Hosea Chapter 4

Israel’s Sin and God’s Remedy

A. The charge against Israel.

1. (Hosea 4:1–3) A statement of the charge, Israel’s sin and God’s remedy.

“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.” (Hosea 4:1–3, KJV)

a. The LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
The language Hosea uses is judicial. God summons Israel as though into a courtroom, where He stands as the offended party and righteous judge. The covenant relationship established at Sinai carried moral and spiritual obligations, and Israel’s violation of those obligations results in formal charges being brought against her. This is not an emotional outburst or an arbitrary accusation, but a lawful indictment rooted in covenant law. God is not silent in the face of sin, and He does not overlook national corruption simply because Israel is His chosen people.

i. The covenant lawsuit.
The word translated controversy carries the idea of a legal dispute. God presents evidence, names specific offenses, and announces the consequences. Israel’s problem is not ignorance of God’s standards, but willful abandonment of them. The LORD stands as plaintiff against His own people because they have breached the covenant they agreed to uphold.

b. There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
God identifies the foundational sins that explain all the others. Truth refers to faithfulness, honesty, and reliability in word and action. Mercy speaks of covenant loyalty, kindness, and compassion toward others. Knowledge of God is not mere intellectual awareness, but relational knowledge that shapes character and conduct. These three realities rise and fall together. When the knowledge of God is abandoned, truth collapses and mercy disappears. Without God as the reference point, truth becomes subjective and mercy gives way to self interest.

i. The beginning of wisdom.
Scripture consistently teaches that all genuine wisdom begins with the fear and knowledge of God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10, KJV). When Israel rejected the knowledge of God, she severed herself from the very source of moral clarity and spiritual stability.

ii. The proper object of study.
Human centered philosophies inevitably fail because they attempt to understand man apart from God. True self knowledge is impossible without God knowledge. When God is removed from the center, man becomes the measure of all things, and society drifts toward moral confusion and spiritual decay.

c. They break out, and blood toucheth blood.
The abandonment of God produces unrestrained behavior. The phrase they break out conveys the idea of barriers being shattered and moral limits removed. Without the knowledge of God, restraint is viewed as oppression rather than protection. Lawlessness follows inevitably. The expression blood toucheth blood paints a picture of continual violence, where one act of bloodshed is followed immediately by another. Violence becomes normal, expected, and cyclical.

i. The rejection of restraint.
When restraint is discarded, chaos follows. Scripture teaches that restraint is a gift of God, not a limitation on freedom. A society that celebrates the removal of boundaries inevitably descends into disorder. When everyone becomes a law unto themselves, no one is safe.

ii. The compounding nature of violence.
The Hebrew imagery suggests violent acts stacked one upon another. Crime no longer shocks the conscience. Instead, it accelerates. What once horrified now merely precedes the next outrage. This is the fruit of rejecting God’s authority.

d. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish.
Sin does not affect only individuals, it corrupts the entire created order. God declares that the consequences of Israel’s rebellion will extend to the land itself. The people weaken, society decays, and even the animals suffer. This reflects the biblical principle that creation is tied to man’s moral condition. When covenant order collapses, creation groans under the weight of human sin.

i. Judgment through decay.
God’s judgment is not limited to sudden catastrophe. Often it comes through slow deterioration. Strength fades, vitality drains away, and life becomes increasingly barren. What was promised as freedom through sin becomes exhaustion and ruin.

ii. Echoes in later Scripture.
The apostle Paul echoes this pattern when describing societies that suppress the truth of God. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts… For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections… And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind.” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28, KJV). Hosea’s indictment is not merely ancient history, but a timeless warning.

2. (Hosea 4:4–8) The corrupt and ineffective leadership of the priests.

“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.” (Hosea 4:4–8, KJV)

a. Thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
Under the Mosaic Law, God commanded His people to submit to priestly instruction and judgment. “And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment.” (Deuteronomy 17:9, KJV). To contend with the priest was to rebel against God’s appointed authority. Hosea declares that Israel has reached such a state of spiritual rebellion that they resist instruction rather than receive it. This resistance is the natural outcome of abandoning the knowledge of God. When truth, mercy, and restraint are cast aside, spiritual authority is rejected as well.

i. Let no man strive, nor reprove another.
This statement does not discourage correction in principle, but acknowledges the hardened condition of the people. They will not listen even to the priest, so ordinary rebuke is futile. God describes a society so corrupt that confrontation only produces contention, not repentance. The refusal to hear God’s Word renders correction ineffective.

b. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day.
To stumble in daylight is a sign of profound blindness. Darkness explains stumbling, but daylight removes excuses. Israel’s collapse is not due to lack of opportunity or clarity, but due to willful rejection of guidance. When the knowledge of God is abandoned, even obvious truths become stumbling blocks.

c. The prophet also shall fall with thee in the night.
God’s indictment extends beyond the people to their spiritual leaders. Even prophets, who should possess spiritual insight, are swept into the collapse. No position or reputation provides immunity from judgment when leaders abandon faithfulness. This exposes the danger of assuming spiritual office guarantees spiritual security. Leadership that compromises truth shares in the downfall it enables.

d. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
This is one of the most sobering statements in Scripture. God does not say His people are weak or unloved, but destroyed. The cause is not persecution or famine, but lack of knowledge. This lack is not mere ignorance, but rejection. They possess some awareness, yet refuse deeper truth. Partial knowledge produces arrogance rather than obedience.

i. Lack, not absence.
Israel knew something about God, but not enough to shape their lives. Shallow familiarity replaced reverent knowledge. Enough truth remained to remove excuses, but not enough obedience existed to prevent judgment.

ii. Lack of the knowledge of God.
The immediate context points to relational knowledge of God. “There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.” (Hosea 4:1, KJV). Israel knew about God, but did not know Him in a way that governed conduct.

iii. Lack of the knowledge of God’s law.
God adds, “Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God.” This indicates neglect of Scripture. The priests failed to teach it, and the people failed to retain it. Forgetting God’s Word leads inevitably to forgetting God Himself.

iv. God and His Word are inseparable.
Scripture never permits a separation between loving God and loving His Word. “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Psalm 138:2, KJV). God reveals His character through His Word. To neglect Scripture is to neglect God.

v. Knowledge restrains sin.
When awareness of God’s omnipresence and omniscience fades, private sin flourishes. Where God is ignored, conscience weakens and restraint disappears. Moral collapse follows theological neglect.

e. Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me.
God now addresses the priests directly. The responsibility for Israel’s ignorance lies primarily with spiritual leadership. The priests rejected knowledge, meaning they refused to learn, preserve, and teach God’s truth. Their rejection resulted in God rejecting them from service.

i. Teaching was central to priestly duty.
“They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law.” (Deuteronomy 33:10, KJV).
“And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” (Ezekiel 44:23, KJV).
“For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth.” (Malachi 2:7, KJV).
Neglecting teaching was not a minor failure, but a fundamental betrayal of their calling.

ii. I will also forget thy children.
Unfaithful leadership carries generational consequences. God holds teachers accountable not only for their own conduct, but for the damage inflicted upon future generations through neglect. This does not deny individual responsibility, but it underscores the seriousness of spiritual leadership.

iii. Priest to me.
The priest served God first, not merely the people. He represented the people before God and God before the people. When priests ceased to represent God faithfully, they forfeited their role entirely.

f. As they were increased, so they sinned against me; therefore will I change their glory into shame.
God had blessed the priests with material provision, influence, and honor. Instead of gratitude and humility, blessing produced greater corruption. Prosperity increased accountability, and they failed it. What they considered glory would become public shame.

i. They eat up the sin of my people.
The priests profited from Israel’s sin. They benefited from sin offerings and welcomed continued transgression because it sustained their livelihood. Rather than confronting sin, they consumed it. Their hearts were set not on righteousness, but on iniquity. When leadership profits from sin, corruption becomes entrenched and judgment inevitable.

3. (Hosea 4:9–10) Judgment is promised.

“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.” (Hosea 4:9–10, KJV)

a. Like people, like priest.
God declares that judgment will fall equally upon the priests and the people. The priests were not exempt simply because of their office. Spiritual privilege does not provide immunity from accountability. Those who were supposed to lead Israel into faithfulness instead shared fully in her corruption. God therefore promises that the same standard will be applied to all. When judgment comes, religious position will not shield anyone.

i. Historical corruption of the priesthood.
The northern kingdom’s priesthood had been corrupted from its inception. Jeroboam I appointed priests without regard to God’s law. “And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.” (1 Kings 12:31, KJV). Faithful priests and prophets fled south. “And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.” (2 Chronicles 11:13, KJV). This left Israel with compromised spiritual leadership that reflected the people’s own rebellion.

ii. As the people go, so go the priests.
Another sense of this phrase is sociological and spiritual. Priests arise from the people. When the culture is corrupt, many who seek leadership positions reflect that corruption. People sometimes expect leaders to be holy in their place, but God does not work that way. A spiritually compromised society produces spiritually compromised leaders.

b. They shall eat, and not have enough.
One aspect of judgment is frustration rather than absence. Israel will possess resources but find no satisfaction. God removes the blessing of contentment. Labor continues, but fulfillment disappears. This is covenant discipline. Abundance without God becomes emptiness. What should satisfy instead exposes inner hunger.

c. Because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
The root cause of judgment is clearly stated. Israel stopped listening to God. Disobedience did not begin with behavior, but with inattentiveness to God’s voice. When people stop taking heed to the LORD, all other failures follow naturally.

4. (Hosea 4:11–14) The adultery of idolatry.

“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.” (Hosea 4:11–14, KJV)

a. The spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err.
God identifies idolatry as spiritual adultery. Israel’s pursuit of false gods is not merely theological error, but covenant betrayal. Every sacrifice to a pagan deity represents unfaithfulness to the LORD. Idolatry captures the heart, dulls discernment, and produces moral confusion. Once the heart is enslaved, the mind follows.

i. The gravity of adultery against a faithful husband.
The LORD is not a negligent or cruel husband. He is faithful, patient, generous, and protective. Spiritual adultery against such a God is especially heinous. Israel’s sin is not desperation driven betrayal, but ingratitude driven rebellion.

ii. Adding idols rather than abandoning God.
Israel did not formally reject the LORD outright. Instead, she attempted to add pagan gods alongside Him. This syncretism was deeply offensive. God received it as a husband would receive a wife who wished to keep her marriage while acquiring additional lovers. Divided loyalty is rejected outright by the LORD.

b. My people ask counsel at their stocks.
Israel sought guidance from wooden idols and divination tools rather than from the living God. They trusted dead objects for direction while ignoring the LORD who speaks. This illustrates the irrational nature of idolatry. When God is rejected, reason collapses and superstition replaces truth.

c. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains.
Idolatrous worship was conducted openly and publicly. The choice of shaded groves and elevated places reflects pagan religious practice, not biblical worship. God’s people adopted the customs of the nations around them, demonstrating how far they had strayed from covenant faithfulness.

d. Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom.
Spiritual adultery produces moral corruption across generations. When fathers abandon faithfulness, families suffer. Sexual immorality follows theological compromise. Idolatry always degrades human relationships, especially within the home.

e. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom.
God refuses to apply a double standard. The men of Israel were leading in immorality, participating in ritual prostitution tied to idol worship. Therefore God will not single out women for blame while excusing male sin. Judgment must begin with those most responsible.

i. Sacrifices with harlots.
Many pagan religions incorporated ritual prostitution into worship. This made idolatry enticing and destructive. Worship became an expression of lust rather than reverence. Israel embraced these practices, further blurring moral and spiritual boundaries.

f. Therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
The chapter closes by returning to the central theme. Destruction flows from lack of understanding. This is not intellectual deficiency, but moral and spiritual refusal. Without the knowledge of God and His Word, collapse is inevitable. God’s people fall not because He is weak, but because they have rejected what sustains them.

B. A warning to Judah.

1. (Hosea 4:15) Judah is warned not to follow Israel’s sinful ways.

“Though 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.” (Hosea 4:15, KJV)

a. Let not Judah offend.
At this point in Israel’s history, the covenant people were divided into two kingdoms. Israel in the north had plunged deeply into idolatry and apostasy, while Judah in the south retained the temple, the Davidic line, and a measure of faithfulness. God therefore warns Judah not to imitate Israel’s sins. Judah was not yet as corrupt, but proximity to apostasy creates danger. God’s warning implies that Judah still has a choice, and that imitation of Israel’s practices would bring Judah under the same judgment.

b. Come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven.
Gilgal and Beth-aven were established centers of idolatrous worship in Israel. For a citizen of Judah to travel there was to participate in Israel’s rebellion. God commands separation from corrupt worship. Sin spreads by association, and nearness to idolatry dulls spiritual discernment. Scripture consistently warns against such influence. “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” (1 Corinthians 15:33, KJV). God’s instruction is preventative, not merely punitive.

i. Gilgal’s tragic decline.
Gilgal once held spiritual significance. Prophets were trained there under Elijah and Elisha. “And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel.” (2 Kings 2:1, KJV). “And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land.” (2 Kings 4:38, KJV). By Hosea’s day, Gilgal had become a place of corruption and false worship. Past spiritual heritage does not guarantee present faithfulness.

ii. Beth-aven as a prophetic insult.
Beth-aven is not a literal city name, but a deliberate distortion of Bethel, meaning House of God. Hosea renames it House of Vanity or House of Deceit. Bethel had become the southern center of calf worship instituted by Jeroboam I. “Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold.” (1 Kings 12:28–29, KJV). What was once associated with God’s presence had become a monument to rebellion.

c. Nor swear, The LORD liveth.
God forbids Judah from using His name in association with false worship. Swearing an oath by the LORD while engaging in idolatry profanes His name. Religious language cannot sanctify corrupt practice. God demands integrity between confession and conduct.

2. (Hosea 4:16–19) A summary of the charge, Israel’s sin and God’s remedy.

“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.” (Hosea 4:16–19, KJV)

a. Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer.
Israel is compared to a stubborn cow that refuses guidance. A heifer is strong, resistant, and difficult to control. Cattle can survive on open range because they are not easily preyed upon. But God declares that Israel will be treated differently. Because of her stubborn rebellion, the LORD will allow her to be like a lamb in a large place. A lamb without a shepherd in open country is exposed, defenseless, and vulnerable. The image communicates withdrawal of divine protection.

b. Ephraim is joined to idols.
Ephraim was the largest and most influential tribe in the northern kingdom. For this reason, the prophets often use Ephraim as a synonym for Israel as a whole. To be joined to idols indicates permanent attachment and deep commitment. Idolatry was not occasional or superficial. It defined Israel’s identity and direction.

c. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.
This is one of the most severe forms of judgment in Scripture. God does not say He will immediately strike Israel, but that He will withdraw restraint and protection. To be left alone by God is not mercy, but judgment. When Assyria comes, Israel will stand without divine defense.

i. The danger of divine withdrawal.
God’s presence restrains evil, protects His people, and corrects wandering hearts. When God steps back, destruction follows. Satan sought permission to destroy Peter, but Christ intervened. “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.” (Luke 22:31–32, KJV). Peter survived because God did not leave him alone.

ii. Left alone to self destruction.
Human nature does not drift toward righteousness on its own. Left to himself, a man moves toward sin, not holiness. God does not need to actively condemn a soul to ensure destruction. Withdrawal is sufficient. The prayer of the godly should always be for continued correction and presence, not independence.

d. Their drink is sour, they have committed whoredom continually.
What once promised pleasure now produces bitterness. Israel’s sin no longer satisfies, yet they persist in it. Habitual rebellion hardens the heart and removes sensitivity to shame.

e. Her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
Leadership is corrupt to the core. Those in authority delight in dishonor and greed. Instead of protecting the people or leading them in righteousness, rulers exploit them. When leadership loves shame, collapse is inevitable.

f. The wind hath bound her up in her wings.
Israel’s judgment will come swiftly and irresistibly, like a storm that sweeps everything away. The image conveys suddenness, power, and loss of control. Israel will be carried away into exile.

g. They shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
All the rituals, offerings, and idolatrous worship that Israel trusted in will become a source of shame. What they believed would save them will testify against them. False worship never delivers. It only multiplies guilt.