Hosea 4

Hosea 4:2

They break out, and blood toucheth blood.

They break out into horrible outrages; and murders are so frequent, as that one overtakes another, without any distance or intermission of bloodshed.

Hosea 4:4

Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

Yet let no man trouble himself, and lose his labour, in reproving those sins, which he sees committed: for thy people are obstinately bent to continue in their wickedness: they are such as will be ready to brawl and quarrel with the messengers of God, that shall endeavour to reclaim them.

Hosea 4:5

Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

Therefore will I bring swift judgment upon thee: thou shalt speedily fall, and thy prophets with thee; for, if thou fallest in the day, thy prophets shall not be long after thee, they shall fall in the night: and I will destroy the very Church and kingdom, whereto thou appertainest.

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

My people are destroyed for lack of the true knowledge of me their God, and of my law.

Hosea 4:8

They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

They make a gain of the sins of my people, and feed themselves fat with their sacrifices; willingly giving way to their sins, for the benefit of their oblations; and being well pleased with their gainful iniquities.

Hosea 4:9

And there shall be like people, like priests: and I will punish them for their ways, etc.

So as they shall be all too like to each other; wicked people, and wicked priests: the people’s sins deserved to be punished with such priests, and such priests have helped to make the people thus wicked, etc.

Hosea 4:10

For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

They shall eat; and yet not find the benefit of their sustenance, in an increase of strength, or satisfaction of appetite:

Hosea 4:11

Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

They are so besotted with their whoredoms and drunkenness, that they have lost all the sense of whatsoever grace and goodness; and are utterly bereft of all care of God or themselves.

Hosea 4:12

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

My people are so sottish, as to go unto their wooden images, for either counsel, or prediction of future events: a piece of a stick is their god, and their oracle; for this gross idolatrous disposition, whereto they have long inclined, hath drawn them into these foul enormities, and hath drawn them a whoring from under their only true God.

Hosea 4:14

I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredoms, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

I will not so far favour you, as to punish your daughters, or your wives, when they play the harlot: while I respected you, and took keep of you, I was ready to correct you for your misdeeds: but now, I have given up the care of you, and will not chastise that in your children and wives, which ye, that are the parents and husbands, are willingly guilty of; for ye yourselves go aside with your harlots, and spend the good cheer of your sacrifices upon whores: therefore, as I before denounced the sentence, the people, both one and other, that do not understand, nor seek after God, shall perish.

Hosea 4:15

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

But though Israel, or the Ten Tribes, be thus miscarried with idolatry, yet let not the infectious example of their sin so far prevail, as that Judah and Benjamin should be tainted therewith: go not ye, O men of Judah, so far as Gilgal, the utmost bounds of your region on this side Jordan, upon any idolatrous pilgrimage: neither go ye up to the golden calf of Beth-el, yea, of Beth-aven rather, the house of vanity; neither do ye, in your solemn oaths, apply my name to your idols, as to say of them, The Lord liveth.

Hosea 4:16

For Israel slideth back, as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

For Israel is slidden back from her profession; as some wild and stubborn heifer draws back, to pull his neck out of the yoke: and now, the Lord will lay them open to judgment, as if some silly lamb, in a large pasture, should be exposed to the violence of some devouring beast.

Hosea 4:17

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

Ephraim, or the Ten Tribes of Israel, have given themselves over to idolatry: meddle not thou with them, O Judah: if Israel will needs offend, let him sin without thee.

Hosea 4:18

Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do lore, Give ye.

Their intemperance is odious: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers are all for bribes, and are not ashamed to say, Give.

Hosea 4:19

The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

But they shall be miserably dispersed: the wind of God’s judgments is ready to carry them away, upon the wings thereof, into fearful desolation; and they shall rue the time, that they yielded themselves over to those their idolatrous sacrifices.