Hosea 4:12-19

12 My people ¹inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For ²a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore.

13 ³They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, ⁴under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery.

14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for ⁵the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with ⁶cult prostitutes, and a people ⁷without understanding shall come to ruin.

15 Though you play the whore, O ⁸Israel, let not ⁹Judah become guilty. ¹⁰Enter not into ¹¹Gilgal, nor go up to ¹²Beth-aven, and swear not, “As the Lord lives. ”

16 Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?

17 ¹³Ephraim is joined to idols; ¹⁴leave him alone.

18 When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring; ¹⁵their rulers^[a] dearly love shame.

19 ¹⁶A wind has wrapped them^[b] in its wings, and they shall ¹⁷be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

Hosea 4:12-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 4

This chapter contains a new sermon or prophecy, delivered in proper and express words, without types and figures, as before; in which the people of Israel are summoned to appear at the tribunal of God, to hear the charge brought against them, and the sentence to be pronounced upon them, and which would be executed. They are charged with sins of omission and commission; with want of truth and mercy to men, and with ignorance of God; with swearing, lying, murder, theft, and adultery, Ho 4:1,2, the punishment threatened is the sword, famine, and pestilence; which should affect the whole land, and all creatures in it, men, beasts, fowls, and fishes, Ho 4:3, then the priests and false prophets are threatened with falling into calamities along with the people, and with rejection from their office, and forgetfulness of their posterity, and a taking away their glory from them, because of their striving with the true prophets; their rejection of knowledge; forgetfulness of the law of God; covetousness, adultery, and drunkenness, Ho 4:4-11, then the discourse is turned to the people again, who are charged with divination and idolatry, which is spiritual adultery; and therefore, by way of retaliation, their wives and daughters would be left to commit adultery and fornication, Ho 4:12-14, and the chapter is concluded with advice to Israel not to tempt Judah to sin; or to Judah not to do the like, after the example of Israel, who were backsliders, idolaters, left of God and alone; guilty of bribery, and the like shameful things, and would be suddenly filled with shame, Ho 4:15-19.

Cross References

• 1. 4:12 [Judg. 18:5]
• 2. 4:12 ch. 5:4; [ch. 2:2]
• 3. 4:13 Ezek. 6:13
• 4. 4:13 [Isa. 1:29]
• 5. 4:14 [ch. 9:10]
• 6. 4:14 Deut. 23:17
• 7. 4:14 [ver. 1, 6]
• 8. 4:15 See ch. 6:4
• 9. 4:15 See ch. 6:4
• 10. 4:15 Amos 4:4, 5; 5:5
• 11. 4:15 ch. 9:15; 12:11
• 12. 4:15 ch. 5:8; 10:5; [ch. 10:8; 1 Kgs. 12:29; Amos 1:5]
• 13. 4:17 [ver. 12; ch. 5:3]
• 14. 4:17 [Matt. 15:14]
• 15. 4:18 [ch. 9:10]
• 16. 4:19 ch. 13:15; Jer. 4:11; 51:1; [Zech. 5:9]
• 17. 4:19 [Isa. 1:29]

Footnotes

• [a] 4:18 Hebrew 'shields'
• [b] 4:19 Hebrew 'her'