Hosea 7:4

4 They are all adulterers, burning like an oven whose fire the baker need not stir from the kneading of the dough till it rises.

Hosea 7:4 in Other Translations

4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

4 They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.

4 They are all adulterers, always aflame with lust. They are like an oven that is kept hot while the baker is kneading the dough.

4 They're a bunch of overheated adulterers, like an oven that holds its heat From the kneading of the dough to the rising of the bread.

4 All of them commit adultery; [they are] like an oven heated by a baker who stops stirring [the fire] from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.

Hosea 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 7:4

They [are] all adulterers
King, princes, priests, and people, both in a spiritual and corporeal sense; they were all idolaters, given to idols try, eager of it, and constant in it, as the following metaphors show; and they were addicted to corporeal adultery; this was a prevailing vice among all ranks and degrees of men. So the Targum,

``they all desire to lie with their neighbours' wives;''

see ( Jeremiah 5:7 Jeremiah 5:8 ) ( 9:2 ) ; as an oven heated by the baker;
which, if understood of spiritual adultery or idolatry, denotes their eagerness after it, and fervour in it, excited by their king, or by the devil and his instruments, the priests and false prophets; and if of bodily uncleanness, it is expressive of the heat of that lust, which is sometimes signified by burning; and is stirred up by the devil and the corrupt hearts of men to such a degree as to be raised to a flame, and be like a raging fire, or a heated oven; see ( Romans 1:27 ) ( 1 Corinthians 7:9 ) ; [who] ceaseth from raising;
that is, the baker, having heated his oven, ceaseth from raising up the women to bring their bread to the bake house; or he ceaseth from waking, or from watching his oven; he lays himself down to sleep, and continues in it: after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened;
having kneaded the dough, and put in the leaven, he lets it alone to work till the whole mass is leavened, taking his rest in the mean while: as the former clause expresses the vehement desire of the people after adultery, spiritual or corporeal, this may signify their continuance in it; or rather the wilful negligence of the king, priests, and prophets, who, instead of awaking them out of their sleep on a bed of adultery, let them alone in it, until they were all infected with it.

Hosea 7:4 In-Context

2 but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me.

3 “They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, burning like an oven whose fire the baker need not stir from the kneading of the dough till it rises.

5 On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers.

6 Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passion smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

Cross References

• 1. S Jeremiah 9:2