Now I think we do not go far wrong if we conclude that it was partly this long experience of a soul that loved, but had neither conscience nor ideal in her love, which made Hosea lay such frequent and pathetic emphasis upon Israel's _ignorance_ of Jehovah. To have his character ignored, his purposes baffled, his gifts unappreciated, his patience mistaken--this was what drew Hosea into that wonderful sympathy with the heart of God towards Israel which comes out in such passionate words as these: _My people perish for lack of knowledge._[664] _There is no troth, nor leal love, nor knowledge of God in the land._[665] _They have not known the Lord._[666] _She did not know that I gave her corn and wine._[667] _They knew not that I healed them._[668] _For now, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee._[669] _I will have leal love and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings._[670] Repentance consists in change of knowledge. And the climax of the new life which follows is again knowledge: _I will betroth thee to Me, and thou shall know the Lord._[671] _Israel shall cry, My God, we know Thee._[672] To understand what Hosea meant by knowledge we must examine the singularly supple word which his language lent him to express it. The Hebrew root "Yadh'a,"[673] almost exclusively rendered in the Old Testament by the English verb to know, is employed of the many processes of knowledge, for which richer languages have separate terms. It is by turns to perceive, be aware of, recognise, understand or conceive, experience and be expert in.[674] But there is besides nearly always a practical effectiveness, and in connection with religious objects a moral consciousness.