Hosea 4:8

8 They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.

Hosea 4:8 in Other Translations

KJV
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
ESV
8 They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity.
NLT
8 “When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed. So the priests are glad when the people sin!
MSG
8 They pig out on my people's sins. They can't wait for the latest in evil.
CSB
8 They feed on the sin of My people; they have an appetite for their transgressions.

Hosea 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 4:8

They eat up the sin of my people
That is, the priests did so, as the Targum, the priests of Jeroboam; they ate up the sacrifices which the people brought for their sins: and their fault was, either that they ate that which belonged to the true priests of the Lord, so Jarchi; or they did that, and had no concern to instruct the people in the right way; all that they regarded were good eating and drinking, and living voluptuously; and were altogether careless about instructing the people in the nature of sacrifices, and in the way of their duty: or this may regard the Bacchanalian feasts, as some think, which the people made in the temples of idols, and so sinned; and of which the priests greatly partook, and encouraged them in, and so were partakers not only of their banquets, but of their sins. They set their heart on their iniquity:
either their offerings for their iniquity, or their iniquity itself: or, "lift up their soul" F21 to it; diligently looking after it, not caring how much they committed; since the more sin offerings would be brought which would be to their advantage. Though some think the sin of whoredom, frequently and impudently committed at these idol feasts, is meant, which the priests were much addicted to, and very greedy of; they committed cleanness with greediness, ( Ephesians 4:19 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F21 (wvpn wavy Mnwe law) "et ad iniquitatem eorum levaverunt animam suam", Montanus, Pagninus, Tigurine version; "attollunt", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "et ad iniquitatem eorum tollunt anumam suam", Schmidt.

Hosea 4:8 In-Context

6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
7 The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.
8 They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness.
9 And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
10 “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORDto give themselves

Cross References 1

  • 1. S Isaiah 56:11; Hosea 14:1; Micah 3:11
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