Amplified Bible
Hosea 4:1
1Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, For the Lord has a [legal] case with the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness [no steadfast love, no dependability] or loyalty or kindness Or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.
Hosea 4:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;
- New King James Version (NKJV)Hear the word of the Lord, You children of Israel, For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.
Context of Hosea 4:1
Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, For the Lord has a [legal] case with the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness [no steadfast love, no dependability] or loyalty or kindness Or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land. 2There is [false] swearing of oaths, deception (broken faith), murder, stealing, and adultery; They employ violence, so that one [act of] bloodshed follows closely on another. 3Therefore the land [continually] mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes [in tragic suffering] Together with the animals of the open country and the birds of the heavens; Even the fish of the sea disappear.
Read all of Hosea 4Hosea 4:1 word by word
שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֠י אֵין־אֱמֶ֧ת וְֽאֵין־חֶ֛סֶד וְאֵֽין־דַּ֥עַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- ye childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- hath a controversyרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
- with the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- no truthאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571
- nor mercyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- nor knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Hosea 4:1
- 1 Kings 22:19Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host (army) of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.
- Isaiah 1:10Hear the word of the Lord [rulers of Jerusalem], You rulers of [another] Sodom, Listen to the law and instruction of our God, You people of [another] Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 28:14Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, you arrogant men Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem!
- Isaiah 34:1Come near, you nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples! Let the earth and all that is in it hear, and the world and all that comes forth from it.
- Isaiah 66:5Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word: “Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My Name’s sake, Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’ But they will be put to shame.
- Jeremiah 2:4Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.
- Jeremiah 7:2“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter by these gates to worship the Lord.’ ”
- Jeremiah 9:20Now hear the word of the Lord, O you women, And let your ear hear the word of His mouth; Teach your daughters a song of mourning, And each one [teach] her neighbor a dirge.
- Jeremiah 19:3and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold (listen carefully), I am going to bring such disaster on this place that the ears of everyone who hears about it will tingle [in shock].
- Jeremiah 34:4Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword.
- Amos 7:16Now therefore, listen to the word of the Lord: You say, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.’
- Revelation 2:11He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will not be hurt by the second death (the lake of fire).’
- Hosea 12:2The Lord also has a dispute [a legal complaint and an indictment] with Judah, And He will punish Jacob in accordance with his ways; He will repay him in accordance with his deeds.
- Isaiah 1:18“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.
- Isaiah 3:13The Lord rises to contend, And stands to judge the people.
- Isaiah 5:3“And now, says the Lord, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard (My people).
Commentaries on Hosea 4:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The Lord hath a controversy - ריב rib, what we should call a lawsuit, in which God is plaintiff, and the Israelites defendants. It is Jehovah versus Israel and Judah. But when has God a controversy with any land? - Answer. When there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. These refer to the minds of the people. But wherever these righteous principles are wanting, there will soon be a vicious practice; hence it is added,Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel - The prophet begins here, in a series of pictures as it were, to exhibit the people of Israel to themselves, that they might know that God did not do without cause all this which He denounced against them. Here, at the outset, He summons, the whole people, their prophets and priests, before the judgment seat of God, where God would condescend, Himself to implead them, and hear, if they had ought in their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1God's judgments against the sins of the people. (Hos. 4:1-5) and of the priests. (Hos. 4:6-11) Idolatry is reproved, and Judah is admonished. (Hos. 4:12-19) Verses 1-5 Hosea reproves for immorality, as well as idolatry. There was no truth, mercy, or knowledge of God in the land: it was full of murders, II Kin. 21:16. Therefore calamities were near, which would desolate the country. Our sins, as separate persons, as a family, as a neighbourhood, as a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1This collection of Hosea’s prophecies is mostly in the order in which he made them. The prophecies began early in his ministry when Jeroboam II's was king. They ended just before Israel's destruction in 722 BC. Hosea shares God's accusations against Israel, warns them of severe consequences for their sins, and ends with a promise of future restoration.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-19In this chapter he reproves the people and priests for their sins in the interregnum which followed Jeroboam's death; hence there is no mention of the king or his family; and in Ho 4:2 bloodshed and other evils usual in a civil war are specified. 1. Israel--the ten tribes. controversy--judicial ground of complaint (Is 1:18; Jr 25:31; Mi 6:2). no ... knowledge of God--exhibited in practice (Jr 22:16).Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 4:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hosea 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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