Hosea 4:13 kjv
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.
Hosea 4:13 nkjv
They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your brides commit adultery.
Hosea 4:13 niv
They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
Hosea 4:13 esv
They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery.
Hosea 4:13 nlt
They offer sacrifices to idols on the mountaintops.
They go up into the hills to burn incense
in the pleasant shade of oaks, poplars, and terebinth trees.
"That is why your daughters turn to prostitution,
and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
Hosea 4 13 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Hosea 4:13 | "They sacrifice on the hilltops and burn incense on the mountains..." | Hosea 4:13 (original text) |
Exodus 34:12 | "Take care not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land..." | Prohibition of pagan worship |
Deuteronomy 12:2 | "You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods..." | Destruction of high places |
1 Kings 14:23 | "For they also built for themselves high places, pillars, and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree," | Widespread idolatry |
2 Kings 17:9 | "And the people of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city." | Secret worship on high places |
Jeremiah 2:20 | "For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; and you said, ‘I will not serve’; indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you bow yourself down like a loose woman." | Comparing Israel to a prostitute |
Ezekiel 6:13 | "Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain are among their idols, all around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, under every dense terebinth tree, in any place where they burned offerings in the fragrance of every one of them." | God's judgment on idolatry |
Isaiah 57:5 | "You kindle yourselves with Idols under Oak trees and trees of the forest you burn incense and pour drink-offerings of your children on them they are your lot." | Idolatry and child sacrifice |
Amos 7:17 | "Now therefore hear the word of the LORD: You say, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel, and you shall not preach against the house of Isaac.’ Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city..." | Judgment for prophesying |
1 Corinthians 10:20 | "No, I will suggest that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I want you to share with demons." | Association with false worship |
Acts 15:20 | "but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood." | Early church council on pagan practices |
Revelation 18:4 | "Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people. Do not share in her sins, or you will be plagued by her diseases.’" | Call to separate from corrupt systems |
Jeremiah 3:6 | "Look even in the days of King Josiah, Jeremiah, have you seen what treacherous Israel has done? She has gone on every high mountain and under every green tree and has played the harlot there." | Parallel to Hosea's imagery |
Deuteronomy 18:10 | "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead." | Prohibition of pagan rituals |
Judges 2:12 | "And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed and worshiped other gods, the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger." | Historical apostasy |
Psalm 106:37 | "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons." | Sacrifice to demons |
Leviticus 18:30 | "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances and not practice any of these abominations...so that the land does not vomit you out when you make it unclean by doing so." | Warning against abominations |
Jeremiah 17:2 | "They remember their little altars and their Asherim by the green trees, on the high hills," | Description of continued sin |
Nahum 3:4 | "Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations with her whoredoms and families with her sorceries." | Babylon's judgment |
Micah 1:11 | "Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitant of Zaanan does not come out; the wailing of Beth-ezel shall take away its standing place from you." | Prophecy against cities |
Hosea 4 verses
Hosea 4 13 Meaning
Hosea 4:13 describes the Israelites' willful engagement in forbidden religious practices on high places, offering sacrifices to false gods under trees and at hills. This verse highlights their sin as an act of defiance and self-gratification, deviating from God's prescribed worship.
Hosea 4 13 Context
Hosea 4:13 is part of a larger prophecy condemning Israel's widespread idolatry and moral corruption. The northern kingdom of Israel had a history of straying from the LORD, even after divine judgments. They adopted Canaanite religious practices, which were deeply intertwined with fertility cults, nature worship, and often included sexual immorality and even child sacrifice. These "high places" were naturally prominent sites for such illicit worship, seen as closer to the heavens. The prophet Hosea uses strong imagery, including the metaphor of Israel as a harlot, to expose the depth of their spiritual infidelity and the inevitable consequences of their actions. This was particularly true during the reigns of kings like Jeroboam I, who established golden calf worship at Dan and Bethel, promoting worship outside of God's designated sanctuary.
Hosea 4 13 Word Analysis
- “They” (Hebrew: הם -
hem
) - Refers to the people of Israel, emphasizing their collective culpability. - “sacrifice” (Hebrew: זֶבַח -
zevah
) - This is a general term for sacrifice, often implying a peace offering or a communal meal offering, but in this context, it denotes an illegitimate offering to false gods. - “on the hilltops” (Hebrew: עַל־הַגְּבָעוֹת -
al-haggev'ot
) - "Geva'ot" refers to hills, mounds, or elevations of land. These were common natural locations for worship, both legitimate (in early Israelite history before the centralization of worship) and illegitimate, later forbidden by Mosaic Law. Their elevation symbolized closeness to the divine or heavenly realm. - “and burn incense” (Hebrew: וְקַטֵּר -
veqatter
) - "Qatter" means to offer smoke or fragrance, specifically through burning, usually incense. This act was an integral part of worship, signifying prayer and communion with the deity. Here, it's directed toward idols. - “on the mountains” (Hebrew: בֶּֽהָרִים -
behārim
) - "Hārim" means mountains. Like hills, mountains were seen as significant religious sites, often associated with divine encounters or manifestations in ancient Near Eastern cultures. - “under” (Hebrew: תַּחַת -
taḥat
) - Denotes a position beneath or under something. In this context, it points to worshipping under trees. - “the oak” (Hebrew: אַלּוֹן -
allon
) - Refers to the terebinth tree or oak tree. These were significant in ancient Canaanite religion, often associated with fertility cults, divine symbolism, and sanctuaries, considered sacred groves where worship occurred. - “and poplar” (Hebrew: וְלָבֹנֶת -
velavoneh
) - This Hebrew word is more debated; it might refer to a variety of trees, possibly a poplar, or even a "storax" tree (which produced a fragrant resin used for incense). Like the oak, trees were often linked to pagan deities and worship. - “the terebinth” (Hebrew: וּבְלַ֫עַדִי -
uve
laadi
) - This appears to be a less common or possibly miscopied/misinterpreted word in some traditions, often rendered as "and poplar" or related to trees. If taken as is, it points to another type of tree used in worship. - “is shady” (Hebrew: כִּי־ט֫וֹבּוֹת -
ki-tovot
) - "Tovot" means good or pleasant. The phrase suggests that these trees provided a pleasing shade, making these illicit worship locations attractive and inviting for people seeking sensual or false spiritual experiences.
Words-Group Analysis
- "sacrifice on the hilltops and burn incense on the mountains": This phrase encapsulates the essence of illicit worship. The elevation (hilltops, mountains) symbolizes a desire to connect with a higher power, but the act of sacrifice and incense burning is directed towards idols, signifying spiritual apostasy and the adoption of foreign religious customs.
- "under the oak and poplar and terebinth, because their shade is good": This highlights the sensory and sensual appeal of these pagan sites. The "good shade" is not merely a description of a pleasant natural setting but a representation of how attractive and appealing these places of false worship were to the Israelite people, often associated with sensuality and immediate gratification over spiritual obedience.
Hosea 4 13 Bonus Section
The choice of specific trees like the oak and poplar/terebinth (or trees described by lavonah
and bil'adi
) in this verse is significant. These were commonly found in the ancient Near East and were often venerated as sacred in pagan cultures, associated with fertility deities and cosmic significance. For instance, Asherah, a prominent Canaanite goddess, was often symbolized by trees or worshiped in groves. The description "because their shade is good" carries a double meaning: literal comfort from the sun, but also the alluring promise of prosperity, sensual pleasure, and perceived divine favor offered by these pagan systems, which ultimately proved deceptive.
Hosea 4 13 Commentary
Hosea 4:13 condemns Israel’s deep-seated religious syncretism and disobedience. The people found the pagan cultic sites on high places under trees appealing due to their perceived natural beauty and perhaps the illicit rituals performed there. This attracted them away from the Lord, who required worship at the designated sanctuary and adherence to His covenant. Their preference for the sensory experience of these high places over the faithful worship of Jehovah revealed their hearts had turned away from spiritual devotion to carnal desire and superficiality, leading to further divine displeasure and judgment.