Hosea 4:12 kjv
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.
Hosea 4:12 nkjv
My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God.
Hosea 4:12 niv
My people consult a wooden idol, and a diviner's rod speaks to them. A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God.
Hosea 4:12 esv
My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore.
Hosea 4:12 nlt
They ask a piece of wood for advice!
They think a stick can tell them the future!
Longing after idols
has made them foolish.
They have played the prostitute,
serving other gods and deserting their God.
Hosea 4 12 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Hosea 4:12 | "My people consult their wooden idol," | Hos 4:12 (Strong connection) |
Isaiah 44:17 | "...he forms the rest into a god, his idol;" | Isa 44:17 (Parallel theme) |
Jeremiah 2:27 | "Who say to a wooden thing, ‘You are my father,’" | Jer 2:27 (Direct parallel) |
Jeremiah 10:3 | "For the customs of the peoples are vain; for one cuts a tree..." | Jer 10:3 (Similar critique) |
Psalm 115:4 | "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands." | Psa 115:4 (Critique of idols) |
Psalm 135:15 | "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, a work of hands." | Psa 135:15 (Similar critique) |
Isaiah 45:20 | "...they carry about their wooden idols..." | Isa 45:20 (Parallel theme) |
Jeremiah 17:5 | "Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in man..." | Jer 17:5 (Contrast with trust) |
Hosea 2:5 | "...they went after their lovers and forgot me, says the Lord." | Hos 2:5 (Spiritual adultery) |
Hosea 5:4 | "Their deeds do not allow them to return to their God." | Hos 5:4 (Consequence of actions) |
Isaiah 1:23 | "Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves..." | Isa 1:23 (Corruption) |
Hosea 9:10 | "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness;" | Hos 9:10 (Past fidelity) |
Hosea 5:11 | "Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment..." | Hos 5:11 (Result of sin) |
Leviticus 19:4 | "Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves liquid gods." | Lev 19:4 (Prohibition) |
1 Corinthians 10:14 | "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | 1 Cor 10:14 (NT Command) |
1 John 5:21 | "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." | 1 John 5:21 (NT Command) |
Romans 1:21-23 | "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God..." | Rom 1:21-23 (Root of idolatry) |
Hosea 13:1-3 | "When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was Israel's..." | Hos 13:1-3 (Worship of calves) |
Ezekiel 20:32 | "But I said, ‘I will deal with them in that way...' | Eze 20:32 (Judgment for idolatry) |
Hosea 4 verses
Hosea 4 12 Meaning
This verse describes how Israel's people turn to their wooden idols and staffs for guidance, seeking answers from these lifeless objects. This practice is presented as a fundamental flaw and spiritual prostitution, reflecting their deep apostasy. Their actions are described as a search for prophetic communication from what cannot speak or guide them.
Hosea 4 12 Context
Hosea's prophecy is addressed to the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of significant spiritual decline and impending judgment. Chapter 4 depicts the pervasive sin and corruption within the nation, affecting all levels of society, especially the priesthood and leadership. The people have strayed from Yahweh, their covenant God, and have embraced syncretistic practices and outright idolatry. Verse 12 stands as a stark indictment of their misplaced trust and their seeking of divine direction from inanimate objects, symbolizing their complete abandonment of true prophecy and divine guidance. This is set against the backdrop of a nation ripe for divine punishment due to its infidelity.
Hosea 4 12 Word Analysis
- בַּעַל (ba'al): "master," "lord," "husband." Commonly used for Canaanite deities. Here, it is used idiomatically and with ironic reference to their consulting their own "master" or idol. It signifies a lord or owner, and in religious contexts, it often referred to the Canaanite storm god Baal, indicating a move away from Yahweh.
- עֵץ ('etz): "tree," "wood." Refers to the material of their idols. The emphasis is on the natural, created object that has been transformed into a deity.
- יִשְׁאָלוּ (yish'alu): "they will ask," "they consult," "they inquire." This implies a seeking of information or guidance, typically from a prophet or oracle.
- וְקָנֵהוּ (v'kanehu): "and its reed" or "and his staff." This refers to a cultic object, perhaps a divination rod or scepter, representing a source of perceived spiritual insight. The 'its' or 'his' connects it to the idol ('etz). The word
qaneh
can mean reed, branch, or rod. It was often used for measuring or as a symbol of authority, but in this context, it points to another means of seeking spiritual direction apart from God. - רוּחַ (ruach): "spirit." In this context, it is the spirit or prophetic utterance they sought from the idols. The idol has no spirit of its own.
- נִבֵּא (n'be): "prophesy," "speak as a prophet." Israel expects to receive prophetic messages from their wooden idols, a concept alien to genuine prophecy. The root relates to speaking forth.
- אֹתָם (otam): "them." Referring to the people of Israel.
- בִּי (bi): "in me" or "from me." Hosea, as the mouthpiece of God, contrasts the people's actions with true divine communication. It is used here in contrast to what they seek from the wood.
Word-group analysis:
- "Consult their wooden idol": highlights the active participation of the people in seeking the inanimate.
- "and its reed and his staff": illustrates the specific, material means through which they misguidedly sought divine revelation. The possessive pronoun (its/his) emphasizes their ownership and reliance on these man-made objects.
Hosea 4 12 Bonus Section
This verse underscores the theme of spiritual adultery prevalent in Hosea's message. The people's consultation of idols is depicted as seeking other "lovers" in the spiritual realm, paralleling marital infidelity. True prophecy, as delivered by Hosea, emanates from the Spirit of the living God and calls the people back to faithful communion with Him, contrasting sharply with the false and futile communication sought from inanimate objects. The repetition of “idol” (or equivalent in meaning) in related texts reinforces the pervasive nature of this sin.
Hosea 4 12 Commentary
Israel’s profound spiritual bankruptcy is laid bare. They have turned away from the living God and His prophets to seek answers from lifeless pieces of wood. This is not merely a preference for a different religion; it's a desperate search for prophecy from objects that possess no breath, no understanding, and no spirit. Their consulting of idols and staffs signifies their complete loss of divine connection. This apostasy stems from a deep-seated corruption and rejection of God’s authority, leading them to consult creations rather than the Creator. This perverted form of seeking guidance ultimately leads to spiritual confusion and certain doom, as Hosea’s prophecy will detail.