King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
They shall not offer wine [offerings] to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices [shall be] unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
Complete Jewish Bible:
They will not pour out wine offerings to ADONAI; they will not be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be for them like mourners' food everyone eating it will be polluted. For their food will be merely to satisfy their appetite; it will not come into the house of ADONAI.
Berean Standard Bible:
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.
American Standard Version:
They shall not pour out wine-offerings to Jehovah, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
They shall not offer{H5258} wine{H3196} offerings to the LORD{H3068}, neither shall they be pleasing{H6149} unto him: their sacrifices{H2077} shall be unto them as the bread{H3899} of mourners{H205}; all that eat{H398} thereof shall be polluted{H2930}: for their bread{H3899} for their soul{H5315} shall not come{H935} into the house{H1004} of the LORD{H3068}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Jeremiah 6:20
- To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings [are] not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
Hosea 8:13
- They sacrifice flesh [for] the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat [it; but] the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.
Deuteronomy 26:14
- I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away [ought] thereof for [any] unclean [use], nor given [ought] thereof for the dead: [but] I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, [and] have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.
Hosea 3:4
- For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim:
Ezekiel 24:17
- Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not [thy] lips, and eat not the bread of men.
Haggai 2:13
- Then said Haggai, If [one that is] unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
Haggai 2:14
- Then answered Haggai, and said, So [is] this people, and so [is] this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so [is] every work of their hands; and that which they offer there [is] unclean.
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Commentary for Hosea 9:4
Hosea 9:4 is a verse from the Old Testament prophetic book of Hosea, which addresses the spiritual infidelity of the northern kingdom of Israel. The historical context of this verse is set during a period when Israel had turned away from the worship of the one true God, Yahweh, and had begun to worship the pagan gods of the surrounding nations, particularly Baal. This apostasy was seen as spiritual adultery by the prophet Hosea.
In this verse, Hosea conveys God's judgment on Israel's religious practices. The people were continuing to offer sacrifices and make offerings, but these acts were not accompanied by true repentance or a heart inclined toward God. Instead, their worship was tainted by idolatry and empty ritual. The verse suggests that the offerings they brought to the Lord were unacceptable because they were not given in sincerity or with a contrite spirit. The "wine offerings" and "sacrifices" were meant to honor God, but without genuine devotion, they were futile, akin to eating "the bread of mourners" — food typically eaten during times of grief and loss, which was not suitable for joyful feasts or sacred occasions.
Furthermore, the verse indicates that those who partook in these sacrifices would be defiled, rather than sanctified, because the offerings were not made in accordance with God's law and will. The phrase "their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD" suggests that the sustenance they sought from these sacrifices would not fulfill their spiritual needs or bring them into a right relationship with God. Their worship had become a mere formality, devoid of the life-giving connection with the Divine that it was meant to facilitate.
In summary, Hosea 9:4 speaks to the theme of true versus false worship, emphasizing that outward religious observance without inward devotion is unacceptable to God. It reflects the historical reality of Israel's widespread idolatry and warns of the consequences of hollow religious practices. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that the authenticity of the heart is paramount in worship and that God desires mercy, justice, and a humble spirit above empty rituals (Micah 6:6-8; Hosea 6:6).
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5258
There are 24 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָסַךְ
Transliteration: nâçak
Pronunciation: naw-sak'
Description: a primitive root; to pour out, especially a libation, or to cast (metal); by analogy, to anoint aking; cover, melt, offer, (cause to) pour (out), set (up). - Strong's Number: H3196
There are 134 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יַיִן
Transliteration: yayin
Pronunciation: yah'-yin
Description: from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication; banqueting, wine, wine(-bibber). - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H6149
There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָרֵב
Transliteration: ʻârêb
Pronunciation: aw-rabe'
Description: a primitive root (rather identical with עָרַב through the idea of close association); to be agreeable; be pleasant(-ing), take pleasure in, be sweet. - Strong's Number: H2077
There are 153 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זֶבַח
Transliteration: zebach
Pronunciation: zeh'-bakh
Description: from זָבַח; properly, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act); offer(-ing), sacrifice. - Strong's Number: H3899
There are 277 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֶחֶם
Transliteration: lechem
Pronunciation: lekh'-em
Description: from לָחַם; See also בֵּית לְעַפְרָה; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it); (shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals. - Strong's Number: H205
There are 101 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָוֶן
Transliteration: ʼâven
Pronunciation: aw-ven'
Description: from an unused root perhaps meaning properly, to pant (hence, to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble. vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol; affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners(-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain, vanity, wicked(-ness). Compare אַיִן. - Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H2930
There are 142 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טָמֵא
Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
Pronunciation: taw-may'
Description: a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated); defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, [idiom] utterly. - Strong's Number: H5315
There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
Transliteration: nephesh
Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out).