Hoshea 4:11

11 Zenut (prostitution, whoredom) and yayin and tirosh take away the lev (understanding).

Hoshea 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.

Hoshea 4:11 In-Context

9 And there shall be, like Am (People), like kohen; and I will visit them with punishment for their ways, and repay them for their doings.

10 For they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase; because they have abandoned being shomer to heed Hashem.

11 Zenut (prostitution, whoredom) and yayin and tirosh take away the lev (understanding).

12 Ami (My people) consult a piece of wood, and their staff declareth unto them; for the ruach zenunim hath caused them to err, and they have played the zonah, forsaking Eloheihem.

13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because the shade thereof is tov; therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law shall commit ni’uf (adultery).