Hosea

Hosea 4:15–17

15Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel,

may Judah avoid such guilt!

Do not journey to Gilgal,

do not go up to Beth-aven,d

and do not swear on oath,

‘As surely as the LORD lives!’

16For Israel is as obstinate

as a stubborn heifer.

Can the LORD now shepherd them

like lambs in an open meadow?

17Ephraime is joined to idols;

leave him alone!

Footnotes

  • d 4:15 Beth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29|1KI 12:28-29.
  • e 4:17 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel

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 4:15

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Thoughאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
youאַתָּה֙’at·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
prostitute yourselfזֹנֶ֤הzō·nehVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
O Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
may Judahיְהוּדָ֑הyə·hū·ḏāhNoun - proper - masculine singularH3063 Judah
avoidאַל־’al-AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
such guiltיֶאְשַׁ֖םye’·šamVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH816 offend, be guilty
Do notוְאַל־wə·’al-Conjunctive waw; AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
journeyתָּבֹ֣אוּtā·ḇō·’ūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH935 come in, come, go in, go
to Gilgalהַגִּלְגָּ֗לhag·gil·gālArticle; Noun - proper - feminine singularH1537 Gilgal
do not go upתַּעֲלוּ֙ta·‘ă·lūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH5927 go up, ascend, climb
to Beth-avenאָ֔וֶן’ā·wenNoun - proper - feminine singularH1007 Beth-Aven
and do notוְאַֽל־wə·’al-Conjunctive waw; AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
swear on oathתִּשָּׁבְע֖וּtiš·šā·ḇə·‘ūVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH7650 swear
As surely as the LORDיְהוָֽה׃Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
livesחַי־ḥay-Noun - masculine singularH2416 alive, living

Hosea 4:16

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Forכִּ֚יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
is as obstinateסֹֽרֵרָ֔הsō·rê·rāhVerb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularH5637 be stubborn, rebellious
as a stubbornסָרַ֖רsā·rarVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5637 be stubborn, rebellious
heiferכְּפָרָ֣הkə·p̄ā·rāhPreposition-k; Noun - feminine singularH6510 heifer, cow
Can the LORDיְהוָ֔הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
nowעַתָּה֙‘at·tāhAdverbH6258 now
shepherd themיִרְעֵ֣םyir·‘êmVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine pluralH7462 pasture, tend, graze
like lambsכְּכֶ֖בֶשׂkə·ḵe·ḇeśPreposition-k; Noun - masculine singularH3532 lamb
in an open meadowבַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃bam·mer·ḥāḇPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH4800 broad, roomy, place

Hosea 4:17

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Ephraimאֶפְרָ֖יִם’ep̄·rā·yimNoun - proper - masculine singularH669 Ephraim
is joinedחֲב֧וּרḥă·ḇūrVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular constructH2266 unite
to idolsעֲצַבִּ֛ים‘ă·ṣab·bîmNoun - masculine pluralH6091 idol
leave him aloneהַֽנַּֽח־han·naḥ-Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singularH5117 rest

Cross-references

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

Hosea 4:15 Hosea 12:11 · Hosea 9:15 · Amos 4:4 · Amos 5:5 · Jeremiah 5:2 · Hosea 10:5 · Ephesians 5:11 · Amos 8:14 · Hosea 5:8 · Hosea 10:8

Hosea 4:16 1 Samuel 15:11

Hosea 4:17 Psalm 81:12 · Revelation 22:11 · Hosea 13:2 · Matthew 15:14 · Hosea 11:2 · Hosea 4:4

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.