Hosea 4:12

Geneva Bible (1560)

My people aske counsell at their stockes, and their staffe teacheth them: for the spirite of fornications hath caused them to erre, and they haue gone a whoring from vnder their God.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

עַמִּי֙ בְּעֵצ֣וֹ יִשְׁאָ֔ל וּמַקְל֖וֹ יַגִּ֣יד ל֑וֹ כִּ֣י ר֤וּחַ זְנוּנִים֙ הִתְעָ֔ה וַיִּזְנ֖וּ מִתַּ֥חַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃

Transliteration

ʿammî bə-ʿēṣô yišʾāl û-maqlô yaggîd lô kî rûaḥ zənûnîm hitʿâ wa-yiznû mi-ttaḥat ʾĕlōhêhem

Grammar Details

• *ʿammî*: noun + 1st person singular suffix - my people
• *bə-ʿēṣô*: preposition + noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - in/with his wood/wooden idol
• *yišʾāl*: imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he asks/inquires
• *û-maqlô*: conjunction + noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - and his staff/rod
• *yaggîd*: imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular, hiphil - it tells/informs/declares
• *lô*: preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - to him
• *kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *rûaḥ*: noun, feminine singular construct - spirit of
• *zənûnîm*: noun, masculine plural - harlotries/prostitutions
• *hitʿâ*: perfect, 3rd person masculine singular, hiphil - it led astray
• *wa-yiznû*: conjunction + imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - and they commit fornication
• *mi-ttaḥat*: preposition + preposition - from under
• *ʾĕlōhêhem*: noun, masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their God

Word Meanings

• *ʿēṣ*: wood/tree/wooden idol
• *šāʾal*: ask/inquire/request
• *maqqēl*: staff/rod/stick/divining rod
• *nāgad* (hiphil): tell/inform/declare/announce
• *rûaḥ*: spirit/wind/breath
• *zənûnîm*: harlotry/prostitution/unfaithfulness
• *tāʿâ* (hiphil): lead astray/cause to wander/mislead
• *mi-ttaḥat*: from under/from beneath

Referenced Verses

• Jer 2:27 : 27 Saying to a tree, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast begotten me: for they haue turned their back vnto me, & not their face: but in ye time of their troble they wil say, Arise, & help vs.
• Hos 5:4 : 4 They will not giue their mindes to turne vnto their God: for the spirit of fornication is in the middes of them, and they haue not knowen the Lord.
• Hab 2:19 : 19 Wo vnto him that sayth to the wood, Awake, and to the dumme stone, Rise vp, it shall teach thee: beholde, it is layde ouer with golde and siluer, and there is no breath in it.
• Isa 44:18-20 : 18 They haue not knowen, nor vnderstand: for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their heartes, that they cannot vnderstand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor vnderstanding to say, I haue burnt halfe of it, euen in the fire, and haue baked bread also vpon the coles thereof: I haue rosted flesh, and eaten it, and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I bowe to the stocke of a tree? 20 He feedeth of ashes: a seduced heart hath deceiued him, that he cannot deliuer his soule, nor say, Is there not a lye in my right hand?
• 2 Thess 2:9-9 : 9 Euen him whose comming is by the effectuall working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders, 10 And in al deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes, among them that perish, because they receiued not the loue of the trueth, that they might be saued. 11 And therefore God shal send them strong delusion, that they should beleeue lies,
• Hos 9:1 : 1 Reioyce not, O Israel for ioy as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God: thou hast loued a rewarde vpon euery corne floore.
• Mic 2:11 : 11 If a man walke in the Spirit, and would lie falsely, saying, I wil prophecie vnto thee of wine, and of strong drinke, he shall euen be the prophet of this people.
• Jer 3:1-3 : 1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she goe from him, and become another mans, shall hee returne againe vnto her? Shall not this land be polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many louers: yet turne againe to mee, sayeth the Lord. 2 Lift vp thine eyes vnto the hie places, and beholde, where thou hast not plaied the harlot: thou hast sit waiting for them in the waies, as the Arabian in the wildernesse: and thou hast polluted the lande with thy whoredomes, and with thy malice. 3 Therefore the showres haue beene restrained, and the latter raine came not, and thou haddest a whores forehead: thou wouldest not bee ashamed.
• Jer 10:8 : 8 But, altogether they dote, and are foolish: for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie.
• Ezek 16:1-9 : 1 Againe, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, cause Ierusalem to knowe her abominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God vnto Ierusalem, Thine habitation and thy kindred is of the land of Canaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. 4 And in thy natiuitie whe thou wast borne, thy nauell was not cut: thou wast not washed in water to soften thee: thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in cloutes. 5 None eye pitied thee to do any of these vnto thee, for to haue compassion vpon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open fielde to the contempt of thy person in ye day that thou wast borne. 6 And when I passed by thee, I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood, and I said vnto thee, whe thou wast in thy blood, Thou shalt liue: euen when thou wast in thy blood, I saide vnto thee, Thou shalt liue. 7 I haue caused thee to multiplie as the bud of the fielde, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou hast gotten excellent ornaments: thy breastes are facioned, thine heare is growen, where as thou wast naked and bare. 8 Nowe when I passed by thee, and looked vpon thee, beholde, thy time was as the time of loue, and I spred my skirtes ouer thee, and couered thy filthines: yea, I sware vnto thee, and entred into a couenant with thee, saith the Lorde God, and thou becamest mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water: yea, I washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oyle. 10 I clothed thee also with broydred worke, and shod thee with badgers skin: and I girded thee about with fine linen, & I couered thee with silke. 11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets vpon thine handes, and a chaine on thy necke. 12 And I put a frontlet vpon thy face, and earings in thine eares, and a beautifull crowne vpon thine head. 13 Thus wast thou deckt with gold and siluer, and thy rayment was of fine linen, and silke, and broydred worke: thou didest eate fine floure, and honie and oyle, and thou wast very beautifull, and thou didest grow vp into a kingdome. 14 And thy name was spred among the heathen for thy beautie: for it was perfite through my beautie which I had set vpon thee, saith the Lord God. 15 Nowe thou didest trust in thine owne beautie, and playedst the harlot, because of thy renowme, and hast powred out thy fornications on euery one that passed by, thy desire was to him. 16 And thou didest take thy garments, & deckedst thine hie places with diuers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like thinges shall not come, neither hath any done so. 17 Thou hast also taken thy faire iewels made of my golde and of my siluer, which I had giuen thee, and madest to thy selfe images of men, and didest commit whoredome with them, 18 And tookest thy broydred garments, and coueredst them: and thou hast set mine oyle and my perfume before them. 19 My meate also, which I gaue thee, as fine floure, oyle, and honie, wherewith I fedde thee, thou hast euen set it before them for a sweete sauour: thus it was, saith the Lord God. 20 Moreouer thou hast taken thy sonnes and thy daughters, whome thou hast borne vnto me, and these hast thou sacrificed vnto them, to be deuoured: is this thy whoredome a small matter? 21 That thou hast slaine my children, and deliuered them to cause them to passe through fire for them? 22 And in all thine abominations and whoredomes thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. 23 And beside all thy wickednes (wo, wo vnto thee, saith the Lord God) 24 Thou hast also built vnto thee an hie place, and hast made thee an hie place in euery streete. 25 Thou hast built thine hie place at euery corner of the way, and hast made thy beautie to be abhorred: thou hast opened thy feete to euery one that passed by, & multiplied thy whoredome. 26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, which haue great members, and hast encreased thy whoredome, to prouoke me. 27 Beholde, therefore I did stretche out mine hand ouer thee, and will diminish thine ordinarie, and deliuer thee vnto the will of them that hate thee, euen to the daughters of the Philistims, which are ashamed of thy wicked way. 28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast insaciable: yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 29 Thou hast moreouer multiplied thy fornication from the land of Canaan vnto Caldea, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. 30 Howe weake is thine heart, saith the Lorde God, seeing thou doest all these thinges, euen the worke of a presumptuous whorish woman? 31 In that thou buildest thine hie place in the corner of euery way, and makest thine hie place in euery streete, and hast not bene as an harlot that despiseth a reward, 32 But as a wife that playeth the harlot, and taketh others for her husband: 33 They giue giftes to all other whores, but thou giuest giftes vnto all thy louers, and rewardest them, that they may come vnto thee on euery side for thy fornication. 34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy fornications, neither the like fornication shall be after thee: for in that thou giuest a rewarde, and no reward is giuen vnto thee, therefore thou art contrary. 35 Wherefore, O harlot, heare the worde of the Lord. 36 Thus sayeth the Lorde God, Because thy shame was powred out, and thy filthinesse discouered through thy fornications with thy louers, and with all the idoles of thine abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didest offer vnto them, 37 Beholde, therefore I wil gather all thy louers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loued, with al them that thou hast hated: I will euen gather them round about against thee, and will discouer thy filthines vnto them, that they may see all thy filthines. 38 And I wil iudge thee after ye maner of them that are harlots, and of them that shead blood, and I wil giue thee the blood of wrath & ielousie. 39 I will also giue thee into their handes, and they shal destroy thine hie place, and shall breake downe thine hie places. They shall strippe thee also out of thy clothes, and shall take thy faire iewels, and leaue thee naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring vp a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swordes. 41 And they shall burne vp thine houses with fire, and execute iudgements vpon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt giue no reward any more. 42 So will I make my wrath towarde thee to rest, and my ielousie shall depart from thee, and I will cease and be no more angrie. 43 Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, but hast prouoked me with all these things, behold, therefore I also haue brought thy way vpon thine head, sayeth the Lorde God: yet hast not thou had consideration of all thine abominations. 44 Beholde, all that vse prouerbes, shall vse this prouerbe against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. 45 Thou art thy mothers daughter, that hath cast off her husband and her children, and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsooke their husbandes and their children: your mother is an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, and her daughters, that dwell at thy left hand, and thy yong sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom, and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes, nor done after their abominations: but as it had bene a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more then they in all thy wayes. 48 As I liue, saith the Lorde God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, neither shee nor her daughters, as thou hast done and thy daughters. 49 Beholde, this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodom, Pride, fulnesse of bread, and aboundance of idlenesse was in her, and in her daughters: neither did shee strengthen the hande of the poore and needie. 50 But they were hautie, and committed abomination before mee: therefore I tooke them away, as pleased me. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed halfe of thy sinnes, but thou hast exceeded them in thine abominations, and hast iustified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou hast done. 52 Therefore thou which hast iustified thy sisters, beare thine owne shame for thy sinnes, that thou hast committed more abominable then they which are more righteous then thou art: be thou therefore confounded also, and beare thy shame, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters. 53 Therefore I will bring againe their captiuitie with the captiuitie of Sodom, and her daughters, and with the captiuitie of Samaria, and her daughters: euen the captiuitie of thy captiues in the middes of them, 54 That thou mayest beare thine owne shame, and mayest bee confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou hast comforted them. 55 And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall returne to their former state: Samaria also and her daughters shall returne to their former state, when thou and thy daughters shall returne to your former state. 56 For thy sister Sodom was not heard of by thy report in the day of thy pride, 57 Before thy wickednes was discouered, as in that same time of the reproch of the daughters of Aram, and of all the daughters of the Philistims round about her which despise thee on all sides. 58 Thou hast borne therefore thy wickednesse and thine abomination, saith the Lord. 59 For thus saith the Lord God, I might euen deale with thee, as thou hast done: when thou didest despise the othe, in breaking the couenant. 60 Neuerthelesse, I wil remember my couenant made with thee in ye dayes of thy youth, and I wil confirme vnto thee an euerlasting couenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receiue thy sisters, both thy elder & thy yonger, and I will giue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenat. 62 And I wil establish my couenant with thee, and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord, 63 That thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, & neuer open thy mouth any more: because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.
• Ezek 21:21 : 21 And the King of Babel stoode at the parting of the way, at the head of the two wayes, consulting by diuination, and made his arrowes bright: hee consulted with idoles, and looked in the liuer.
• Ezek 23:1-9 : 1 The worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 And they committed fornication in Egypt, they committed fornication in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teates of their virginitie. 4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, & Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sonnes and daughters: thus were their names. Samaria is Aholah, and Ierusalem Aholibah. 5 And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine, and she was set on fire with her louers, to wit, with the Assyrians her neighbours, 6 Which were clothed with blewe silke, both captaines and princes: they were all pleasant yong men, and horsemen riding vpon horses. 7 Thus she committed her whoredome with them, euen with all them that were the chosen men of Asshur, and with all on whome she doted, and defiled her selfe with all their idoles. 8 Neither left she her fornications, learned of the Egyptians: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginitie, and powred their whoredome vpon her. 9 Wherefore I deliuered her into the hands of her louers, euen into the hands of the Assyrians, vpon whome she doted. 10 These discouered her shame: they tooke away her sonnes and her daughters, and slewe her with the sworde, and she had an euill name among women: for they had executed iudgement vpon her. 11 And when her sister Aholibah sawe this, she marred her selfe with inordinate loue, more then she, and with her fornications more then her sister with her fornications. 12 She doted vpon the Assyrians her neighbours, both captaines and princes clothed with diuers sutes, horsemen ryding vpon horses: they were all pleasant yong men. 13 Then I sawe that she was defiled, and that they were both after one sort, 14 And that she encreased her fornications: for when she sawe men painted vpon the wall, the images of the Caldeans painted with vermelon, 15 And girded with girdles vpon their loynes, and with dyed attyre vpon their heads (looking all like princes after the maner of the Babylonians in Caldea, the land of their natiuitie) 16 Assoone, I say, as she sawe them, she doted vpon them, and sent messengers vnto them into Caldea. 17 Nowe when the Babylonians came to her into the bed of loue, they defiled her with their fornication, and she was polluted with them, and her lust departed from them. 18 So she discouered her fornication, and disclosed her shame: then mine heart forsooke her, like as mine heart had forsaken her sister. 19 Yet she encreased her whoredome more, and called to remembrance ye dayes of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20 For she doted vpon their seruants whose members are as the members of asses, and whose yssue is like the yssue of horses. 21 Thou calledst to remembrance the wickednes of thy youth, when thy teates were bruised by ye Egyptians: therefore ye paps of thy youth are thus. 22 Therefore, O Aholibah, thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, I will raise vp thy louers against thee, from whome thine heart is departed, and I will bring them against thee on euery side, 23 To wit, the Babylonians, and all the Caldeans, Peked, and Shoah, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: they were all pleasant yong men, captaines and princes: all they were valiant and renoumed, riding vpon horses. 24 Euen these shal come against thee with charets, waggons, and wheeles, and with a multitude of people, which shall set against thee, buckler and shield, and helmet round about: and I will leaue the punishment vnto them, and they shall iudge thee according to their iudgements. 25 And I wil lay mine indignation vpon thee, and they shal deale cruelly with thee: they shall cut off thy nose and thine eares, and thy remnant shal fall by the sword: they shall cary away thy sonnes and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be deuoured by the fire. 26 They shal also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fayre iewels. 27 Thus wil I make thy wickednes to cease from thee and thy fornication out of the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift vp thine eyes vnto them, nor remember Egypt any more. 28 For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I wil deliuer thee into the hand of them, whome thou hatest: euen into the hands of them from whome thine heart is departed. 29 And they shall handle thee despitefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leaue thee naked and bare, and the shame of thy fornications shalbe discouered, both thy wickednes, and thy whoredome. 30 I wil doe these things vnto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idoles. 31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister: therefore wil I giue her cup into thine hand. 32 Thus saith ye Lord God, Thou shalt drinke of thy sisters cup, deepe and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorne and had in derision, because it containeth much. 33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkennes and sorow, euen with the cup of destruction, and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. 34 Thou shalt euen drinke it, and wring it out to the dregges, and thou shalt breake the sheards thereof, and teare thine owne breasts: for I haue spoken it, sayth the Lord God. 35 Therefore thus saith the Lorde God, Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behinde thy backe, therefore thou shalt also beare thy wickednes and thy whoredome. 36 The Lord sayd moreouer vnto me, Sonne of man, wilt thou iudge Aholah & Aholibah? and wilt thou declare to them their abominations? 37 For they haue played the whores, and blood is in their hands, and with their idoles haue they committed adulterie, and haue also caused their sonnes, whome they bare vnto me, to passe by the fire to be their meate. 38 Moreouer, thus haue they done vnto me: they haue defiled my Sanctuarie in the same day, and haue prophaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when they had slaine their children to their idoles, they came the same day into my Sanctuarie to defile it: and loe, thus haue they done in the middes of mine house. 40 And howe much more is it that they sent for men to come from farre vnto whom a messenger was sent, and loe, they came? for whome thou diddest wash thy selfe, and paintedst thine eyes, and deckedst thee with ornaments, 41 And satest vpon a costly bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oyle. 42 And a voyce of a multitude being at ease, was with her: and with the men to make the company great were brought men of Saba from the wildernes, which put bracelets vpon their hands, and beautifull crownes vpon their heads. 43 Then I sayd vnto her, that was olde in adulteries, Now shall she and her fornications come to an end. 44 And they went in vnto her as they goe to a common harlot: so went they to Aholah and Aholibah the wicked women. 45 And ye righteous men they shal iudge them, after the maner of harlots, and after the maner of murtherers: for they are harlots, and blood is in their hands. 46 Wherefore thus sayth the Lord God, I will bring a multitude vpon them, and will giue them vnto the tumult, and to the spoyle, 47 And the multitude shall stone them with stones, and cut them with their swordes: they shal slay their sonnes, and their daughters, and burne vp their houses with fire. 48 Thus will I cause wickednesse to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to doe after your wickednesse. 49 And they shall laye your wickednesse vpon you, and ye shall beare the sinnes of your idoles, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord God.
• Lev 17:7 : 7 And they shall no more offer their offerings vnto deuils, after whom they haue gone a whoring: this shalbe an ordinance for euer vnto them in their generations.
• Lev 20:5 : 5 Then will I set my face against that man, and against his familie, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him to comit whoredome with Molech, from among their people.
• Num 15:39 : 39 And ye shall haue the fringes, that when ye looke vpon them, ye may remember all the commandemets of the Lord, & do them: & that ye seeke not after your own heart, nor after your owne eyes, after the which ye go a whoring;
• Deut 31:16 : 16 And the Lorde said vnto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, and this people will rise vp, and goe a whoring after the gods of a strange land (whither they goe to dwell therein) and will forsake me, and breake my couenant which I haue made with them.
• 2 Chr 21:13 : 13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, & hast made Iudah & the inhabitantes of Ierusalem to go a whoring, as the house of Ahab went a whoring, & hast also slaine thy brethre of thy fathers house, which were better then thou,
• Ps 73:27 : 27 For loe, they that withdrawe themselues from thee, shall perish: thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring from thee.