The Meaning of Hosea 4:1 Explained

Hosea 4:1

KJV: 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.

YLT: Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife is to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,

Darby: Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

ASV: Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Hosea 4:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Hosea called on the Israelites to listen to a word from Yahweh because He was charging them with serious crimes. Yahweh was taking the Israelites to court. The basic accusation is that there was no faithfulness (truth, trustworthiness), kindness (loyalty, Heb. hesed), or (evidence of) knowledge of God in the land. The Israelites failed to acknowledge Yahweh as their God (cf. Hosea 2:20). These were all things that God had ordered His people to pursue when He covenanted with them at Sinai.

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 4:1 mean?

Hear the word of Yahweh You sons of Israel for [brings] a charge Yahweh against the inhabitants of the land because [There is] no truth and no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land
שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־ יְהוָ֖ה בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־ יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֠י אֵין־ אֱמֶ֧ת וְֽאֵין־ חֶ֛סֶד וְאֵֽין־ דַּ֥עַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּאָֽרֶץ

שִׁמְע֥וּ  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
דְבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּנֵ֣י  You  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
רִ֤יב  [brings]  a  charge 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רִיב 
Sense: strife, controversy, dispute.
לַֽיהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עִם־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כִּ֠י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אֵין־  [There  is]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
אֱמֶ֧ת  truth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
וְֽאֵין־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
חֶ֛סֶד  mercy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וְאֵֽין־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
דַּ֥עַת  knowledge 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בָּאָֽרֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.