Hosea named his first son Jezreel as a sign of punishment to come unto the royal house. The name Jezreel means "God scatters" or "God sows," and it was a reference to the valley of Jezreel where many battles and bloodshed had taken place. By giving this name to his son, Hosea was warning that judgment and punishment would come upon the royal house of Israel, particularly King Jehu, who had shed much blood in his rise to power.