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.
They sacrifice {H2076} upon the tops {H7218} of the mountains {H2022}, and burn incense {H6999} upon the hills {H1389}, under oaks {H437} and poplars {H3839} and elms {H424}, because the shadow {H6738} thereof is good {H2896}: therefore your daughters {H1323} shall commit whoredom {H2181}, and your spouses {H3618} shall commit adultery {H5003}.
They sacrifice on the mountain peaks and offer incense on the hills under oaks, poplars and pistachio trees; because they give good shade. Therefore your daughters behave like whores, And your daughters-in-law commit adultery.
They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.
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Isaiah 1:29
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. -
Ezekiel 6:13
Then shall ye know that I [am] the LORD, when their slain [men] shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols. -
Jeremiah 3:6
¶ The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen [that] which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. -
Amos 7:17
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land. -
2 Samuel 12:10
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. -
2 Samuel 12:12
For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. -
Isaiah 57:5
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
Hosea 4:13 delivers a stark prophetic indictment against ancient Israel, specifically the northern kingdom, for their rampant idolatry and its devastating moral consequences. This verse is part of a larger condemnation of the priests, prophets, and people who had abandoned the Lord's covenant.
Context
The Book of Hosea is a powerful narrative of God's unwavering love for an unfaithful Israel, often using the metaphor of Hosea's marriage to an adulterous wife, Gomer. Chapter 4 begins with God's lawsuit (a rib or legal dispute) against Israel, listing their sins: no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God. Verse 13 highlights their pagan worship practices, which were a direct violation of the first commandment against having other gods.
The Israelites had adopted Canaanite fertility cults, sacrificing and burning incense not in the Temple in Jerusalem, but "upon the tops of the mountains, and upon the hills." These "high places" were centers of Baal and Asherah worship, often involving ritual prostitution. The specific mention of "oaks and poplars and elms" refers to trees considered sacred in these pagan rites, offering a "good shadow"—a deceptive comfort and allure that drew the people away from true worship.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew word for "whoredom" (zanah) and "adultery" (na'aph) are crucial here. While they refer to literal sexual immorality, in prophetic literature, zanah is also frequently used metaphorically to describe Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry, making the connection between the two forms of sin even more profound in this context.
Practical Application
Hosea 4:13 serves as a timeless warning. While modern idolatry may not involve physical altars on hilltops, it manifests in anything that takes precedence over God in our lives—be it wealth, power, pleasure, or even self-worship. The principle remains: when we turn from God, spiritual emptiness and moral compromise often follow, impacting not only ourselves but also our families and communities. It calls believers to examine their allegiances and to pursue a genuine, exclusive relationship with God, recognizing that friendship with the world is enmity with God.