Hosea4
New King James Version
1Hear the word of the Lord, You children of Israel, For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.
2By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
3Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away With the beasts of the field And the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4“Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; For your people are like those who contend with the priest.
5Therefore you shall stumble in the day; The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; And I will destroy your mother.
6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
7“The more they increased, The more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.
8They eat up the sin of My people; They set their heart on their iniquity.
9And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, And reward them for their deeds.
10For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.
11“Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.
12My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God.
13They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your brides commit adultery.
14“I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, Nor your brides when they commit adultery; For the men themselves go apart with harlots, And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
15“Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth Aven, Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
16“For Israel is stubborn Like a stubborn calf; Now the Lord will let them forage Like a lamb in open country.
17“Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone.
18Their drink is rebellion, They commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor.
19The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
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