Hosea4
New International Version
1Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.
2There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3Because of this the land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away.
4“But let no one bring a charge, let no one accuse another, for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
5You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother—
6my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
7The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.
8They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.
9And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
10“They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves
11to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.
12My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner’s rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.
13They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
14“I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes— a people without understanding will come to ruin!
15“Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty. “Do not go to Gilgal; do not go up to Beth Aven. And do not swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’
16The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow?
17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!
18Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19A whirlwind will sweep them away, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Hosea 4.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: God's judgments against the sins of the people. (1-5). and of the priests. (6-11). Idolatry is reproved, and Judah is admonished. (12-19).
vv1-5
Hosea reproves for immorality, as well as idolatry. There was no truth, mercy, or knowledge of God in the land: it was full of murders, II Kin. 21:16. Therefore calamities were near, which would desolate the country. Our sins, as separate persons, as a family, as a neighbourhood, as a nation, cause the Lord to have a controversy with us; let us submit and humble ourselves before Him, that he may not go on to destroy.
vv6-11
Both priests and people rejected knowledge; God will justly reject them. They forgot the law of God, neither desired nor endeavoured to retain it in mind, and to transmit the remembrance to their posterity; therefore God will justly forget them and their children. If we dishonour God with that which is our honour, it will, sooner or later, be turned into shame to us. Instead of warning the people against sin, from the consideration of the sacrifices, which showed what an offence sin was to God, since it needed an atonement, the priests encouraged the people to sin, since atonement might be made at so small an expense. It is very wicked to be pleased with the sins of others, because they may turn to our advantage. What is unlawfully gained, cannot be comfortably used. The people and the priests hardened one another in sin; therefore justly shall they share in the punishment. Sharers in sin must expect to share in ruin. Any lust harboured in the heart, in time will eat out all its strength and vigour. That is the reason why many professors grow so heavy, so dull, so dead in the way of religion. They have a liking for some secret lust, which takes away their hearts.
vv12-19
The people consulted images, and not the Divine word. This would lead to disorder and sin. Thus men prepare scourges for themselves, and vice is spread through a people. Let not Judah come near the idolatrous worship of Israel. For Israel was devoted to idols, and must now be let alone. When sinners cast off the easy yoke of Christ, they go on in sin till the Lord saith, Let them alone. Then they receive no more warnings, feel no more convictions: Satan takes full possession of them, and they ripen for destruction. It is a sad and sore judgment for any man to be let alone in sin. Those who are not disturbed in their sin, will be destroyed for their sin. May we be kept from this awful state; for the wrath of God, like a strong tempest, will soon hurry impenitent sinners into ruin.
Key Words
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
רִיב: a contest (personal or legal)
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
אֶמֶת: stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness
חֵסֵד: kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
דַּעַת: knowledge
Cross References
Hosea 4Explicit parallel of joint societal ruin: 'like people, like priest' in both texts.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel of Yahweh summoning Israel to trial with a formal 'controversy'.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Law concerning those who presumptuously rebel against the decision of the priest.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Covenant curse of insatiability: eating and not being satisfied, mirroring Hosea's warning.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Wisdom parallel of a corrupting influence that 'takes away the heart' or understanding.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Illustrates pagan rhabdomancy/divination by rods matching consultation of their 'staff'.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Verbatim link to the internal 'spirit of whoredoms' causing Israel to err.
Supported by JFB
Parallel where increased prosperity and being filled directly led to forgetting God.
Supported by JFB
Priests made contemptible and base before all because they corrupted their glory.
Supported by JFB
The law of priests eating the sin offerings, which they corrupted into greed.
Supported by JFB
Another prophetic echo of eating and not being satisfied as divine retribution.
Supported by JFB
Priest and prophet erring through wine and strong drink, losing spiritual understanding.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Historical fulfillment showing the rapid succession of bloody coups in northern Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Changing the divine glory into a shameful, worthless idol.
Supported by JFB
Self-referential highlight of Ephraim being abandoned to idols ('let him alone').
Supported by Matthew Henry