Hosea 4:11

11 prostitution, to old and new wine, which take away their ability to understand.

Hosea 4:11 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 4:11

Whoredom and wine, and new wine, take away the heart.
] Uncleanness and intemperance besot men, deprive them of reason and judgment, and even of common sense, make them downright fools, and so stupid as to do the following things; or they take away the heart from following the Lord, and taking heed to him, and lead to idolatry; or they "occupy" ^F26 the heart, and fill it up, and cause it to prefer sensual lusts and pleasures to the fear and love of God: their stupidity brought on hereby is exposed in the next verse; though it seems chiefly to respect the priests, who erred in vision through wine and strong drink, and stumbled in judgment, ( Isaiah 28:7 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (bl xqy) "occupant cor", so some in Calvin and Rivet; "occupavit cor", Schmidt.

Hosea 4:11 In-Context

9 The priests are as wrong as the people, and I will punish them both for what they have done. I will repay them for the wrong they have done.

10 "They will eat but not have enough; they will have sexual relations with the prostitutes, but they will not have children, because they have left the Lord to give themselves to

11 prostitution, to old and new wine, which take away their ability to understand.

12 "My people ask wooden idols for advice; they ask those sticks of wood to advise them! Like prostitutes, they have chased after other gods and have left their own God.

13 They make sacrifices on the tops of the mountains. They burn offerings on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and other trees, because their shade is nice. So your daughters become prostitutes, and your daughters-in-law are guilty of adultery.