Hosea 4:3

3 For this thing the earth shall mourn, and each that dwelleth in that land shall be sick, in the beast of the field, and in the bird of the air; but also the fishes of the sea shall be gathered together. (For this thing the land shall mourn, and everyone who liveth in that land shall die, and with them the wild beasts, and the birds of the air; and even the fish of the sea shall be gathered together, and taken away.)

Hosea 4:3 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 4:3

Therefore shall the land mourn
Because of the calamities on it, the devastations made in it; nothing growing upon it, through a violent drought; or the grass and corn being trodden down, or eaten up, by a foreign army: and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish;
that is, every man, an inhabitant thereof, shall become weak, languish away, and die through wounds received by the enemy; or for want of food, or being infected with the wasting and destroying pestilence: with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven;
the one shall die in the field for want of grass to eat, and the other shall drop to the earth through the infection of the air: yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away;
or "gathered" ^F16; to some other place, so as to disappear; or they shall be consumed and die, as Kimchi interprets it; and as all these creatures are for the good of men, for sustenance, comfort, and delight, when they are taken away, it is by way of punishment for their sins. So the Targum,

``the fishes of the sea shall be lessened for their sins.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (wpoay) "congregabuntur", V. L.; "collgentur", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Schmidt.

Hosea 4:3 In-Context

1 Sons of Israel, hear ye the word of the Lord, for why doom is to the Lord with the dwellers of earth; for why truth is not, and mercy is not, and knowing of the Lord is not in earth. (Israelites, hear ye the word of the Lord, for judgement is with the Lord for the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, or love, or knowledge of the Lord, in the land.)

2 Curse, and leasing, and man-quelling, and theft, and adultery flowed, and blood touched blood. (Curses, and lies, and man-killing, or murder, and theft, and adultery flowed, and blood touched blood.)

3 For this thing the earth shall mourn, and each that dwelleth in that land shall be sick, in the beast of the field, and in the bird of the air; but also the fishes of the sea shall be gathered together. (For this thing the land shall mourn, and everyone who liveth in that land shall die, and with them the wild beasts, and the birds of the air; and even the fish of the sea shall be gathered together, and taken away.)

4 Nevertheless each man deem not, and a man be not reproved; for thy people is as they that against-say the priest. (Nevertheless let no one judge the people, and let no one rebuke them; for my quarrel is with you, false priest/s.)

5 And thou shalt fall today, and the prophet also shall fall with thee; in the night I made thy mother to be still (and in the night I shall make thy mother Israel to die).