Focused Passage

Hosea 4:4-10

The LORD's Covenant Lawsuit Against Israel's Knowledge-Less Rebellion

Hosea 4 moves from the LORD's formal covenant charge against the land, to the failure of priests and people through rejected knowledge, to Israel's idolatrous prostitution, and finally to a warning that Judah must not follow Ephraim into hardened ruin.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

4But let no man contend; let no man offer reproof; for your people are like those who contend with a priest.

5You will stumble by day, and the prophet will stumble with you by night; so I will destroy your mother—

6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

7The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; they exchanged their Glory for a thing of disgrace.

8They feed on the sins of My people and set their hearts on iniquity.

9And it shall be like people, like priest. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

10They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Original words

Butאַ֥ךְH389Adverblet noאַל־H408Adverbmanאִ֛ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularcontendיָרֵ֖בH7378Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularlet noוְאַל־H408Conjunctive waw | Adverbmanאִ֑ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularoffer reproofיוֹכַ֣חH3198Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularfor your people [are] like thoseוְעַמְּךָ֖H5971Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularwho contend withכִּמְרִיבֵ֥יH7378Preposition-k | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural constructa priestכֹהֵֽן׃H3548Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or for My case is against you, O priests
Verse 5

Original words

You will stumbleוְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣H3782Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularby dayהַיּ֔וֹםH3117Article | Noun - masculine singularand the prophetנָבִ֛יאH5030Noun - masculine singular. . .גַּם־H1571Conjunctionwill stumbleוְכָשַׁ֧לH3782Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularwith youעִמְּךָ֖H5973Preposition | second person masculine singularby nightלָ֑יְלָהH3915Noun - masculine singularso I will destroyוְדָמִ֖יתִיH1820Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularyour motherאִמֶּֽךָ׃H517Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

My peopleעַמִּ֖יH5971Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularare destroyedנִדְמ֥וּH1820Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralfor lackמִבְּלִ֣יH1097Preposition-m | Adverbof knowledgeהַדָּ֑עַתH1847Article | Noun - feminine singularBecauseכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionyouאַתָּ֞הH859Pronoun - second person masculine singularhave rejectedמָאַ֗סְתָּH3988Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularknowledgeהַדַּ֣עַתH1847Article | Noun - feminine singularI will also reject youוְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ֙H3988Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singularas My priestsמִכַּהֵ֣ןH3547Preposition-m | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructSince you have forgottenוַתִּשְׁכַּח֙H7911Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singularthe lawתּוֹרַ֣תH8451Noun - feminine singular constructof your Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularIאָֽנִי׃H589Pronoun - first person common singularwill alsoגַּם־H1571Conjunctionforgetאֶשְׁכַּ֥חH7911Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularyour childrenבָּנֶ֖יךָH1121Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

The more they multipliedכְּרֻבָּ֖םH7235Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural. . .כֵּ֣ןH3651Adverbthe more they sinnedחָֽטְאוּ־H2398Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralagainst Meלִ֑יPreposition | first person common singularthey exchangedאָמִֽיר׃H4171Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singulartheir Gloryכְּבוֹדָ֖םH3519Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralfor a thing of disgraceבְּקָל֥וֹןH7036Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or they exchanged their glorious God (Syriac); MT I will exchange their glory
Verse 8

Original words

They feed onיֹאכֵ֑לוּH398Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralthe sinsחַטַּ֥אתH2403Noun - feminine singular constructof My peopleעַמִּ֖יH5971Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularand setיִשְׂא֥וּH5375Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluraltheir heartsנַפְשֽׁוֹ׃H5315Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularonוְאֶל־H413Conjunctive waw | Prepositioniniquityעֲוֺנָ֖םH5771Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or the sin offerings
Verse 9

Original words

And it shall beוְהָיָ֥הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularlike peopleכָעָ֖םH5971Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularlike priestכַּכֹּהֵ֑ןH3548Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularI will punishוּפָקַדְתִּ֤יH6485Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularboth of themעָלָיו֙H5921Preposition | third person masculine singularfor their waysדְּרָכָ֔יוH1870Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singularand repayאָשִׁ֥יבH7725Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singularthemלֽוֹ׃Preposition | third person masculine singularfor their deedsוּמַעֲלָלָ֖יוH4611Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

They will eatוְאָֽכְלוּ֙H398Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralbut notוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlebe satisfiedיִשְׂבָּ֔עוּH7646Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralthey will be promiscuousהִזְנ֖וּH2181Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common pluralbut notוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlemultiplyיִפְרֹ֑צוּH6555Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralForכִּֽי־H3588Conjunction-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthey have abandonedעָזְב֖וּH5800Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralthe LORDיְהוָ֥הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularto give themselvesלִשְׁמֹֽר׃H8104Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.