Hosea 4:10 kjv
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.
Hosea 4:10 nkjv
For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the LORD.
Hosea 4:10 niv
"They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves
Hosea 4:10 esv
They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish
Hosea 4:10 nlt
They will eat and still be hungry.
They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it,
for they have deserted the LORD
Hosea 4 10 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Hosea 4:10 | "They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall commit a detestable thing; because they have forsaken the LORD to trust in idols." | Deut. 28:47 (consequences of disobedience) |
Hosea 6:6 | "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God most holy, and not burnt offerings." | 1 Sam. 15:22 (sacrifice without obedience) |
Jeremiah 3:10 | "Yet even then her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but only in pretence,' declares the LORD." | Jer. 3:6-11 ( Judah's unfaithfulness) |
Psalm 106:29-30 | "They provoked him to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped." | Num. 25:7-11 (Phinehas' action) |
Micah 6:7 | "Does the LORD take pleasure in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" | Mic. 6:6-8 (true worship) |
John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." | John 1:14 (Christ's dwelling among us) |
Romans 11:22 | "Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off." | Rom. 11:21-22 ( Gentile branches) |
1 Corinthians 10:7 | "Do not become idolaters as some of them did, as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” | 1 Cor. 10:7 (avoiding idolatry) |
Ephesians 5:5 | "For you may be sure of this, that no sexually immoral or impure man, or one greedy who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." | Eph. 5:5 (greed and idolatry) |
Hosea 5:15 | "I will return to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, in their suffering they will seek me early." | Hosea 5:15 (God's withdrawal and sought repentance) |
Hosea 11:9 | "I will not execute my fierce anger, I will not again deal with destruction, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not enter into the city." | Hosea 11:9 (God's mercy despite punishment) |
Deuteronomy 30:2 | "and if they turn back to the LORD your God and you and your children obey his voice with all your heart and with all your soul, according to all that I am commanding you today," | Deut. 30:2 (promise of return and blessing) |
Jeremiah 7:23 | "But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’" | Jer. 7:23 (covenant blessings) |
Amos 5:5 | "But do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal; do not pass through Beersheba, for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing." | Amos 5:5 (rejection of corrupt worship centers) |
Nahum 1:3 | "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not leave the guilty unpunished." | Nahum 1:3 (God's justice) |
Psalm 78:57-58 | "They turned and acted treacherously, like their fathers; they bent the bow and shot like a deceitful bow. They provoked him to anger with their high places; they stirred him to jealousy with their graven images." | Ps. 78:57-58 (Israel's repeated sin) |
Revelation 18:2 | "He cried out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast." | Rev. 18:2 (fall of corrupted system) |
1 Kings 14:9 | "and because you have done all these things, acting like the son of the devil you have served and worshiped the herd." | 1 Kings 14:9 (Jeroboam's sin) |
Isaiah 64:5 | "You meet him who joys in doing righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our old ways we are still accounted transgressors." | Isa. 64:5 (God meets the repentant) |
Hosea 12:11 | "Has Ephraim also committed iniquity? Indeed his adultery is on the wood." | Hosea 12:11 (sin of Ephraim) |
Hosea 4 verses
Hosea 4 10 Meaning
This verse speaks of a conditional promise of restoration for Israel. If they acknowledge their iniquity and cease from their sins, God promises to "not drive them out." This implies a possible consequence of exile or complete removal, which could be averted by repentance.
Hosea 4 10 Context
Hosea 4:10 occurs within a larger discourse of God's indictment against Israel, particularly the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim). The preceding verses detail the moral decay, corrupt worship, and spiritual infidelity rampant among the people and their leadership. They had forsaken the LORD and turned to idols and syncretic practices. This verse reflects on their continued unfaithfulness and the futility of their practices. The prophet Hosea often uses agricultural and family metaphors to illustrate Israel's covenant relationship with God and their violation of it. The historical backdrop is a period of political instability and social breakdown, marked by spiritual decline.
Hosea 4 10 Word Analysis
And they shall eat, but not be satisfied
- And (Hebrew: וְ – və): Conjunction, indicating sequence or consequence.
- they shall eat (Hebrew: יֹאכְלוּ – yo'kəlû): Future tense, indicating what will happen to them. "Eat" implies sustenance, but the subsequent phrase negates its benefit.
- but not (Hebrew: וְלֹא – wəlō'): Contrast and negation.
- be satisfied (Hebrew: יִשְׂבָּעוּ – yiśbā‘û): To be filled, to have enough. The inability to find satisfaction points to a spiritual emptiness caused by their misdirected worship and actions. This lack of satisfaction extends beyond physical hunger to a deeper, spiritual famine.
and they shall commit a detestable thing
- and they shall commit (Hebrew: וְיַעֲשׂוּ – wəya‘ăśû): Future tense, active verb. "Do" or "make."
- a detestable thing (Hebrew: זִמָּה – zimmah): This word carries strong connotations of perversion, lewdness, sexual immorality, and morally corrupt acts, especially those considered abhorrent to God. In this context, it likely refers to their idolatrous practices and the accompanying immoral behavior associated with pagan cults.
because they have forsaken the LORD
- because (Hebrew: כִּי – kî): Indicates cause or reason.
- they have forsaken (Hebrew: עָזְבוּ – ‘āzbû): Perfect tense, indicating a completed action with ongoing results. To abandon, leave, desert. This is a central theme of Hosea, portraying Israel's unfaithfulness as abandonment of their covenant with God.
- the LORD (Hebrew: יְהוָה – YHWH): The personal covenantal name of God. Emphasizes the specific relationship that Israel has rejected.
to trust in idols
- to trust (Hebrew: לִבְטֹחַ – liḇṭōaḥ): Future infinitive construct with preposition, expressing purpose or result. To lean upon, to have confidence in. A strong verb signifying reliance.
- in idols (Hebrew: בַּבָּלִיעִים – babbāli‘îm): Masculine plural of בַּלִּיעַ (bali‘a), often translated as "nothingness" or "vanity," but in context referring to "idols" or "false gods." This signifies reliance on things that are inherently empty and powerless, contrasting sharply with reliance on the living God.
Group Analysis
The phrase "eat, but not be satisfied" encapsulates a profound spiritual emptiness resulting from corrupted worship. It’s a metaphor for the futility of seeking fulfillment in anything other than God. Their inability to be satisfied signifies a spiritual hunger that cannot be quenched by worldly means or false deities. The "detestable thing" points directly to their sin, characterized by idolatry and its accompanying moral degeneracy, as prophesied throughout Hosea. The reason provided—forsaking YHWH to trust in worthless idols—highlights the root cause of their spiritual bankruptcy and impending judgment. This stark contrast between the futile worship of idols and the life-giving presence of God is a recurring motif in the Old Testament.
Hosea 4 10 Bonus Section
The concept of "eating but not being satisfied" resonates throughout Scripture, often indicating a divine judgment where blessing is turned into curse due to disobedience (cf. Leviticus 26:26, Deuteronomy 28:38, 40). In Hosea, the people of Israel are likened to an unfaithful wife, and their pursuit of other "lovers" (idols and foreign alliances) leads to this barrenness. The phrase "detestable thing" (zimmah) is frequently used to describe gross sexual immorality and idolatry, which were intrinsically linked in the ancient Near East. The deliberate act of forsaking YHWH signifies a willful rejection of the covenant and a turning towards superficial, powerless objects of worship. This underscores that true "trust" can only be placed in the faithful God of Israel.
Hosea 4 10 Commentary
This verse pronounces a grim reality for Israel. Their sustenance would be unfruitful, offering no true satisfaction, mirroring their spiritual desolation. This lack of contentment stems from their deliberate turning away from YHWH, the source of true life and blessing, to pursue empty idols. Their idolatry was not merely a religious deviation but a profound act of spiritual adultery and betrayal, leading to the inevitable consequences of divine judgment. The ultimate fate described implicitly hints at exile or removal, as those who abandon their God will find no lasting security or fulfillment. The verse emphasizes that true satisfaction and security are found only in faithfulness to the LORD.