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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Hosea 4:12

My people ask counsel at their stocks, from their wooden idols, and their staff declareth unto them, the reference being to the practice of setting up two rods, with proper incantations, the oracle depending upon the direction in which the rods fell; for the spirit of whoredoms, which has made them so stupid, hath caused them to err, to become addicted to such foolishness as they would despise under normal conditions of mind, and they have gone a-whoring from under their God, their idolatry causing them to forsake the subjection which was their natural relation to the true God.

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See also Hosea 4:12 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Hosea 4:12. _AT THEIR STOCKS_] They consult their _wooden gods_. _AND THEIR STAFF DECLARETH_] They use divination by _rods_; see the note on Ezekiel 21:21, where this sort of divination (_rabdo...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    MY PEOPLE ASK COUNSEL AT - (literally, “on”) their stocks They ask habitually ; and that, in dependence “on their stocks.” The word “wood” is used of the idol made of it, to bring before them the sens...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    II. THE MESSAGE OF EXPOSTULATION, JUDGMENT, AND MERCY CHAPTER 4 The Lord's Controversy with His People _ 1. The condition of the people (Hosea 4:1) _ 2. The loss of their priestly relation (Hosea 4...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE UTTER CORRUPTION OF THE NATION TRACED TO IRRELIGION. (The text of Hosea 4:15 is hopelessly corrupt. Marti regards Hosea 4:3 as an insertion and Hosea 4:5_ a_ as foreign to their present context.)...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    ASK COUNSEL. inquire of (habitually). Compare Jeremiah 2:27; Habakkuk 2:19. STOCKS. idols made of wood. STAFF, &C. Referring to divination by rods. SPIRIT. Hebrew. _ruach._ App-9. Compare Hosea

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Thus the priests have led the way, and the people follow. They have lost the spiritual faculty; a wild impulse to the most sensual idolatry has carried them away....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _My people ask counsel at their stocks_ Lit., -My people he asketh counsel at his wood." Jehovah alone can give oracular -counsel"; not the teraphim, nor yet the bull-images of Jehovah. The latter did...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _A GOD THAT CANNOT ANSWER -- HOSEA 4:12-15:_ The children of Israel were asking counsel from their wooden idols and other objects of wood. Their sinful living had lead them to terrible judgment; think...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    ASK COUNSEL AT THEIR STOCKS— _Consult their wood;_ that is to say, the images of their idols, made of wood, _consult,_ as oracles, to foretel what is to come to pass, or to advise what measures should...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    ISRAEL'S INGRATITUDESPIRIT OF IDOLATRY TEXT: Hosea 4:11-14 11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding: 12 My people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto t...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. MY PEOPLE ASK CO...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CONDEMNATION OF THE PRIESTHOOD An arraignment against Israel as a whole, because of all manner of wickedness against God and man. Prophet and priest, who ought to have taught them better, are only to...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE MAN WHO NEVER STOPPED LOVING HOSEA _MARK KIRKPATRICK_ CHAPTER 4 THE *LORD ACCUSES ISRAEL V1 People of Israel, listen to the *Lord’s message! The *Lord will argue against the people that liv...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEIR STOCKS. — Blocks of wood fashioned into idols (Heb., _his wood,_ the collective singular being maintained). THEIR STAFF. — Cyril regarded this as referring to divinations by means of rods (ῥαβδο...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    עַמִּי֙ בְּ עֵצֹ֣ו יִשְׁאָ֔ל וּ מַקְלֹ֖ו יַגּ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE THICK NIGHT OF ISRAEL Hosea 4:1; Hosea 5:1; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 7:1; Hosea 8:1

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    4. "THE CORRUPTION THAT IS THROUGH LUST" Hosea 9:10 CF. Hosea 4:11 Those who at the present time are enforcing among us the revival of a paganism-without the pagan conscience-and exalting licentiousn...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “JOINED TO IDOLS” Hosea 4:11-19 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 a...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In any attempt to analyze and tabulate the teaching in this second division of the Book it must be remembered that the prophetic utterances cannot be treated as verbatim reports. As they here appear,...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    My (n) people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the (o) spirit of whoredoms hath caused [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. (n) Thus...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Staff. It was customary to use this mode of divination, (Ezechiel xxi. 21.) and likewise incense, ver. 13. --- Oak. These terms are variously rendered as the trees and stones mentioned in Scripture,...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The first verse in this paragraph is a very striking scripture. In some of our old Bibles the margin hath it in yet stronger terms; they eat up the excrement of my people, meaning that which is most t...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The rest of the prophecy consists of the indignant appeals of the Holy Spirit to conscience because of the increasing evils of Israel not so much the judgment of God on a grand scale, and His grace at...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    The Futility of Sin I. INTRODUCTION A. As we continue the study of Hosea this morning - chapter 4 marks a turn that continues through the rest of the book. 1. Hosea 8:7 a (NASB) Give us a hint as t...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The Prophet calls here the Israelites the people of God, not to honor them, but rather to increase their sin; for the more heinous was the perfidy of the people, that having been chosen, they had afte...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 AND 5. In chapter 4 we see that the prophet addresses the whole people together. In Verse 15 (Hosea 4:15) he distinguishes Judah from Israel, warning the fo...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    MY PEOPLE ASK COUNSEL AT THEIR STOCKS,.... Or "at his wood" a, or stick; his wooden image, as the Targum; their wooden gods, their idols made of wood, mere stocks and blocks, without life or sense, an...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. Ver. 12. _My peop...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _My people ask counsel at their stocks_ Hebrew, בעצו, at their wood, that is, the images of their idols made of wood; these they consulted as oracles, that they might foretel to them what was to come,...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-19 The people consulted images, and not the Divine word. This would lead to disorder and sin. Thus men prepare scourges for themselves, and vice is spread through a people. Let not Judah come near...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    MY PEOPLE; whom I chose, brought out of Egypt, and settled in this land, wire are not yet cast off, though they deserve it, who call themselves my people. ASK COUNSEL; inquire about future things, and...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Hosea 4:12 people H5971 ask H7592 (H8799) wooden H6086 staff H4731 informs H5046 (H8686) spirit H7307 harlotry...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    STRONG WINE AND ILLICIT SEX HAVE TURNED THE PEOPLE'S MINDS SO THAT THEY LOOK TO BITS OF WOOD CONCERNING THEIR FUTURE AND PLAY THE HARLOT ON THE TOPS OF MOUNTAINS AND UNDER SACRED TREES RATHER THAN LOO...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘My people ask counsel at their piece of wood (tree, timber), and their staff makes declaration to them, for the spirit of whoredom has caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, departing f...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ISRAEL'S GROWING SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY AND DEGRADED BEHAVIOUR ARE DESCRIBED ALONG WITH THEIR RELIANCE ON IDOLS, FOREIGNERS, UNWORTHY KINGS AND THEMSELVES, AND THIS IN CONTRAST WITH YHWH'S STEADFAST LOV...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    CAIN; as a type, (_ See Scofield) - (Genesis 4:1). _ (_ See Scofield) - (Jude 1:11). _ CAMP; the meaning of, (_ See Scofield) - (Leviticus 4:12). _ Canaa

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Charges against Israel for their sinfulness, idolatry and ignorance. CHARACTERS: God, Hosea. CONCLUSION: It is a sad and sore judgment for men when God has to say, «let them alone» giving...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Hosea 4:1. _Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel._ Here a new sermon is built upon a new revelation. Hosea 4:2. _Blood toucheth blood,_ as explained in the words preseding, adultery upon a...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Their staff declareth unto them._ RHABDOMANIA, OR DIVINING BY THE STICK OR STAFF There was a kind of idolatry which the Jews had, a way to ask counsel by the staff, and with this the prophet here ch...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    HOSEA—NOTE ON HOSEA 4:12 These verses describe breaking God’s laws by following Canaanite religious practices. INQUIRE OF A PIECE OF WOOD. They would ask for guidance from an idol carved out of wood....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— HOSEA 4:10. ENOUGH] Not be satisfied. LEFT OFF] keeping, observing Jehovah (Zechariah 11:11). All other means of increase failed. Polygamy against the law, and will bring the curse o...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION HOSEA 4:1 A new and distinct division of the book commences with this fourth chapter and continues till the close. What had previously been presented in figure and symbol is now plainly an...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now we enter into the second part of the book of Hosea, where he declares: HEAR the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land (Hsa Hosea...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Chronicles 21:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Deuteronomy 31:16; Ezekiel 16:1;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Stocks — Wooden statues. The spirit of whoredom — A heart ensnared with whoredoms, spiritual and corporal. Caused them to err — Hath blinded, and deceived them....

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