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

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

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

6 My 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.

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

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

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

10 They 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

But אַ֥ךְ H389 Adverb let no אַל־ H408 Adverb man אִ֛ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular contend יָרֵ֖ב H7378 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular let no וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb man אִ֑ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular offer reproof יוֹכַ֣ח H3198 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular for your people [are] like those וְעַמְּךָ֖ H5971 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular who contend with כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י H7378 Preposition-k | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct a priest כֹהֵֽן׃ H3548 Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

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

Original words

You will stumble וְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣ H3782 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular by day הַיּ֔וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular and the prophet נָבִ֛יא H5030 Noun - masculine singular . . . גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction will stumble וְכָשַׁ֧ל H3782 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular with you עִמְּךָ֖ H5973 Preposition | second person masculine singular by night לָ֑יְלָה H3915 Noun - masculine singular so I will destroy וְדָמִ֖יתִי H1820 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular your mother אִמֶּֽךָ׃ H517 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

My people עַמִּ֖י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular are destroyed נִדְמ֥וּ H1820 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural for lack מִבְּלִ֣י H1097 Preposition-m | Adverb of knowledge הַדָּ֑עַת H1847 Article | Noun - feminine singular Because כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you אַתָּ֞ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular have rejected מָאַ֗סְתָּ H3988 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular knowledge הַדַּ֣עַת H1847 Article | Noun - feminine singular I will also reject you וְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ֙ H3988 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular as My priests מִכַּהֵ֣ן H3547 Preposition-m | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Since you have forgotten וַתִּשְׁכַּח֙ H7911 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular the law תּוֹרַ֣ת H8451 Noun - feminine singular construct of your God אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular I אָֽנִי׃ H589 Pronoun - first person common singular will also גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction forget אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח H7911 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular your children בָּנֶ֖יךָ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

The more they multiplied כְּרֻבָּ֖ם H7235 Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural . . . כֵּ֣ן H3651 Adverb the more they sinned חָֽטְאוּ־ H2398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural against Me לִ֑י Preposition | first person common singular they exchanged אָמִֽיר׃ H4171 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular their Glory כְּבוֹדָ֖ם H3519 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural for a thing of disgrace בְּקָל֥וֹן H7036 Preposition-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 on יֹאכֵ֑לוּ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the sins חַטַּ֥את H2403 Noun - feminine singular construct of My people עַמִּ֖י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and set יִשְׂא֥וּ H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their hearts נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular on וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition iniquity עֲוֺנָ֖ם H5771 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or the sin offerings
Verse 9

Original words

And it shall be וְהָיָ֥ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular like people כָעָ֖ם H5971 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular like priest כַּכֹּהֵ֑ן H3548 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular I will punish וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י H6485 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular both of them עָלָיו֙ H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular for their ways דְּרָכָ֔יו H1870 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular and repay אָשִׁ֥יב H7725 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular them לֽוֹ׃ Preposition | third person masculine singular for their deeds וּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו H4611 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

They will eat וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ H398 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural but not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle be satisfied יִשְׂבָּ֔עוּ H7646 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural they will be promiscuous הִזְנ֖וּ H2181 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural but not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle multiply יִפְרֹ֑צוּ H6555 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker they have abandoned עָזְב֖וּ H5800 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular to give themselves לִשְׁמֹֽר׃ H8104 Preposition-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.