Hosea 3:4
in Hosea 3For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim:
KJV
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
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This verse in Hosea 3
Commentary
10 notes on this verseFor the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince,.... Without any form of civil government, either regal or without any civil magistrate, either superior or subordinate, of their own; being subject to the kings and princes of other nations, as the ten tribes were from their captivity by Shalmaneser, to the coming of Christ, which was about seven hundred years; and from that time the tribes of Judah and Benjamin have had no kings and princes among them, for the space of nineteen hundred years, which may very well be called "many days".
This site's exposition
many days without king or prince
The sign is applied to the nation, for "the Israelites must live many days without king". The list pairs lawful worship with the objects of idolatry, sacrifice and ephod beside sacred pillar and idol. Throne, altar and idol are taken away together, and the loss falls on every side.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
I ask, therefore, on what day the heavenly manna began to be given. I wish to compare our Lord's day with the sabbath of the Jews. For the divine Scriptures it appears that manna was first given on earth on the Lord's day. For if, as Scripture says, it was gathered for six consecutive days, but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, it was stopped, without doubt it began on the first day, which is the Lord's day. But if it is plain from divine Scriptures that on the Lord's day God rained manna and on the sabbath he did not, let the Jews understand that already at that time our Lord's day was preferred to the Jewish sabbath. Even then it was revealed that on their own sabbath no grace of God descended to them from the sky; no bread of heaven, which is the Word of God, came to them. For a prophet also says elsewhere, "The sons of Israel will sit for many days without a king, without a prince, without a prophet, without a victim, without a sacrifice, without a priest." On our Lord's day, however, the Lord always rains manna from the sky.
For the prophecy was fulfilled that had declared, "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king and prince. There shall be no victim, nor altar, nor priesthood, nor answers." These testimonies, accordingly, we employ against those who presume to assert that what is spoken in Genesis by Jacob refers to Judah. They say that there still remains a prince of the race of Judah—he, namely, who is the prince of their nation, whom they style patriarch—and that there cannot fail [a ruler] of his seed, who will remain until the advent of that Christ whom they picture themselves. But if the prophet's words are true when he says, "The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, without prince; and there shall be no victim, nor altar, nor priesthood," and if, certainly, since the overthrow of the temple, victims are neither offered, nor any altar found, nor any priesthood exists. So it is most certain that, as it is written, princes have departed from Judah and a leader from between his thighs, until the coming of him for whom it has been reserved. It is established, then, that he has indeed come from whom it has been reserved and in whom is the expectation of the Gentiles. And this manifestly seems to be fulfilled in the multitude of those who have believed in God through Christ out of the different nations.
"For many days the children of Israel shall sit without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an altar, and without an ephod, and without teraphim. And after these things the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king: and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days." LXX: "For many days the children of Israel shall sit without a king, without a prince, without sacrifice, without an altar, without priesthood, without manifestations" (which in Greek are called δήλοι).
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For - Now the parable is unfolded, it shall be with Israel as with such a woman, they and she were guilty of adultery, both punished long, both made slaves, kept hardly, and valued meanly, yet in mercy at last pardoned, and re-accepted tho' after a long time of probation.
They shall have no sacrifice or altar (so the LXX.), and therefore no sacrifice because no altar. They shall have no ephod, nor teraphim, no legal priesthood, no means of knowing God's mind, no oracle to consult in doubtful cases, but shall be all in the dark. Note, The case of those is very melancholy that are deprived of all opportunities to worship God in public.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Many days without a king - Hitherto this prophecy has been literally fulfilled. Since the destruction of the temple by the Romans they have neither had king nor prince, nor any civil government of their own, but have lived in different nations of the earth as mere exiles. They have neither priests nor sacrifices nor urim nor thummim; no prophet, no oracle, no communication of any kind from God.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The latter was one of the five things which the second temple lacked, and which the first had. It, as representing the divinely constituted priesthood, is opposed to the idolatrous "teraphim," as "sacrifice" (to Jehovah) is to "an (idolatrous) image." "Abide" answers to "thou shalt abide for me" (Ho 3:3).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For the children of Israel shall abide many days - The condition described is one in which there should be no civil polity, none of the special temple-service, nor yet the idolatry, which they had hitherto combined with it or substituted for it. “King and prince” include both higher and lower governors. Judah had “kings” before the captivity, and a sort of “prince” in her governors after it. Judah remained still a polity, although without the glory of her kings, until she rejected Christ. Israel ceased to have any civil government at all. “Sacrifice” was the center of worship before Christ. It was that part of their service, which, above all, foreshadowed His love, His atonement and sacrifice, and the reconciliation of God by His blood, whose merits it pleaded. “Images,” were, “contrariwise,” the center of idolatry, the visible form of the beings, whom they worshipped instead of God. The “ephod” was the holy garment which the high priest wore, with the names of the twelve tribes and the Urim and Thummim, over his heart, and by which he inquired of God. The “Teraphim” were idolatrous means of divination. So then, “for many days,” a long, long period, “the children of Israel” should “abide,” in a manner waiting for God, as the wife waited for her husband, kept apart under His care, yet not acknowledged by Him; not following after idolatries, yet cut off from the sacrificial worship which He had appointed for forgiveness of sins, through faith in the Sacrifice yet to be offered, cut off also from the appointed means of consulting Him and knowing His will. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and I said to her: You shall remain as mine for many days The plural “days” refers to (a minimum) of two, “many” to (a minimum of) three, making a total of five.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י׀ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָמִ֣ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| רַבִּ֗ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ | yeshevu | they will dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֵ֥ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ | melekh | [will be] a king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| שָׂ֔ר | sar | [will be] a prince | H8269 → | 421 times |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| זֶ֖בַח | zevach | [will be] sacrifice | H2077 → | 162 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מַצֵּבָ֑ה | matzevah | [will be] a pillar | H4676 → | 32 times |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אֵפ֖וֹד | ʾefod | [will be] an ephod | H646 → | |
| וּתְרָפִֽים׃ | uterafim | and teraphim | H8655 → |
כִּ֣י׀for
kiH3588 →4482 times
יָמִ֣יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
רַבִּ֗יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙they will dwell
yeshevuH3427 →1079 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֵ֥יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
מֶ֙לֶךְ֙[will be] a king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
וְאֵ֣יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
שָׂ֔ר[will be] a prince
sarH8269 →421 times
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
זֶ֖בַח[will be] sacrifice
zevachH2077 →162 times
וְאֵ֣יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
מַצֵּבָ֑ה[will be] a pillar
matzevahH4676 →32 times
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
אֵפ֖וֹד[will be] an ephod
ʾefodH646 →
וּתְרָפִֽים׃and teraphim
uterafimH8655 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 10:26If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:20–22
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse…
- Hebrews 6:4–6
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- John 9:41
“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
- Luke 12:47
That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.
- 2 Peter 2:20–22
Through
2 Chronicles 15:2So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him,…
it leads to
- James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments…
- 2 Chronicles 15:4
But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9
As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
- James 4:8
Where this verse is studied
About Hosea
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Hosea 3:4-5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON EXODUS 7 and Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 4:1.3.
