The Meaning of Hosea 1:4 Explained

Hosea 1:4

KJV: And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

YLT: and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little, and I have charged the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and have caused to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel;

Darby: And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jizreel; for yet a little, and I will visit the blood of Jizreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto him, Call  his name  Jezreel;  for yet a little  [while], and I will avenge  the blood  of Jezreel  upon the house  of Jehu,  and will cause to cease  the kingdom  of the house  of Israel. 

What does Hosea 1:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Hosea 1:1-11 - God Gathers The Outcast
The story of Hosea is a pathetic one. He felt impressed that it was his duty to take as wife one whose earlier life had been unchaste. From this marriage resulted three children, the names of whom are terribly significant. They are as follows:-God will scatter; Not an object of favor; and Once my people, but not so now. Here is the history of many a soul. In spite of all God's tender love, we may wander from Him into the path of sin.
The chapter closes with brighter prognostications. In part, these latter verses were fulfilled by the return from Babylon, and they will be fulfilled in literal fulness someday-probably sooner than we have been wont to suppose. It is good to lay the emphasis on In the place"¦ there. How often we are taken back to the very circumstances in which we appear to have failed most conspicuously, in order that there we may receive the crowning blessing of our life, Hosea 1:10. Leave God to vindicate you. He will bring you from the land of the enemy, and extort, this confession from the mouth of your critics and foes, Hosea 1:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 1

1  Hosea, to show God's judgment for spiritual unfaithfulness, takes Gomer,
4  and has by her Jezreel;
6  Loruhamah;
8  and Lo-Ammi
10  The restoration of Judah and Israel under one head

What do the individual words in Hosea 1:4 mean?

And said Yahweh to him Call his name Jezreel for yet in a little [while] and I will avenge - the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and bring to an end the kingdom of the house of Israel
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו קְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יִזְרְעֶ֑אל כִּי־ ע֣וֹד מְעַ֗ט וּפָ֨קַדְתִּ֜י אֶת־ דְּמֵ֤י יִזְרְעֶאל֙ עַל־ בֵּ֣ית יֵה֔וּא וְהִ֨שְׁבַּתִּ֔י מַמְלְכ֖וּת בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
קְרָ֥א  Call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שְׁמ֖וֹ  his  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יִזְרְעֶ֑אל  Jezreel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִזְרְעֶאל 
Sense: a descendant of the father or founder of Etam of Judah.
ע֣וֹד  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
מְעַ֗ט  in  a  little  [while] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
וּפָ֨קַדְתִּ֜י  and  I  will  avenge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דְּמֵ֤י  the  bloodshed 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
יִזְרְעֶאל֙  of  Jezreel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יִזְרְעֶאל 
Sense: a descendant of the father or founder of Etam of Judah.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יֵה֔וּא  of  Jehu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵהוּא  
Sense: the king of the northern kingdom Israel who overthrew the dynasty of Omri.
וְהִ֨שְׁבַּתִּ֔י  and  bring  to  an  end 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבַת 
Sense: to cease, desist, rest.
מַמְלְכ֖וּת  the  kingdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַמְלָכוּת  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.
בֵּ֥ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.