Hosea 9:1 kjv
Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
Hosea 9:1 nkjv
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
Hosea 9:1 niv
Do not rejoice, Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor.
Hosea 9:1 esv
Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors.
Hosea 9:1 nlt
O people of Israel,
do not rejoice as other nations do.
For you have been unfaithful to your God,
hiring yourselves out like prostitutes,
worshiping other gods on every threshing floor.
Hosea 9 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 9:1 | Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, | Hosea 9:1 (Hosea's declaration) |
| Jeremiah 17:13 | Those who abandon the LORD will be put to shame, like trees whose roots dry up. | Jeremiah 17:13 (Consequence) |
| Isaiah 29:9 | Be astounded and amazed! Blind yourselves and be blinded! | Isaiah 29:9 (God's judgment) |
| Micah 7:3 | They are eager to do wrong with both hands; the ruler demands gifts, | Micah 7:3 (Nation's corruption) |
| Habakkuk 2:15 | Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink by force from his wineskin, | Habakkuk 2:15 (Wrongful gain) |
| Amos 8:4 | Hear this, you who trample upon the needy, and bring the poor of the land to a halt, | Amos 8:4 (Oppression) |
| Deuteronomy 28:64 | And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other. | Deuteronomy 28:64 (Scattering) |
| Psalm 106:6 | We have sinned as our fathers did; we have committed wickedness and acted wickedly. | Psalm 106:6 (Generational sin) |
| Ezekiel 16:27 | I have stretched out my hand against you and diminished your allotted portion; | Ezekiel 16:27 (Judgment detailed) |
| Hosea 4:11 | Sexual immorality and wine and new wine take away the understanding. | Hosea 4:11 (Cause of error) |
| Romans 1:21-23 | For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. | Romans 1:21-23 (Idolatry's root) |
| 1 Corinthians 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. | 1 Corinthians 6:18 (Exhortation) |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, | Galatians 5:19-21 (Works of flesh) |
| Ephesians 5:3-5 | But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, | Ephesians 5:3-5 (Christian conduct) |
| 1 Peter 4:3 | For the time past may suffice for doing what the Gentiles are bent on doing, | 1 Peter 4:3 (Past sin) |
| Isaiah 9:17 | For all of them are godless and wicked, all their mouths speak folly. | Isaiah 9:17 (Godlessness) |
| Jeremiah 7:29 | “Cut off your hair and cast it away; and raise up a lamentation on the bare heights, | Jeremiah 7:29 (Mourning prescribed) |
| Joel 2:26 | You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, | Joel 2:26 (Blessing's contrast) |
| John 3:19-20 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light. | John 3:19-20 (Love of darkness) |
| Philippians 3:18-19 | For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. | Philippians 3:18-19 (Enemies of Christ) |
| Zechariah 7:13 | "Just as I called, and they would not listen, so they called, and I would not listen, says the LORD of hosts. | Zechariah 7:13 (Unanswered prayer) |
| Leviticus 26:5 | Your threshing shall overlap with your vintage, and your vintage shall overlap with your sowing, | Leviticus 26:5 (Prosperity's hope) |
Hosea 9 verses
Hosea 9 1 Meaning
This verse pronounces judgment upon Israel, specifically stating that they will not rejoice as other nations do, because their rejoicing has been in impurity and separation from God, rooted in their idolatrous practices.
Hosea 9 1 Context
This verse sets the stage for the lament over Israel’s spiritual adultery. Hosea begins by declaring the doom upon Israel, contrasting their celebratory spirit with the judgment they face. Their outward rejoicings were rooted in their turning away from the true God, Yahweh, to chase after idols and engage in pagan rites. The prophetic message is clear: their source of joy is corrupted, and therefore their rejoicings are now exposed as illegitimate, leading to God’s inevitable judgment. This verse is crucial for understanding Hosea’s overarching theme of the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness.
Hosea 9 1 Word Analysis
- Direct address: “O Israel” identifies the specific target of this prophecy.
- Prohibition: “Do not rejoice” serves as a stark warning, highlighting the inappropriateness of their joy.
- Comparison: "like the nations" emphasizes that Israel is behaving like the surrounding pagan peoples, having abandoned their unique covenant identity.
- Accusation of spiritual adultery: “for you have played the harlot” is a core metaphor in Hosea, depicting Israel's idolatry as a violation of their marriage covenant with God.
- Causal link: “from your God” shows that their infidelity is a direct departure from Yahweh.
- Deep affection: “and have loved the hire of a prostitute” reveals that their turning away wasn't just an act but a preference and affection for the rewards of their unfaithfulness.
Hosea 9 1 Bonus Section
The prophetic usage of “playing the harlot” (זָנָה) and the concept of “hire” (מְחִיר) linked to a “consecrated person” or "temple prostitute" (קָדֵשׁ) in this verse points directly to the fertility cults and pagan religious practices prevalent in ancient Near Eastern cultures, which often involved ritual prostitution. These cults promised prosperity and fertility through their deities. Israel’s participation in such worship was a direct betrayal of their exclusive covenant with Yahweh, who alone was their true source of blessing. The verse highlights how easily a nation blessed by God could be seduced by the sensuous appeal and apparent benefits of neighboring religions, forgetting their divine commission and heritage.
Hosea 9 1 Commentary
Hosea declares a prohibition against Israel’s rejoicing because their joy is tainted by their covenant infidelity. Their celebration mirrors that of the pagan nations, signifying a syncretism and assimilation into surrounding idolatrous practices. The root cause is identified as their sexual immorality and apostasy from Yahweh, their God, and their deep love for the deceptive enticements of false worship. This verse underscores the gravity of spiritual unfaithfulness; it perverts even natural human expressions of joy and invites divine judgment.
- Practical implication: Believers should examine the source of their joy. Is it rooted in God and His truth, or is it found in fleeting worldly pleasures or compromises that separate them from God?
- Understanding sin: Sin not only offends God but also corrupts the sinner's own experience, turning genuine joy into something hollow or sinful.