Hosea 4:18

Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye. THEIR DRINK IS SOUR - metaphor for utter degeneracy of principle (Isaiah 1:22). Or, unbridled licentiousness; not mere ordinary sin, but as abandoned as drunkards who vomit and smell sour with wine potations (Calvin). Maurer, not so well, translates, 'When their drinking is over, they commit whoredoms'-namely, in honour of Astarte (Hos so well, translates, 'When their drinking is over, they commit whoredoms'-namely, in honour of Astarte (Hosea 4:13). HER RULERS - Israel's. Literally, shields (cf. Psalms 47:9, "The princes of the people are gathered tog...

The Prophet, using a metaphor, says here first, that their drink had become putrid; which means, that they had so intemperately given themselves up to every kind of wickedness, that all things among them had become fetid. And the Prophet alludes to shameful and beastly excess: for the drunken are so addicted to wine, that they emit a disgusting smell, and are never satisfied with drinking, until by spewing, they throw up the excessive draughts they have taken. The Prophet then had this in view. He speaks not, however, of the drinking of wine, this is certain: but by drunkenness, on the contrary, he means that unbridled licentiousness, which then prevailed among the people. Since then they allowed themselves every thing they pleased without shame, they seemed like drunken men, insatiable, who, when wholly given to wine, think it their highest delight ever to have wine on the palate, or to...

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 the idolatrous worship of Israel. For Israel was devoted to idols, and must now be let alone. When sinners cast off the easy yoke of Christ, they go on in sin till the Lord saith, Let them alone. Then they receive no more warnings, feel no more convictions: Satan takes full possession of them, and they ripen for destruction. It is a sad and sore judgment for any man to be let alone in sin. Those who are not disturbed in their sin, will be destroyed for their sin. May we be kept from this awful state; for the wrath of God, like a strong tempest, will soon hurry impenitent sinners into ruin....

Verse Hosea 4:18. _THEIR DRINK IS SOUR_] Or rather, _he is gone after their_ _wine_. The enticements of idolatry have carried them away. _HER RULERS_ WITH _SHAME DO LOVE_] Rather, _have loved shame_; they glory in their abominations. _GIVE YE._] Perhaps it would be better to read, _Her rulers have_ _committed, c_. _They have loved gifts_. _What a shame_! These were _their rulers_, literally, _their shields_. Justice and judgment were perverted....

THEIR DRINK IS SOUR - Literally, “turned,” as we say of milk. So Isaiah says, “Thy silver is become dross; thy wine is mingled,” i. e., adulterated, “with water” Isaiah 1:22; and our lord speaks of “salt which had lost its savor.” The wine or the salt, when once turned or become insipid, is spoiled, irrecoverably, as we speak of “dead wine.” They had lost all their life, and taste of goodness. HER RULERS WITH SHAME DO LOVE, GIVE YE - Avarice and luxury are continually banded together according to the saying, “covetous of another’s, prodigal of his own.” Yet it were perhaps more correct to render, “her rulers do love, do love, shame.” They love that which brings shame, which is bound up with shame, and ends in it; and so the prophet says that they “love the shame” itself. They act, as if they were in love with the shame,

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 and literally stated. The children of Israel are summoned in the first verse of this chapter to hear the charge preferred against them and the sentence pronounced. Having convened, as it were, a public assembly and cited the persons concerned, the prophet proceeds to show cause why they are bound to give an attentive hearing. In God's controversy with the people of the land the prophet acts as his ambassador, accusing the people of great and grievous sins, and vindicating the justice of God's judgments in their punishment. The _ki_ with which the last clause of the verse commences may be either causal or recitative, and may thus specify either the ground or sub

THEIR DRINK IS SOUR,.... In their stomachs, having drank so much that they cannot digest it; hence nauseous eructations, with a filthy stench, are belched out; so it is a charge of drunkenness which Ephraim or the ten tribes were addicted to, and are accused of, Isaiah 28:1 or "their drink is gone" y; it has lost its colour, brightness, smell, and flavour; it is turned to vinegar; expressive of the general corruption and depravity of manners and religion among them; see Isaiah 1:22 or "their drink departeth", or "causeth to depart"; or "is refractory" z; that is, it made them refractory, like a refractory belief, as before; caused them to depart from God and his worship, and led them into all sin and irreligion, particularly what follows: THEY HAVE COMMITTED WHOREDOM CONTINUALLY;

IMAGE; the, of Nebuchadnezzar, (_ See Scofield) - (Daniel 2:31). _ IMMANUEL; a name of Christ, See Passage (Isaiah 7:14). IMPUTATION; illustrated, (_ See Scofield) - (Philemon 1:18). _ IMPUTATION; Summary, (_ See Scofield) - (James 2:23). _ IMPUTATION; (Leviticus 25:50); (James 2:23); ...

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 4:6) 3. Israel's idolatry (Hosea 4:12) Hosea 4:1. This chapter begins with a terse description of the condition of the professing people of God. First, we have the negative side--no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God. And there was no truth, because they had rejected the Word of the Lord, hence the result no mercy and no knowledge of God. It is so still whenever and wherever the Word of God is set aside. Then follows the pos

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.) The complete lack of knowledge of God in the land (_cf. Hosea 4:6_, Hosea 5:4; Hosea 6:3) has, as its inevitable consequence, widespread moral corruption yet let none reprove, for the people is as the priestling and the prophet as the priest ...