (מְשׁוּבָתָה) from him.

² tn The noun נְדָבָה (nÿdavah, “voluntariness; free-will offering”) is an adverbial accusative of manner: “freely, voluntarily” (BDB 621 s.v. נְדָבָה 1). Cf. CEV “without limit”; TEV “with all my heart”; NLT “my love will know no bounds.”

³ sn The verb שָׁב, shav, “will turn” (Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular from שׁוּב, shuv, “to turn”) continues the wordplay on שׁוּב in 14:1-4[2-5]. If Israel will “return” (שׁוּב) to the Lord, he will heal Israel’s tendency to “turn away” (מְשׁוּבָתָה, mÿshuvatah) and “turn” (שָׁב) from his anger.