Hosea 4:17 kjv
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
Hosea 4:17 nkjv
"Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone.
Hosea 4:17 niv
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!
Hosea 4:17 esv
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.
Hosea 4:17 nlt
Leave Israel alone,
because she is married to idolatry.
Hosea 4 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 4:17 | Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. | The core message of the verse |
| Jeremiah 3:8 | Israel played the harlot; this verse echoes Hosea's condemnation of idolatry. | Spiritual adultery |
| Psalm 106:36 | The nations they served became snares and their idols became a trap. | Idolatry's snare |
| Isaiah 6:9-10 | God declares that people will stubbornly persist in their spiritual blindness. | Persistent spiritual blindness |
| 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 | Acknowledging only one God in contrast to the multitude of idols worshipped. | The sovereignty of God |
| Romans 1:21-23 | Became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. | Futility of idolatry |
| Deuteronomy 7:25 | Commands to destroy idols and not desire their silver or gold. | Destruction of idolatrous objects |
| Joshua 24:15 | "choose this day whom you will serve..." This highlights the choice presented to Ephraim. | Choice of service |
| 1 Kings 18:21 | Elijah confronts the Israelites about their divided loyalties. | Divided loyalties |
| Psalm 115:8 | Those who make idols are like them. | Creator vs. created |
| Jeremiah 2:11 | Nations do not change their gods, but my people have exchanged their glory. | Exchanging glory for worthlessness |
| 1 Samuel 15:23 | Rejection of kingship because of disobedience, comparing rebellion to idolatry. | Rebellion equated to idolatry |
| Ezekiel 14:4-5 | God’s judgment against those who set up idols in their hearts. | Idolatry of the heart |
| Hosea 5:11 | Ephraim is oppressed and broken by judgment because of his stubborn dealings. | Judgment for stubbornness |
| Zechariah 11:16 | A shepherd appointed over the flock, a warning against the false shepherd. | False shepherds |
| Galatians 5:4 | Those who try to be justified by law are separated from Christ. | Severance from Christ |
| 1 Corinthians 10:20 | What pagans sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, not to God. | Demons in idolatry |
| Revelation 21:8 | The place of the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable... idolaters. | Fate of idolaters |
| Jeremiah 44:17-18 | The people insist they prospered when they honored the queen of heaven. | Persistence in false worship |
| 2 Thessalonians 2:11 | God sends them a strong delusion, because they did not believe the truth. | Delusion from God |
| Isaiah 2:6 | Israel has forsaken God for practices from the east and is superstitious. | Forsaking God for superstition |
| Judges 2:13 | They abandoned the Lord and served Baals and Ashtoreths. | Abandonment of the Lord |
| Amos 5:26 | You will carry Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun your star god. | Idolatrous worship |
Hosea 4 verses
Hosea 4 17 Meaning
Ephraim is inextricably bound to idols. He should not be left to his own devices. Their shameful practices have led them into deep moral corruption.
Hosea 4 17 Context
This verse is found within the broader prophecy of Hosea, who was called to illustrate God’s love for an unfaithful Israel, depicted as his adulterous wife. Hosea’s ministry took place during a time of political instability and spiritual decay in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly during the reigns of Jeroboam II and later kings. Chapter 4 focuses on God’s indictment against Israel for their sin, highlighting the pervasive corruption, idolatry, and injustice that characterized the nation. The people had turned away from the Lord, embracing foreign gods and immoral practices. Verse 17 directly addresses the consequence of Ephraim's (a term often used to represent the Northern Kingdom) deep entanglement with idolatry, presenting it as a state from which they should be left alone to face the judgment due to their obstinate sin.
Hosea 4 17 Word analysis
- Ephraim (Hebrew: Ephrayim):
- Literally: "double fruitfulness" or "very fruitful."
- Significance: Represents the Northern Kingdom of Israel, named after its most prominent tribe. Its prominence, however, becomes a marker of its pronounced spiritual apostasy.
- is joined (Hebrew: dabak):
- Meaning: To cling, cleave, adhere, be joined, follow closely.
- Significance: Implies a strong, inseparable attachment or addiction. It speaks of a deliberate, persistent clinging.
- to idols (Hebrew: gilluylim):
- Meaning: idols, images, idols of wood and stone.
- Significance: Refers to false gods and the objects used for their worship, symbolizing a departure from the one true God. It denotes something useless and deceptive.
- leave him alone (Hebrew: hashlekh-hu):
- Meaning: Let him alone, forsake him, leave him. The imperative form suggests a passive acceptance of their chosen path.
- Significance: God’s withdrawal of His active dealing, allowing them to reap the full consequences of their chosen association with idolatry. It’s not a cessation of judgment, but a withdrawal of pleading or restraining influence.
- he is (Hebrew: hu):
- Meaning: He is.
- Significance: Emphasizes the person of Ephraim as the subject of the action.
- joined to idols (Hebrew: debak laggi•lu•lim):
- Meaning: "Clinging to idols." This compound idea is crucial.
- Significance: Captures the essence of Israel’s covenant-breaking. Their devotion, which should have been exclusively for Yahweh, is now irreversibly directed towards lifeless, pagan deities. This expresses the depth of their spiritual adultery.
- leave him alone, he is joined to idols:
- Meaning: Because of Ephraim’s deep, persistent adherence to idolatry, God states His intention to cease active intervention or correction.
- Significance: This indicates a point of no return where divine patience is exhausted, and the nation is left to face the judgment for its choices. It foreshadows the exile.
- His shameful practices: (Implicitly referring to the acts of idolatry and the corruption associated with it)
- Significance: The verse highlights that these "practices" are not mere ritual but represent a moral and spiritual pollution that deeply dishonors God and corrupts the nation.
Hosea 4 17 Bonus section
The Hebrew verb dabak ("to cling") is also used to describe the loving bond between a husband and wife (Genesis 2:24), emphasizing the sacredness of the marital covenant. Hosea powerfully reemploys this term to highlight how Israel has perverted this intimacy, cleaving to false gods instead of their Divine Husband. This use underscores the deeply personal and covenantal nature of the relationship God desired with His people. The phrase "leave him alone" carries a heavy theological weight; it’s not passive abandonment but an active judicial consequence of unrepentant rebellion, allowing the full fruition of sin’s destructive power.
Hosea 4 17 Commentary
Ephraim’s inseparable connection to idolatry has reached a critical point. This deep-seated attachment signifies a state of spiritual perversion where they find their identity and assurance in false gods. God’s directive to "leave him alone" is a stern pronouncement, indicating His withdrawal from direct intercession for a people who have deliberately and persistently chosen the path of spiritual adultery. Their adherence to idols is not a casual mistake but a binding addiction, leading them further into moral degradation. This verse serves as a somber testament to the consequences of national apostasy, where God, in His sovereignty, permits the determined sinner to proceed unchecked into the judgment that their chosen path will inevitably bring. Their devotion is misplaced, their practices are shameful, and the outcome, without divine intervention, is destruction.