The big picture
Hosea 4 opens in verse 1 with “Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 10 with “For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not…”, and closes in verse 19 with “The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their…” Repeated or prominent terms include people, commit, LORD, whoredom, adultery. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Hosea · King James Version · 19Hosea 4:1-7
1–7: Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a…
Hosea 4:1–7 opens with “Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the…” and reaches “As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Hosea 4 develops its own movement around people, commit, LORD, whoredom, adultery, with particular weight carried by knowledge, land, blood.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land…” Naming Hear keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.” The line’s distinctive content terms include blood, adultery, break. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.
Hosea 4:1-7
King James Version1Hear 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.
2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3Therefore 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.
4Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
6My 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.
7As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
Hosea 4:8-14
8–14: They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their…
Hosea 4:8–14 opens with “They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.” and reaches “I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Hosea 4 develops its own movement around people, commit, LORD, whoredom, adultery, with particular weight carried by commit, people, whoredom.
Context that brings the passage to life
“They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.” The line’s distinctive content terms include heart, iniquity, people. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Hosea 4:8-14
King James Version8They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
9And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10For 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 .
11Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
12My 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.
13They 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.
14I 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.
Hosea 4:15-19
15–19: Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come…
Hosea 4:15–19 opens with “Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal…” and reaches “The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Hosea 4 develops its own movement around people, commit, LORD, whoredom, adultery, with particular weight carried by Israel, LORD, ashamed.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
Hosea 4:15-19
King James Version15Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.
16For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
18Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
19The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Hosea 4:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
Hosea 4:5 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.”
The final note
Hosea 4:19 leaves the reader with “The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words people, commit, LORD, whoredom, adultery, fall help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What opportunity exists before the murder?
Cain receives a warning and a call to resist sin in verse 7. Anger is not treated as an irresistible excuse.
What do the two speeches about vengeance reveal?
God limits retaliation against Cain; Lamech celebrates escalation.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.