BOOK 28 OF 66 · MINOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Hosea 4

Hosea book home•Chapter 4 of 14•19 verses

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Hosea 4 Overview

The LORD brings a covenant case against Israel because truth, mercy, and knowledge of God are absent while swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and adultery spread. Priests are rebuked for rejecting knowledge, idolatry corrupts the people, and Judah is warned not to join Israel’s guilt.

HoseaBook

4Chapter

19Verses

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Before you read Hosea 4

Coming from

Hosea 3 concluded the opening sign-act section with a promise that Israel would eventually return to the LORD and to David their king. Chapter 4 begins the extended prosecution explaining why severe judgment is deserved.

In this chapter

Leads into

The indictment widens to priests, royal leaders, Israel, and Judah. Pride, idolatry, political weakness, and foreign dependence are exposed as the LORD announces that He will withdraw until His people acknowledge their offence and seek Him.

Key understandingExplore deeper

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” is not primarily about secular education or general information. In context it concerns rejected knowledge of God’s covenant truth, especially among priests responsible to teach it.

The chapter combines moral violations with cultic corruption. Israel’s idolatry is not a private spiritual preference; it has reshaped public truthfulness, sexuality, violence, leadership, and worship.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Rejecting the knowledge of God corrupts life and worship

The moral chaos of the land is connected directly to the absence and rejection of covenant knowledge.

Religious leaders are accountable for what they teach and model

The priests cannot excuse themselves by blaming the people when they too have rejected knowledge and fed on sin.

Judah is warned by Israel’s example

The prophet addresses the northern kingdom but tells Judah not to enter the same idolatrous path.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Malachi 2:7–8

Malachi likewise says priestly lips should preserve knowledge and rebukes priests for corrupting the covenant.

Romans 1:21–32

Paul describes a similar moral collapse when people reject the knowledge and honor of God, though he writes in a different covenant context.

Hosea 6:6

The later statement that God desires mercy and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings directly develops the chapter’s concern.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not quote “lack of knowledge” as though Hosea were mainly warning against ignorance in any subject.

The rejected knowledge is specifically covenant knowledge of the LORD.

Do not treat priestly failure as proof that every Israelite under judgment lacked eternal life.

The chapter addresses corrupt national worship and temporal covenant consequences.

Read Hosea 4 watching for…

The opening list of sins spreading through the land.

Who is specifically blamed for rejecting knowledge.

How idolatry and sexual immorality are linked.

The warning directed to Judah.

The repeated language of whoredom as spiritual unfaithfulness.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-5The LORD charges the land with a lack of truth, mercy, and knowledge of God 6-11Priests and people reject knowledge and are judged for leaving the LORD 12-19Idolatry and spiritual whoredom lead Israel into shame while Judah is warned not to follow

Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

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

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

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

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

And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

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.

Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

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.

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, 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.

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

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

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

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

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

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Hosea 4:6

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