God’s Word Translation
Hosea 4:1
1Listen to the Lord’s word, you Israelites. The Lord has brought these charges against those who live in the land: “There is no faith, no love, and no knowledge of God 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
Listen to the Lord’s word, you Israelites. The Lord has brought these charges against those who live in the land: “There is no faith, no love, and no knowledge of God in the land. 2There is cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. People break ⌞my laws⌟, and there is one murder after another. 3That is why the land is drying up, and everyone who lives in it is passing away. Wild animals, birds, and fish are dying.
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 added, “Then hear the Lord’s word. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing near him on his right and his left.
- Isaiah 1:10Listen to the Lord’s word, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the teachings from our God, you people of Gomorrah!
- Isaiah 28:14So hear the Lord’s word, you foolish talkers who rule the people in Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 34:1Come close, you nations, and listen. Pay attention, you people. The earth, everyone in it, the world, and everything on it will listen.
- Isaiah 66:5Listen to the Lord’s word, all who tremble at his word. Your relatives, who hate you and exclude you for my name’s sake, say, “Let the Lord show his glory; then we will see your joy.” But they will be put to shame.
- Jeremiah 2:4Listen to the Lord’s word, descendants of Jacob, all the families in the nation of Israel.
- Jeremiah 7:2“Stand at the gate of the Lord’s house, and announce from there this message: ‘Listen to the Lord’s word, all you people of Judah who go through these gates to worship the Lord.
- Jeremiah 9:20Listen to the Lord’s word, you women, and open your ears to hear his words. Teach your daughters how to cry. Teach your neighbors funeral songs.
- Jeremiah 19:3Say, “Listen to the Lord’s word, you kings of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I’m going to bring such a disaster on this place that the ears of everyone who hears about it will ring.
- Jeremiah 34:4“ ‘Listen to the Lord’s word, King Zedekiah of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You will not die in war.
- Amos 7:16“Now listen to the Lord’s word: You said, ‘Stop prophesying against Israel, and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’
- Revelation 2:11Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Everyone who wins the victory will never be hurt by the second death.
- Hosea 12:2The Lord brings charges against Judah and punishes Jacob because of the way their people act. He will pay them back for what they have done.
- Isaiah 1:18“Come on now, let’s discuss this!” says the Lord. “Though your sins are bright red, they will become as white as snow. Though they are dark red, they will become as white as wool.
- Isaiah 3:13The Lord takes his place in the courtroom. He stands to judge his people.
- Isaiah 5:3Now then, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, judge between me and my vineyard!
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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