Hosea

Hosea 4:8–13

⁸They feed on the sins^c of My people

and set their hearts on iniquity.

⁹And it shall be

like people, like priest.

I will punish both of them for their ways

and repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰They will eat but not be satisfied;

they will be promiscuous but not multiply.

For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves

¹¹to promiscuity, wine, and new wine,

which take away understanding.

¹²My people consult their wooden idols,

and their divining rods inform them.

For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray

and they have played the harlot against their God.

¹³They sacrifice on the mountaintops

and burn offerings on the hills,

under oak, poplar, and terebinth,

because their shade is pleasant.

And so your daughters turn to prostitution

and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

Footnotes

c 4:8 Or the sin offerings

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 4:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They feed on	יֹאכֵ֑לוּ	yō·ḵê·lū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H398 eat
the sins	חַטַּ֥את	ḥaṭ·ṭaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H2403 offence, penalty, occasion
of My people	עַמִּ֖י	‘am·mî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5971 people
and set	יִשְׂא֥וּ	yiś·’ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5375 lift, take, carry
their hearts	נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃	nap̄·šōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
on	וְאֶל־	wə·’el-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H413 motion to
iniquity	עֲוֺנָ֖ם	‘ă·wō·nām	Noun - common singular construct; third person masculine plural	H5771 iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity

Hosea 4:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And it shall be	וְהָיָ֥ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
like people	כָעָ֖ם	ḵā·‘ām	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
like priest	כַּכֹּהֵ֑ן	kak·kō·hên	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3548 priest
I will punish	וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י	ū·p̄ā·qaḏ·tî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H6485 attend to, visit, muster, appoint
both of them	עָלָיו֙	‘ā·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5921 height
for their ways	דְּרָכָ֔יו	də·rā·ḵāw	Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
and repay	אָשִׁ֥יב	’ā·šîḇ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
them	לֽוֹ׃	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
for their deeds	וּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו	ū·ma·‘ă·lā·lāw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H4611 deed, practice

Hosea 4:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They will eat	וְאָֽכְלוּ֙	wə·’ā·ḵə·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H398 eat
but not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be satisfied	יִשְׂבָּ֔עוּ	yiś·bā·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7646 be sated, satisfied, surfeited
they will be promiscuous	הִזְנ֖וּ	hiz·nū	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
but not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
multiply	יִפְרֹ֑צוּ	yip̄·rō·ṣū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6555 break through
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
they have abandoned	עָזְב֖וּ	‘ā·zə·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H5800 leave, forsake, loose
the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
to give themselves	לִשְׁמֹֽר׃	liš·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8104 keep, watch, preserve

Hosea 4:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
to promiscuity	זְנ֛וּת	zə·nūṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H2184 fornication
wine	וְיַ֥יִן	wə·ya·yin	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
and new wine	וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ	wə·ṯî·rō·wōš	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H8492 must, fresh or new wine
which take away	יִֽקַּֽח־	yiq·qaḥ-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
understanding	לֵֽב׃	lêḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart

Hosea 4:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
My people	עַמִּי֙	‘am·mî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5971 people
consult	יִשְׁאָ֔ל	yiš·’āl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7592 ask, inquire
their wooden idols	בְּעֵצ֣וֹ	bə·‘ê·ṣōw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H6086 tree, trees, wood
and their divining rods	וּמַקְל֖וֹ	ū·maq·lōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4731 rod, staff
inform	יַגִּ֣יד	yag·gîḏ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5046 be conspicuous
them	ל֑וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
For	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
a spirit	ר֤וּחַ	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular construct	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
of prostitution	זְנוּנִים֙	zə·nū·nîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2183 adultery, idolatry
leads them astray	הִתְעָ֔ה	hiṯ·‘āh	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H8582 err
and they have played the harlot	וַיִּזְנ֖וּ	way·yiz·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
against	מִתַּ֥חַת	mit·ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition-m	H8478 the under part
their God	אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃	’ĕ·lō·hê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H430 God

Hosea 4:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They sacrifice	יְזַבֵּ֗חוּ	yə·zab·bê·ḥū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2076 slaughter for sacrifice
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the mountaintops	רָאשֵׁ֨י	rā·šê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H7218 head
and burn offerings	יְקַטֵּ֔רוּ	yə·qaṭ·ṭê·rū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6999 make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke
on	וְעַל־	wə·‘al-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5921 height
the hills	הַגְּבָעוֹת֙	hag·gə·ḇā·‘ō·wṯ	Article; Noun - feminine plural	H1389 hill
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
oak	אַלּ֧וֹן	’al·lō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H437 oak
poplar	וְלִבְנֶ֛ה	wə·liḇ·neh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3839 poplar
and terebinth	וְאֵלָ֖ה	wə·’ê·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H424 terebinth
because	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
their shade	צִלָּ֑הּ	ṣil·lāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H6738 shadow
is pleasant	ט֣וֹב	ṭō·wḇ	Adjective - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
And so	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
your daughters	בְּנ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם	bə·nō·w·ṯê·ḵem	Noun - feminine plural construct; second person masculine plural	H1323 daughter
turn to prostitution	תִּזְנֶ֙ינָה֙	tiz·ne·nāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
and your daughters-in-law	וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם	wə·ḵal·lō·w·ṯê·ḵem	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural construct; second person masculine plural	H3618 daughter-in-law, bride
to adultery	תְּנָאַֽפְנָה׃	tə·nā·’ap̄·nāh	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine plural	H5003 commit adultery