Hoshea 4:10

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.

Hoshea 4:10 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 4:10

For they shall eat, and not have enough
Namely, the priests; for of them the words are continued, who ate of the sacrifices of the people, and of feasts made in honour of idols; and yet, either what they ate did not satisfy or nourish them, or else their appetites were still greedy after more of the same kind: or this may respect a famine, either at the siege of Samaria, or in their captivity; when they who had lived so voluptuously should have so little to eat, that it should not satisfy them: or though, as others, they eat to the honour of their idols, expecting to be blessed with plenty by them, they shall not have it: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase;
that is, their offspring; they shall not beget children, so the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi; or the children they beget shall quickly die; yea, though they commit whoredom in the idol's temple with that view, where the women prostituted themselves for that purpose: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord;
to his word, and worship, and ordinances, which they formerly had some regard unto, but now had relinquished: or, "the Lord they have forsaken", or "left off to observe" F25; his ways, his word, and worship. R. Saadiah connects this with the following words, they have forsaken the Lord to observe fornication and wine; but wrongly.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (rmvl wbze hwhy ta) "Jehovam desierunt observare", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Rivetus, Liveleus; "ad observandum", Schmidt; "reliquerunt observare", Cocceius; "deseruerunt observare", so some in Vatablus.

Hoshea 4:10 In-Context

8 They [i.e., the kohanim] feed on the chattat (sin) of Ami, and they relish their avon (iniquity).
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.
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