--- title: "Hosea 4 - Study King James Bible with keil and delitzsch old testament commentary" description: "Read Hosea 4 with keil and delitzsch old testament commentary commentary. 1 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" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/keil-and-delitzsch-old-testament-commentary/hosea/4" --- [ Read](/kjv/hosea/4)[ Commentary](/study/hosea/4)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/hosea/4) Audio 1 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. 2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.* 3 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. 4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people *are* as they that strive with the priest. 5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.* 6 ¶ 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.* 7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: *therefore* will I change their glory into shame. 8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.* 9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.** 10 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. 11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. 12 ¶ 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. 13 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. 14 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.** 15 ¶ 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. 16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place. 17 Ephraim *is* joined to idols: let him alone. 18 Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers *with* shame do love, Give ye.** 19 The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. [Hosea 3](/study/hosea/3) [Hosea 5](/study/hosea/5) ## Commentary To verse 1 [Hosea 4:1-5](/kjv/hosea/4/1-5) form the first strophe, and contain, so to speak, the theme and the sum and substance of the whole of the following threatening of punishment and judgment. [Hosea 4:1](/kjv/hosea/4/1). *“Hear the word of Jehovah, ye sons of Israel! for Jehovah has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, and no love, and no knowledge of God in the land.”* Israel of the ten tribes is here addressed, as [Hosea 4:15](/kjv/hosea/4/15) clearly shows. The Lord has a controversy with it, has to accuse and judge it (cf. [Micah 6:2](/kjv/micah/6/2)), because truth, love, and the knowledge of God have vanished from the land. *'Emeth* and chesed are frequently associated, not merely as divine attributes, but also as human virtues. They are used here in the latter sense, as in [Proverbs 3:3](/kjv/proverbs/3/3). “There is no *'ĕmeth*, i.e., no truthfulness, either in speech or action, no one trusting another any more” (cf. [Jeremiah 9:3-4](/kjv/jeremiah/9/3-4)). *Chesed* is not human love generally, but love to inferiors, and to those who need help or compassionate love. Truth and love are mutually conditions, the one of the other. “Truth cannot be sustained without mercy; and mercy without truth makes men negligent; so that the one ought to be mingled with the other” (Jerome). They both have their roots in the knowledge of God, of which they are the fruit ([Jeremiah 22:16](/kjv/jeremiah/22/16); [Isaiah 11:9](/kjv/isaiah/11/9)); for the knowledge of God is not merely “an acquaintance with His nature and will” (Hitzig), but knowledge of the love, faithfulness, and compassion of God, resting upon the experience of the heart. Such knowledge not only produces fear of God, but also love and truthfulness towards brethren (cf. [Ephesians 4:32](/kjv/ephesians/4/32); [Colossians 3:12](/kjv/colossians/3/12).). 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