Hosea

Hosea 4:1–5

1Hear the word of the LORD,

O children of Israel,

for the LORD has a case

against the people of the land:

“There is no truth, no loving devotion,

and no knowledge of God in the land!

2Cursing and lying,

murder and stealing,

and adultery are rampant;

one act of bloodshed follows another.

3Therefore the land mourns,

and all who dwell in it will waste away

with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air;

even the fish of the sea disappear.

4But let no man contend;

let no man offer reproof;

for your people are like those

who contend with a priest.a

5You will stumble by day,

and the prophet will stumble with you by night;

so I will destroy your mother —

Footnotes

  • a 4:4 Or for My case is against you, O priests

Read all of Hosea 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Hosea 4:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Hearשִׁמְע֥וּšim·‘ūVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH8085 hear
the wordדְבַר־ḏə·ḇar-Noun - masculine singular constructH1697 speech, word
of the LORDיְהוָ֖הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
O childrenבְּנֵ֣יbə·nêNoun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
forכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
the LORDלַֽיהוָה֙Yah·wehPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
has a caseרִ֤יבrîḇNoun - masculine singularH7379 strife, dispute
againstעִם־‘im-PrepositionH5973 with
the peopleיוֹשְׁבֵ֣יyō·wō·šə·ḇêVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructH3427 sit, remain, dwell
of the landהָאָ֔רֶץhā·’ā·reṣArticle; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land
There is noאֵין־’ên-AdverbH369 nothing, nought
truthאֱמֶ֧ת’ĕ·meṯNoun - feminine singularH571 firmness, faithfulness, truth
noוְֽאֵין־wə·’ên-Conjunctive waw; AdverbH369 nothing, nought
loving devotionחֶ֛סֶדḥe·seḏNoun - masculine singularH2617 goodness, kindness
and noוְאֵֽין־wə·’ên-Conjunctive waw; AdverbH369 nothing, nought
knowledgeדַּ֥עַתda·‘aṯNoun - feminine singular constructH1847 knowledge
of Godאֱלֹהִ֖ים’ĕ·lō·hîmNoun - masculine pluralH430 God
in the landבָּאָֽרֶץ׃bā·’ā·reṣPreposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land

Hosea 4:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Cursingאָלֹ֣ה’ā·lōhVerb - Qal - Infinitive absoluteH422 swear, curse
and lyingוְכַחֵ֔שׁwə·ḵa·ḥêšConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Infinitive absoluteH3584 be disappointing, deceive, fail, grow lean
murderוְרָצֹ֥חַwə·rā·ṣō·aḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive absoluteH7523 murder, slay
and stealingוְגָנֹ֖בwə·ḡā·nōḇConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive absoluteH1589 steal
and adulteryוְנָאֹ֑ףwə·nā·’ōp̄Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive absoluteH5003 commit adultery
are rampantפָּרָ֕צוּpā·rā·ṣūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH6555 break through
one act of bloodshedוְדָמִ֥יםwə·ḏā·mîmConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine pluralH1818 blood
follows anotherנָגָֽעוּ׃nā·ḡā·‘ūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH5060 touch, reach, strike

Hosea 4:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Thereforeעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the landהָאָ֗רֶץhā·’ā·reṣArticle; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land
mournsתֶּאֱבַ֣לte·’ĕ·ḇalVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH56 mourn
and allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
who dwellיוֹשֵׁ֣בyō·wō·šêḇVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH3427 sit, remain, dwell
in itבָּ֔הּbāhPreposition; third person feminine singular
will waste awayוְאֻמְלַל֙wə·’um·lalConjunctive waw; Verb - Pual - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH535 be weak, languish
with the beastsבְּחַיַּ֥תbə·ḥay·yaṯPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH2416 alive, living
of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶ֖הhaś·śā·ḏehArticle; Noun - masculine singularH7704 id.
and the birdsוּבְע֣וֹףū·ḇə·‘ō·wp̄Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH5775 flying creatures, fowl, insects
of the airהַשָּׁמָ֑יִםhaš·šā·mā·yimArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH8064 sky, aloft
evenוְגַם־wə·ḡam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
the fishדְּגֵ֥יdə·ḡêNoun - masculine plural constructH1709 fish
of the seaהַיָּ֖םhay·yāmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3220 sea
disappearיֵאָסֵֽפוּ׃yê·’ā·sê·p̄ūVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH622 gather, remove

Hosea 4:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Butאַ֥ךְ’aḵAdverbH389 surely
let noאַל־’al-AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
manאִ֛ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
contendיָרֵ֖בyā·rêḇVerb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH7378 strive, contend
let noוְאַל־wə·’al-Conjunctive waw; AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
manאִ֑ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
offer reproofיוֹכַ֣חyō·w·ḵaḥVerb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH3198 decide, adjudge, prove
for your peopleוְעַמְּךָ֖wə·‘am·mə·ḵāConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH5971 people
who contend withכִּמְרִיבֵ֥יkim·rî·ḇêPreposition-k; Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural constructH7378 strive, contend
a priestכֹהֵֽן׃ḵō·hênNoun - masculine singularH3548 priest

Hosea 4:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
You will stumbleוְכָשַׁלְתָּ֣wə·ḵā·šal·tāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularH3782 stumble, stagger, totter
by dayהַיּ֔וֹםhay·yō·wmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3117 day
and the prophetנָבִ֛יאnā·ḇîNoun - masculine singularH5030 spokesman, speaker, prophet
will stumbleוְכָשַׁ֧לwə·ḵā·šalConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH3782 stumble, stagger, totter
with youעִמְּךָ֖‘im·mə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH5973 with
by nightלָ֑יְלָהlā·yə·lāhNoun - masculine singularH3915 twist, night, adversity
so I will destroyוְדָמִ֖יתִיwə·ḏā·mî·ṯîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularH1820 cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy
your motherאִמֶּֽךָ׃’im·me·ḵāNoun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH517 mother

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Hosea 4:1 Jeremiah 4:22 · Micah 6:2 · 1 Corinthians 15:34 · Isaiah 3:13–14 · Isaiah 34:1 · Jeremiah 25:31 · Hosea 12:2 · Amos 7:16 · Isaiah 1:18 · Romans 1:28 · Jeremiah 5:4

Hosea 4:2 Hosea 6:9 · 1 Thessalonians 2:15 · Jeremiah 6:7 · Micah 7:2 · Jeremiah 5:7–9 · Jeremiah 7:6–10 · Hosea 7:1 · Jeremiah 5:26–27

Hosea 4:3 Zephaniah 1:3 · Isaiah 24:4–12 · Nahum 1:4 · Ezekiel 38:20 · Jeremiah 12:4 · Amos 5:16 · Jeremiah 4:27–28 · Jeremiah 4:25 · Isaiah 33:9 · Amos 8:8

Hosea 4:4 Deuteronomy 17:12 · Hosea 4:17 · Ezekiel 3:26

Hosea 4:5 Jeremiah 15:8 · Hosea 2:2 · Galatians 4:26 · Zechariah 13:2

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.