the Third Week after Easter
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Revised Standard Version
Hosea 4:1
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- CondensedParallel Translations
Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel,
Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Yisra'el; For the LORD has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "Indeed there is no truth, Nor goodness, Nor knowledge of God in the land.
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.
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;
Listen to the word of the LORD, you sons of Israel, Because the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, For there is no faithfulness, nor loyalty, Nor knowledge of God in the land.
People of Israel, listen to the Lord 's message. The Lord has this against you who live in the land: "The people are not true, not loyal to God, nor do those who live in the land even know him.
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.
Heare the worde of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the lande, because there is no trueth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the lande.
Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land.
Listen to the word of Yahweh, O sons of Israel,For Yahweh has a contention against the inhabitants of the land,Because there is no truth or lovingkindnessOr knowledge of God in the land.
Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land!
Israel, listen as the Lord accuses everyone in the land! No one is faithful or loyal or truly cares about God.
Hear the word of Adonai , people of Isra'el! For Adonai has a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: there is no truth, no faithful love or knowledge of God in the land;
Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
People of Israel, listen to the Lord 's message. The Lord has something to say against those who live in this land: "The people in this land are not honest or loyal. They don't really know God.
HEAR the word of the LORD, O children of Israel; for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no justice or mercy or knowledge of God in the land;
The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people who live in this land. Listen, Israel, to what he says: "There is no faithfulness or love in the land, and the people do not acknowledge me as God.
Hear the word of Yahweh, O children of Israel, for Yahweh has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty, there is no knowledge of God in the land.
Sons of Israel, hear the Word of Jehovah, for Jehovah has a quarrel with those living in the land; for there is no truth, and no mercy, and no knowledge of God in the land.
Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Give ear to the word of the Lord, O children of Israel; for the Lord has a cause against the people of this land, because there is no good faith in it, and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land.
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.
Heare the worde of the Lord, yee children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no trueth, nor mercie, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Heare the worde of the Lorde O ye chyldren of Israel, for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitauntes of the lande: for there is no trueth, there is no mercy, there is no knowledge of God in the lande.
Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
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.
Hear the word of Yahweh, you children of Israel; For Yahweh has a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "Indeed there is no truth, Nor goodness, Nor knowledge of God in the land.
Sones of Israel, here ye the word of the Lord, for whi doom is to the Lord with the dwelleris of erthe; for whi trewthe is not, and merci is not, and kunnyng of the Lord is not in erthe.
Hear the word of Yahweh, you sons of Israel; for Yahweh has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
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.
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.
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.
Hear the word of the Lord , O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: "There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land.
Listen to the Word of the Lord, O people of Israel, because He has something against the people of the land. "They are not faithful or kind, and no one in the land knows God.
Hear the word of the Lord , O people of Israel; for the Lord has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land.
Hear the word of Yahweh, ye sons of Israel, - that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, nor knowledge of God, in the land:
Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord shall enter into judgment with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land.
`Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife [is] to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,
Heare ye worde of the LORDE, o ye children of Israel: For the LORDE must punysh the, yt dwel in the londe. And why? There is no faithfulnesse, there is no mercy, there is no knowlege of God in the lode:
Attention all Israelites! God 's Message! God indicts the whole population: "No one is faithful. No one loves. No one knows the first thing about God. All this cussing and lying and killing, theft and loose sex, sheer anarchy, one murder after another! And because of all this, the very land itself weeps and everything in it is grief-stricken— animals in the fields and birds on the wing, even the fish in the sea are listless, lifeless.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Cir, am 3224, bc 780
Hear: 1 Kings 22:19, Isaiah 1:10, Isaiah 28:14, Isaiah 34:1, Isaiah 66:5, Jeremiah 2:4, Jeremiah 7:2, Jeremiah 9:20, Jeremiah 19:3, Jeremiah 34:4, Amos 7:16, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:29
for: Hosea 12:2, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 3:13, Isaiah 3:14, Isaiah 5:3, Isaiah 34:8, Jeremiah 25:31, Micah 6:2
no truth: Isaiah 59:13-15, Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 7:3-6, Micah 7:2-5
nor knowledge: Jeremiah 4:22, Jeremiah 4:28, Jeremiah 5:4, John 8:55, Romans 1:28, 1 Corinthians 15:34
Reciprocal: Genesis 6:11 - filled Genesis 6:13 - filled 2 Kings 17:7 - sinned 1 Chronicles 28:9 - know thou Proverbs 3:3 - mercy Proverbs 6:17 - lying Isaiah 24:20 - the transgression Isaiah 27:8 - thou wilt Isaiah 59:8 - no Isaiah 59:15 - truth Jeremiah 5:2 - though Jeremiah 7:9 - steal Jeremiah 7:28 - truth Jeremiah 9:3 - they know Jeremiah 10:1 - General Jeremiah 51:5 - though Ezekiel 16:35 - hear Ezekiel 20:35 - and there Hosea 4:6 - for Hosea 4:14 - therefore Hosea 5:1 - O priests Hosea 5:4 - and Hosea 6:6 - the Hosea 12:6 - keep Amos 2:6 - For three Amos 3:1 - Hear Micah 6:12 - the rich Zechariah 8:16 - Speak Matthew 21:33 - Hear John 7:28 - whom 1 Timothy 1:10 - perjured
Cross-References
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him."
and called his name Noah, saying, "Out of the ground which the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands."
Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel,.... The people of the ten tribes, as distinct from Judah, Hosea 4:15, the prophet having finished his parables he was ordered to take up and deliver, and his explanations of them, and concluded with a gracious promise of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day, enters upon a new discourse, which begins with reproof for various sins; since what had been delivered in parables and types had had no effect upon them, they are called upon to hear what the Lord would say to them by the prophet, in more clear and express terms; silence is ordered, and attention required to what follows:
for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; the land of Israel; against him they had sinned, before him they stood guilty; he had something, yea, many things, against them; a charge is brought into open court, the indictment is read, an answer must be made: God is the antagonist, that moves and brings on the controversy in a judicial way, and who can answer him for one of a thousand? or stand before him, or in court with him, when he marks iniquity? the charge is as follows,
because there is no truth; none that do or speak truth; that are true and faithful men, true to their word, and faithful to their trust; no truth of grace in them, nor truth of doctrine held and received by them; truth failed from among them, and none were valiant for it; no truth or civil faith with respect to men, nor any truth of word or worship with respect to God:
nor mercy: to poor and indigent creatures; no compassion shown them; no offices of humanity or acts of beneficence exercised towards them; though these are more desirable by the Lord than, and are preferred by him to, all ceremonial sacrifices, Hosea 6:6, or no piety, religion, godliness, powerful godliness, which has the promise of this life, and that to come:
nor knowledge of God in the land; in the land of Israel, where God was used to be known; where he had been worshipped; were his word had been dispensed, and his prophets had been sent, and his saints that knew him, and his mind and will, formerly had dwelt; but now a company of atheists, at least that lived as such, and had no true spiritual saving knowledge of God, and communion with him; they had not true love to him, nor a godly reverence of him, which this implies; and that was the source of all the wickedness committed by them, afterwards expressed. The Targum is,
"there are none that do truth, nor dispense mercy, nor walk in the fear of the Lord, in the land.''
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Hear 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 defense. The title “children of Israel” is, in itself, an appeal to their gratitude and their conscience, as the title “Christian” among us is an appeal to us, by Him whose name we bear. Our Lord says, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the work’s of Abraham” John 8:39; and Paul, “let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity” 2 Timothy 2:19.
For the Lord hath a controversy - God wills, in all His dealings with us His creatures, to prove even to our own consciences, the righteousness of His judgments, so as to leave us without excuse. Now, through His servants, He shows people their unrighteousness and His justice; hereafter our Lord, the righteous Judge, will show it through the book of people’s own consciences.
With the inhabitants of the land - God had given the land to the children of Israel, on account of the wickedness of these whom He drave out before them. He gave it to them “that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws” (Psalms 105:0 ult.). He had promised that His “Eyes should always be upon it from the beginning of the year unto the end of the year” Deuteronomy 11:12. This land, the scene of those former judgments, given to them on those conditions (see Deuteronomy 4:1, Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 6:21-25, etc.), the land which God had given to them as their God, they had filled with iniquity.
Because there is no truth, nor mercy - “Truth and mercy” are often spoken of, as to Almighty God. Truth takes in all which is right, and to which God has bound Himself; mercy, all beyond, which God does out of His boundless love. When God says of Israel, “there is no truth nor mercy,” He says that there is absolutely none of those two great qualities, under which He comprises all His own Goodness. “There is no truth,” none whatever, “no regard for known truth; no conscience, no sincerity, no uprightness; no truth of words; no truth of promises; no truth in witnessing; no making good in deeds what they said in words.”
Nor mercy - The word has a wide meaning; it includes all love of one to another, a love issuing in acts. It includes loving-kindness, piety to parents, natural affection, forgiveness, tenderness, beneficence, mercy, goodness. The prophet, in declaring the absence of this grace, declares the absence of all included under it. Whatever could be comprised under love, whatever feelings are influenced by love, of that there was nothing.
Nor knowledge of God - The union of right knowledge and wrong practice is hideous in itself; and it must be especially offensive to Almighty God, that His creatures should know whom they offend, how they offend Him, and yet, amid and against their knowledge, choose that which displeases Him. And, on that ground, perhaps, He has so created us, that when our acts are wrong, our knowledge becomes darkened Romans 1:21. The “knowledge of God” is not merely to know some things of God, as that He is the Creator and Preserver of the world and of ourselves. To know things of God is not to know God Himself. We cannot know God in any respect, unless we are so far made like unto Him. “Hereby do we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him. Every one that loveth is born of’ God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love” 1 John 2:3-4; 1 John 4:7-8.
Knowledge of God being the gift of the Holy Spirit, he who hath not grace, cannot have that knowledge. A certain degree of speculative knowledge of God, a bad man may have, as Balaam had by inspiration, and the Pagan who, “when they knew God, glorified Him not as God.” But even this knowledge is not retained without love. Those who “held the truth in unrighteousness” ended (Paul says Romans 1:21, Romans 1:18, Romans 1:28) by corrupting it. “They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and so God gave them over to a reprobate,” or undistinguishing mind, that they could not. Certainly, the speculative and practical knowledge are bound up together, through the oneness of the relation of the soul to God, whether in its thoughts of Him, or its acts toward Him. Wrong practice corrupts belief, as misbelief corrupts practice. The prophet then probably denies that there was any true knowledge of God, of any sort, whether of life or faith or understanding or love. Ignorance of God, then, is a great evil, a source of all other evils.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER IV
The prophet charges his people with their enormous sins, 1, 2;
in consequence of which they are threatened with heavy
judgments, 3-5.
God himself is then introduced complaining of the ignorance and
obstinacy of Israel; and as their priests had a large share in
the common guilt, it is declared that they shall be visited
with a proportionable share of the common ruin, 6-11.
The sins of idolatry and divination are then particularly
reproved, 12-14;
and Judah admonished to beware of these sins, which would leave
her rebellious sister Israel helpless and desolate as a lamb in
a desert, 15, 16.
In the remaining verses the style is varied, but the subject is
the same. Ephraim is given up to idolatry, and the necessary
consequence declared to be a bitter draught! Immediately we see
him bound in the wings of a mighty tempest, and driven as chaff
before the wind, either to destruction or captivity, 17-19.
NOTES ON CHAP. IV
Verse Hosea 4:1. The 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,
