The Meaning of Hosea 9:4 Explained

Hosea 9:4

KJV: They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

YLT: They pour not out wine to Jehovah, Nor are they sweet to Him, Their sacrifices are as bread of mourners to them, All eating it are unclean: For their bread is for themselves, It doth not come into the house of Jehovah.

Darby: They shall pour out no offerings of wine to Jehovah, neither shall their sacrifices be pleasing unto him: they shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be defiled: for their bread shall be for themselves; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.

ASV: They shall not pour out wine-offerings to Jehovah, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They shall not offer  wine  [offerings] to the LORD,  neither shall they be pleasing  unto him: their sacrifices  [shall be] unto them as the bread  of mourners;  all that eat  thereof shall be polluted:  for their bread  for their soul  shall not come  into the house  of the LORD. 

What does Hosea 9:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Opportunities for legitimate worship would end in exile since Israel had corrupted legitimate worship in the land. Drink offerings of wine, which accompanied certain sacrifices, would cease (cf. Numbers 15:1-12), and sacrifices offered there would be unacceptable to Yahweh. They would be similar to the bread that mourners ate, namely, ceremonially unclean because of contact with dead bodies (cf. Numbers 19:14-15; Numbers 19:22). Such bread might be suitable for human consumption, but it was unacceptable as an offering to God. Cultic celebration would give way to disease and death.

Context Summary

Hosea 9:1-9 - "the Days Of Recompense Are Come"
The subject of this chapter is the bitterness of the captivity which was awaiting Israel as the result of their unfaithfulness. Their exile would put an effectual end to their idolatrous and sensual feasts. Every pleasure would be removed and every taste would be offended. The contrasts here are very significant. If men choose unclean things when they might have clean, a situation will be created in which only unclean things shall be attainable, Hosea 9:3. If they withhold God's offerings when they have plenty, they will presently be reduced to such straits as not to have wherewith to sacrifice or even to sustain life, Hosea 9:4-5. If we go down to Egypt for help, in Egypt we shall die, Hosea 9:6-7. In other words, every sin carries within itself the seed of its own avenging. If allowed to work itself out, its harvest is unutterable and irretrievable.
What a privilege Ephraim had within his grasp, as a watchman with God, Hosea 9:8! It is to this privilege, also, that our Savior calls all of us. He says to us, as He said to His disciples, Tarry ye here and watch with me. But too often we refuse to heed the gracious challenge, and allow ourselves to be seduced by the tempter, or by the sloth and corruption of our own hearts, Hosea 9:8-9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 9

1  The distress and captivity of Israel for their sins

What do the individual words in Hosea 9:4 mean?

Not they shall offer to Yahweh wine [offerings] nor shall be pleasing to Him their sacrifices [it shall be] like the bread of mourners to them all who eat it shall be defiled for their bread [shall be] for their [own] life not it shall come into the house of Yahweh
לֹא־ יִסְּכ֨וּ לַיהוָ֥ה ׀ יַיִן֮ וְלֹ֣א יֶֽעֶרְבוּ־ לוֹ֒ זִבְחֵיהֶ֗ם כְּלֶ֤חֶם אוֹנִים֙ לָהֶ֔ם כָּל־ אֹכְלָ֖יו יִטַמָּ֑אוּ‪‬ כִּֽי־ לַחְמָ֣ם לְנַפְשָׁ֔ם לֹ֥א יָב֖וֹא בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה

יִסְּכ֨וּ  they  shall  offer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָסַךְ 
Sense: to pour out, pour, offer, cast.
לַיהוָ֥ה ׀  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יַיִן֮  wine  [offerings] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
וְלֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֶֽעֶרְבוּ־  shall  be  pleasing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָרַב 
Sense: to pledge, exchange, mortgage, engage, occupy, undertake for, give pledges, be or become surety, take on pledge, give in pledge.
לוֹ֒  to  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
זִבְחֵיהֶ֗ם  their  sacrifices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
כְּלֶ֤חֶם  [it  shall  be]  like  the  bread 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
אוֹנִים֙  of  mourners 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָוֶן 
Sense: trouble, wickedness, sorrow.
לָהֶ֔ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
אֹכְלָ֖יו  who  eat  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
יִטַמָּ֑אוּ‪‬  shall  be  defiled 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
לַחְמָ֣ם  their  bread  [shall  be] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
לְנַפְשָׁ֔ם  for  their  [own]  life 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
יָב֖וֹא  it  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵּ֥ית  into  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.