The Meaning of Hosea 4:18 Explained

Hosea 4:18

KJV: Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.

YLT: Sour is their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.

Darby: Their drink is sour; they give themselves up to whoredom; her great men passionately love their shame.

ASV: Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Their drink  is sour:  they have committed whoredom  continually:  her rulers  [with] shame  do love,  Give  ye. 

What does Hosea 4:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Even when the Israelites were not under the influence of liquor (cf. Hosea 4:11), they still played the harlot continually. The rulers of the people, who were to be as shields protecting the general populace, also loved the sins that brought shame on the nation.

Context Summary

Hosea 4:11-19 - "joined To Idols"
The prophet does not mince his words in describing the morals of his time. We are reminded of Bunyan's words: "My original and inward pollution was my plague. It was always putting itself forth in me, and I was more loathsome in my own eyes than a toad, and I thought I was in God's eyes also. Corruption bubbled up in my heart as naturally as water in a fountain, and I thought that everyone had a better heart than I." Of course in Christ "we have redemption through His blood," and that means more than forgiveness; it implies the deliverance of the soul from the love and power of evil. But if the soul of man refuses this, obstinately and persistently, a time arrives when God gives him up to reap as he has sown.
The greatest gift we can make to our generation is that of unblemished character. Sir Leslie Stephen, the brilliant agnostic, in his mature life, went back to the grave of an undergraduate, who had been his pupil and had died in early life without having distinguished himself in his studies or athletics, but had lived the Christian life with transparent simplicity and lovableness. [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 4:18 mean?

Is rebellion their drink continually they commit harlotry love dearly dishonor Her rulers
סָ֖ר סָבְאָ֑ם הַזְנֵ֣ה הִזְנ֔וּ אָהֲב֥וּ הֵב֛וּ קָל֖וֹן מָגִנֶּֽיהָ

סָ֖ר  Is  rebellion 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
סָבְאָ֑ם  their  drink 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: סׄבֶא  
Sense: drink, liquor, wine.
הַזְנֵ֣ה  continually 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
הִזְנ֔וּ  they  commit  harlotry 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
אָהֲב֥וּ  love 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
הֵב֛וּ  dearly 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
קָל֖וֹן  dishonor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָלֹון  
Sense: shame, disgrace, dishonour, ignominy.
מָגִנֶּֽיהָ  Her  rulers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מָגֵן 
Sense: shield, buckler.