The prophet Hosea is acting out God's message to Israel, marrying a woman who is unfaithful and then receiving her back. Now Hosea expands on that living parable.
Hosea 4:1-3, Land mourns
Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites,
because the LORD has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
"There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery; they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Because of this the land mourns,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field
and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.
This is the message of Hosea, that the country suffers because it has turned against YHWH. It is (1) had no truth, (2) has no love and (3) does not acknowledge God. The people pronounce curses on others and this is followed by theft, adultery and violence. The land "mourns" and dries up, without the renewing rains. The animals -- even the fish! -- are dying.
Hosea 4:4-6b, Lack of knowledge
"But let no man bring a charge,
let no man accuse another,
for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother--
my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
Hosea 4:6a-9, Like people, like priests
"Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
The more the priests increased,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful.
They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.
And it will be: Like people, like priests.
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.
The people don't just lack knowledge but reject it. The priests are no different from anyone else; they too stumble around without a moral compass. Both priests and people will be judged and punished.
Deserting YHWH, the people rely on wooden idols and sticks of wood, wandering after any interesting things, like a prostitute after riches or bling. And so this attitude of prostitution is passed on (figuratively and literally?) to their children.
It is not really the fault of the prostitutes, because the men also seek after adultery, says YHWH. They are a people without understanding.
Hosea 4:10-13, Led by wooden idols and sticks of wood
"They will eat but not have enough;
they will engage in prostitution but not increase,
because they have deserted the LORD
to give themselves to prostitution,
to old wine and new,
which take away the understanding of my people.
They consult a wooden idol
and are answered by a stick of wood.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.
They sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar and terebinth,
where the shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution
and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
Hosea 4:14, Without understanding
"I will not punish your daughters
when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots
and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes--
a people without understanding will come to ruin!
The Hebrew word qedeshah, translated "shrine prostitute", could be translated "holy woman". In the (very patriarchal) ANE culture, a temple to a fertility goddess would offer "holy" women with whom men could engage in sex, in order to promote the fertility of the land. In general, the culture of the ANE put the punishment for prostitution on the women. (See, for example, Judah and Tamar, Genesis 38:24-26.) But God, speaking through Hosea, puts the blame on the men!
Hosea 4:15, Gilgal and Beth Aven
"Though you commit adultery, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty.
"Do not go to Gilgal;
do not go up to Beth Aven.
And do not swear, `As surely as the LORD lives!'
There is a danger that the southern kingdom, Judah, will pick up the sins of the northern kingdom, going with them make sacrifices at Gilgal and Bethel, instead of Jerusalem.
Hosea 4:16-19, When the drinks are gone
The Israelites are stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the LORD pasture them
like lambs in a meadow?
Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone!
Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
A whirlwind will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame. -
The people of Israel (Ephraim) are stubborn animals. Even after the partying is clearly over, the people and their rulers continue to act shamefully. But, says God, their sacrifices will bring them shame.
First published June 10, 2025; updated June 10, 2025
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