The Meaning of Hosea 4:3 Explained

Hosea 4:3

KJV: Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

YLT: Therefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea -- they are removed.

Darby: For this shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

ASV: Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Discover Hosea 4:3

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Hosea 4:3?

MEANING: What does Hosea 4:3 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Hosea 4:3 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Hosea 4:3?

What is the context of Hosea 4:3?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

What does Hosea 4:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Therefore God was not blessing Israel but was bringing curses on the land so every part of the Northern Kingdom suffered, every living thing. Drought seems to be the primary form of chastisement in view (cf. Leviticus 26:19; Deuteronomy 28:23-24).

Context Summary

Hosea 4:1-10 - "like People, Like Priest"

This chapter contains a terrible indictment against the whole kingdom. There was neither truth nor mercy in the land, but swearing, lying, and adultery. Apart from the restraints of religion, such would be the condition of human society today. Even atheists have been known to remove from mining-camps, where there was no semblance of religion, to places within the sound of the church-bell. Notice in Hosea 4:3 how man's sin seems to affect even the animals. "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth"¦ waiting for our adoption" as the recognized sons of God, Romans 8:22-23.

Rightly enough, the prophet remonstrates with the priests. They were drunken and sensual; they rejected the knowledge and rule of God; they promoted outward ritual in order to fatten on the offerings of the people; and as it was with them, so it became with the deluded worshipers. What a solemn lesson is contained in the proverb which originated in this passage, Like people, like priest! It is not what we teach, but what we are, that really affects men. The colorless rays of the sun, lying outside the prismatic band of color, give health. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 4

¹ God denounces judgments on Israel, for their aggravated impieties and iniquities
¹² He exposes the ignorance and wickedness of the priests,
¹³ and moral dissolution of the people,
¹⁴ he will leave their wives and daughters to commit lewdness, without present punishment
¹⁵ He warns Judah, not to imitate Israel's crimes, which are still further reproved

What do the individual words in Hosea 4:3 mean?

Upon thus will mourn the land and will waste away everyone who dwells there with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and Even the fish of the sea will be taken away

עַל־ כֵּ֣ן ׀ תֶּאֱבַ֣ל הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֻמְלַל֙ כָּל־ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּ֔הּ בְּחַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְגַם־ דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם יֵאָסֵֽפוּ

עַל־	Upon
Parse: Preposition Root: עַל Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֣ן ׀	thus
Parse: Adverb Root: כֵּן Sense: so, therefore, thus.
תֶּאֱבַ֣ל	will mourn
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular Root: אָבַל Sense: to mourn, lament.
הָאָ֗רֶץ	the land
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular Root: אֶרֶץ Sense: land, earth.
וְאֻמְלַל֙	and will waste away
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Pual, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular Root: אָמַל Sense: to be weak, to droop, to languish, to be exhausted.
כָּל־	everyone
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: כֹּל Sense: all, the whole.
יוֹשֵׁ֣ב	who dwells
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular Root: יָשַׁב Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּחַיַּ֥ת	with the beasts
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct Root: חַי Sense: living, alive.
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה	of the field
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: שָׂדֶה Sense: field, land.
וּבְע֣וֹף	and the birds
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: עֹוף Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם	of the air
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural Root: שָׁמַיִם Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְגַם־	and Even
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction Root: גַּם Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
דְּגֵ֥י	the fish
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct Root: דָּאג Sense: fish.
הַיָּ֖ם	of the sea
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: יָם Sense: sea.
יֵאָסֵֽפוּ	will be taken away
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural Root: אָסַף Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.

What are the major concepts related to Hosea 4:3?

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