Hosea
Chapter 4
Quarrel with the Priests
Hear the word of the Lord, Israel! For the Lord has an accusation against the inhabitants of this land. There is neither truth nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the country;
only perjury, lies, murder, theft, and adultery, with continual bloodshed.
That is why the country is in mourning, with everyone there wasting away; the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, even the fish are dying.
But let no one apologize or blame another; for it is you, priest, whom I single out!
You will stumble in broad daylight, and the prophet will fall with you into darkness; I will silence you.
You have destroyed my people by failing to acknowledge me! Because you refuse to recognize me, I will reject you as my priests. Because you reject the law of your God, I will reject your descendants.
The more priests increased in number, the more they rebelled against me. They have turned their noble calling into a shameful disgrace,
since they eat the sacrifices for sin; they enjoy watching my people sin.
Yet, it will be the same for the people and for the priest; I will punish both for their actions and repay them for what they have done.
They will eat and still be hungry; they will increase their prostitution but remain without children, because they have no reverence for the Lord.
Idolatrous Fornication
Aged wine and new wine diminish understanding.
My people consult a wooden idol and depend on a rod for guidance. A spirit of adultery leads them astray and causes them to be unfaithful to their God.
They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn incense on the hills, under the oak, the poplar, and the terebinth, wherever the shade is pleasant.
That is why, if your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery, I will not punish them; for you, yourselves, go off with harlots and sacrifice with temple prostitutes. A senseless people destroys itself.
Although you, O Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty! Do not journey to Gilgal! Do not go up to Beth-aven! Do not swear oaths ‘by the Lord’s life’.
Since Israel is as stubborn as a stubborn cow, will the Lord tend to it gently like a lamb?
Ephraim is committed to idols; let the Lord leave him alone!
They drink their alcohol and then get involved in cult prostitution; they truly love their shameful behavior.
A whirlwind will sweep them away, and they will have gained nothing from their sacrifices.
Commentaries
Title.
The Lord’s case against Israel. This section provides a progressively detailed explanation of Hosea’s interpretation of the people’s behavior, using his wife’s actions as a reference point.
Quarrel with the Priests.
Both the priests and the people lack the two qualities essential to the covenant: faithfulness and love (1-2), which have consequences for the entire creation (3). The prophet’s immorality, signified by the verb “to stumble” (5), and the priests’ neglect of the Law (6), who fail to teach it to the people, bring death and dishonor upon the whole community (7-8).
Idolatrous Fornication.
The uneducated people are left to the unchecked forces of their sensuality, falling into the practices of Canaanite idol worship, which included “sacred prostitution.” “Bet-Aven” (house of iniquity) is what the prophet ironically calls “Bethel” (house of God), where a sanctuary had been set up in the northern kingdom (15). Israel rebels, detaching itself from God and resisting like a wild cow (16), rejecting the repentance and guidance that God offers (the law of the covenant).