New English Translation
Hosea 4:1
1Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites! For the Lord has a covenant lawsuit against the people of Israel. For there is neither faithfulness nor loyalty in the land, nor do they acknowledge God.
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 Israelites! For the Lord has a covenant lawsuit against the people of Israel. For there is neither faithfulness nor loyalty in the land, nor do they acknowledge God. 2There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. They resort to violence and bloodshed. 3Therefore the land will mourn, and all its inhabitants will perish. The wild animals, the birds of the sky, and even the fish in the sea will perish.
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, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left.
- Isaiah 1:10Listen to the Lord’s word, you leaders of Sodom! Pay attention to our God’s rebuke, people of Gomorrah!
- Isaiah 28:14Therefore, listen to the Lord’s word, you who mock, you rulers of these people who reside in Jerusalem!
- Isaiah 34:1Come near, you nations, and listen! Pay attention, you people! The earth and everything it contains must listen, the world and everything that lives in it.
- Isaiah 66:5Hear the word of the Lord, you who respect what he has to say! Your countrymen, who hate you and exclude you, supposedly for the sake of my name, say, “May the Lord be glorified, then we will witness your joy.” But they will be put to shame.
- Jeremiah 2:4Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel.
- Jeremiah 7:2“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s temple and proclaim this message: ‘Listen, all you people of Judah who have passed through these gates to worship the Lord. Hear what the Lord has to say.
- Jeremiah 9:20I said, “So now, you wailing women, hear what the Lord says. Open your ears to the words from his mouth. Teach your daughters this mournful song, and each of you teach your neighbor this lament.
- Jeremiah 19:3Say, ‘Listen to what the Lord says, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring!
- Jeremiah 34:4However, listen to what I, the Lord, promise you, King Zedekiah of Judah. I, the Lord, promise that you will not die in battle or be executed.
- Amos 7:16So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’
- Revelation 2:11The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will in no way be harmed by the second death.’
- Hosea 12:2The Lord also has a covenant lawsuit against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.
- Isaiah 1:18Come, let’s consider your options,” says the Lord. “Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool.
- Isaiah 3:13The Lord takes his position to judge; he stands up to pass sentence on his people.
- Isaiah 5:3So now, residents of Jerusalem, people of Judah, you decide 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
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