Hosea 4:14

Purity

¹² 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.

¹³ 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.

I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

¹⁵ Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

¹⁶ For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.
KJV: I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
WEB: I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute, nor your brides when they commit adultery; because the men consort with prostitutes, and they sacrifice with the shrine prostitutes; so the people without understanding will come to ruin.
ASV: I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for [the men] themselves go apart with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that doth not understand shall be overthrown.
DARBY: I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your daughters-in-law for their committing adultery; for they themselves go aside with harlots, and they sacrifice with prostitutes: and the people that doth not understand shall come to ruin.
BLB: I will not visit punishment on your⁺ daughters when they prostitute themselves, or on your⁺ brides when they commit adultery; for they themselves go off with the prostitutes, and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes, and a people without understanding will be thrown down.

ÅB: Jeg vil ikke hjemsøke deres døtre for deres hor, eller deres sønnekoner for deres ekteskapsbrudd; for mennene går selv avsides med horkvinnene og ofrer med skjøgene. Slik går det uforstandige folk til grunne.
OTB: Jeg vil ikke holde dine døtre ansvarlige når de vender seg til prostitusjon, heller ikke dine svigerdøtre når de begår ekteskapsbrudd, fordi mennene selv omgås skjøger og ofrer med tempelprostituerte; et folk som mangler forståelse vil gå til grunne.
B1930: Jeg vil ikke hjemsøke eders døtre for deres hor, eller eders sønnekoner for deres ekteskapsbrudd; for mennene går selv avsides med horkvinnene og ofrer med skjøgene. Således går det uforstandige folk til grunne.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Hosea 4:1
Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 6:16
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
Read in context
Ephesians 4:18
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Read in context
Proverbs 28:5
Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.
Read in context
Hosea 14:9
Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
Read in context
2 Kings 23:7
And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
Read in context
Daniel 12:10
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Read in context
Isaiah 44:18–20
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Read in context