Hosea 4:11

11 Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, take away the understanding.

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 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Hosea 4:11 In-Context

9 And there shall be like people like priest: and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay them their devices.

10 And they shall eat and shall not be filled: they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not observing the law.

11 Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness, take away the understanding.

12 My people have consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God.

13 They offered sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burnt incense upon the hills: under the oak, and the poplar, and the turpentine tree, because the shadow thereof was good: therefore shall your daughters commit fornication, aud your spouses shall be adulteresses.