4:13 4:13

Hosea 4:14

4:15 4:15

Bible Versions

I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people [that] doth not understand shall fall.
I will not punish {H6485} your daughters {H1323} when they commit whoredom {H2181}, nor your spouses {H3618} when they commit adultery {H5003}: for themselves are separated {H6504} with whores {H2181}, and they sacrifice {H2076} with harlots {H6948}: therefore the people {H5971} that doth not understand {H995} shall fall {H3832}.
I won't punish your daughters when they act like whores, or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; because the men are themselves going off with whores and sacrificing with prostitutes. Yes, a people without understanding will come to ruin."
I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.
I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go apart with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that doth not understand shall be overthrown.

Context of Hosea 4:14

Hosea, a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) in the 8th century BC, delivers a powerful message of judgment and ultimate restoration. Chapter 4 begins with God's indictment against Israel for a widespread moral and spiritual breakdown. The people have abandoned truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God (Hosea 4:1). This decay is evident in their rampant swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery (Hosea 4:2). The priests, who should have been moral guides, are themselves complicit in the nation's spiritual prostitution (Hosea 4:6).

Meaning of Hosea 4:14

In this verse, God declares a shocking non-punishment: "I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery." This is not an act of leniency, but a profound statement of divine judgment through moral abandonment. God is essentially saying that the men of Israel – the fathers and husbands who should uphold righteousness and protect their families from corruption – have themselves become so deeply steeped in spiritual and literal immorality that they have forfeited any moral authority to condemn their own women. Their hypocrisy nullifies their right to judge.

The reason for this is explicitly given: "for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots." This refers to the men's active participation in pagan idolatry, specifically the cultic prostitution associated with Baal worship and other fertility cults. These were not merely casual acts but ritualistic engagements where men "separated themselves" or "went apart" with temple prostitutes (harlots) as part of their false worship. By leading the way in such egregious sin, the men had lost their standing to enforce God's law upon their own households.

The verse concludes with the dire consequence: "therefore the people [that] doth not understand shall fall." This powerful statement directly links the nation's downfall to a profound lack of spiritual understanding and knowledge of God's covenant and character. Because the leaders and people failed to comprehend God's ways and the severe implications of their idolatry and immorality, they were destined for destruction. This echoes the earlier declaration that God's people are "destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).

Key Themes

  • Spiritual Adultery and Idolatry: The core issue is Israel's unfaithfulness to God, symbolized by marital infidelity and manifested in their worship of false gods and participation in pagan rites.
  • Moral Decay and Hypocrisy: The verse highlights the profound moral corruption within the society, especially among the men who should have been guardians of righteousness but instead led the nation into deeper sin. Their hypocrisy rendered their judgment meaningless.
  • Consequences of Ignorance: A central theme is the destructive power of a lack of true understanding of God's law, character, and covenant. Spiritual blindness leads directly to moral failure and eventual judgment.
  • Divine Judgment through Abandonment: God's decision not to punish the women is a form of judgment itself, indicating that the society has reached such a low point of moral depravity that even the usual means of correction are rendered futile.

Linguistic Insights

  • The KJV terms "whoredom" and "adultery" carry both literal and spiritual meanings throughout Hosea. They describe physical sexual sin but also powerfully symbolize Israel's covenant unfaithfulness to Yahweh, treating Him as one of many gods.
  • "Separated with whores" (or "go apart with harlots") points to the deliberate act of isolating oneself with prostitutes, often in the context of cultic rituals at pagan shrines. This was a direct violation of God's commands against idolatry and sexual immorality (Exodus 34:15-16).
  • The phrase "doth not understand" emphasizes a willful ignorance or a profound lack of discernment regarding God's truth and the spiritual realities of their actions. It's not merely a lack of information, but a failure to apply and live by divine knowledge.

Practical Application

Hosea 4:14 serves as a timeless warning about the dangers of spiritual compromise and moral decay. For us today, it underscores several vital principles:

  1. The Peril of Hypocrisy: True spiritual authority and moral standing come from living consistently with what one professes. When leaders or individuals engage in the very sins they condemn, their words lose all power.
  2. The Importance of True Knowledge: A superficial understanding of God's Word is insufficient. We must diligently seek to know God and His ways, allowing His truth to transform our hearts and actions. A lack of genuine spiritual understanding can lead to moral blindness and spiritual downfall (James 1:22).
  3. The Pervasiveness of Sin: Sin, especially spiritual compromise, can permeate every level of society, from leaders to the ordinary person. It requires constant vigilance and a commitment to holiness.
  4. The Call to Integrity: This verse challenges believers to live lives of integrity, resisting the temptations of cultural idolatry and immorality. Our actions, particularly those of parents and spiritual leaders, profoundly impact those around us.
Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Hosea 4:1

    ¶ 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.

  • John 8:43

    Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word.

  • 2 Kings 23:7

    And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that [were] by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

  • Romans 3:11

    There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

  • 1 Kings 15:12

    And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

  • Isaiah 56:11

    Yea, [they are] greedy dogs [which] can never have enough, and they [are] shepherds [that] cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

  • Hosea 14:9

    Who [is] wise, and he shall understand these [things]? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD [are] right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
 Back

Search Scripture