Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not flourish, because they have deserted the LORD to give themselves New Living Translation They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the LORD English Standard Version They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish Berean Standard Bible They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves King James Bible For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. New King James Version For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the LORD. New American Standard Bible They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the prostitute, but not increase, Because they gave up devoting themselves to the LORD. NASB 1995 They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the harlot, but not increase, Because they have stopped giving heed to the LORD. NASB 1977 And they will eat, but not have enough; They will play the harlot, but not increase, Because they have stopped giving heed to the LORD. Legacy Standard Bible They will eat, but not be satisfied; They will play the harlot, but not break forth in number, Because they have forsaken Yahweh to keep harlotry. Amplified Bible They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the prostitute, but not increase [their descendants], Because they have stopped giving heed to the LORD. Christian Standard Bible They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned their devotion to the LORD. Holman Christian Standard Bible They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned their devotion to the LORD. American Standard Version And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the harlot, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah. Contemporary English Version Their food won't satisfy, and having sex at pagan shrines won't produce children. My people have rebelled English Revised Version And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. GOD'S WORD® Translation "They will eat, but they'll never be full. They will have sex with prostitutes, but they'll never have children. They have abandoned the LORD. Good News Translation You will eat your share of the sacrifices, but still be hungry. You will worship the fertility gods, but still have no children, because you have turned away from me to follow other gods." International Standard Version They will eat, but will not be satisfied. They will engage in prostitution, but they won't increase, because they have stopped listening to the LORD. NET Bible They will eat, but not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but not increase in numbers; because they have abandoned the LORD by pursuing other gods. New Heart English Bible They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to the LORD. Webster's Bible Translation For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall be guilty of lewdness, and shall not increase: because they have ceased to take heed to the LORD. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThey will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves World English Bible They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned listening to Yahweh. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd they have eaten, and are not satisfied, "" They have gone whoring, and do not increase, "" For they have left off taking heed to YHWH. Young's Literal Translation And they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah. Smith's Literal Translation For they ate and they shall not be satisfied, and they committed fornication and they shall not spread abroad: for with Jehovah they left off to watch. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd they shall eat and shall not be filled: they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not observing his law. Catholic Public Domain Version And they will eat and not be satisfied. They have been committing fornication, and they did not cease. Since they have abandoned the Lord, they will not be safeguarded. New American Bible They will eat but not be satisfied, they will promote prostitution but not increase, Because they have abandoned the LORD, devoting themselves New Revised Standard Version They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply; because they have forsaken the LORD to devote themselves to Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor they shall eat and not be satisfied; they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase, because they have forsaken the LORD. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And they shall eat and they will not be satisfied; they fornicated and they have not increased, because they have forsaken the LORD JEHOVAH OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And they shall eat, and not have enough, They shall commit harlotry, and shall not increase; Because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. Brenton Septuagint Translation And they shall eat, and shall not be satisfied: they have gone a-whoring, and shall by no means prosper: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God's Charges Against Israel…9And it shall be like people, like priest. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. 10They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have stopped obeying the LORD. 11Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.… Cross References Jeremiah 5:7-9 “Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes. / They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife. / Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? Isaiah 65:13-14 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. / My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit. Micah 6:14 You will eat but not be satisfied, and your hunger will remain with you. What you acquire, you will not preserve; and what you save, I will give to the sword. Amos 4:6-8 “I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. / “I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. / People staggered from city to city for water to drink, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. Ezekiel 7:19 They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity. Proverbs 27:20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. Isaiah 9:20 They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring. Haggai 1:6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.” Jeremiah 2:19 Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Consider and realize how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts. Romans 1:28-32 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ... Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Philippians 3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things. 2 Peter 2:13-14 The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you. / Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. James 4:3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. Treasury of Scripture For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit prostitution, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. they shall eat. Leviticus 26:26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. Proverbs 13:25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want. Isaiah 65:13-16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: … they shall commit. Hosea 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall. Hosea 9:11-17 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception… left. 2 Chronicles 24:17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. Psalm 36:3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. Psalm 125:5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel. Jump to Previous Abandoned A-Whoring Ceased Cherish Commit Deserted Eat Eaten Engage Enough False. Food Forsaken Full Guilty Harlot Harlotry Heed Increase Increased Lewdness Multiply Play Prostitute Satisfied Stopped Themselves Thought WhoredomJump to Next Abandoned A-Whoring Ceased Cherish Commit Deserted Eat Eaten Engage Enough False. Food Forsaken Full Guilty Harlot Harlotry Heed Increase Increased Lewdness Multiply Play Prostitute Satisfied Stopped Themselves Thought WhoredomHosea 4 1. God denounces judgments on Israel, for their aggravated impieties and iniquities.12. He exposes the ignorance and wickedness of the priests, 13. and moral dissolution of the people, 14. he will leave their wives and daughters to commit lewdness, without present punishment. 15. He warns Judah, not to imitate Israel's crimes, which are still further reproved. They will eat but not be satisfied; This phrase highlights a theme of futility and dissatisfaction that is prevalent throughout the Bible. In the context of Hosea, it reflects the spiritual and physical consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. The Israelites were engaging in idolatry and turning away from the covenant with God, which led to a lack of true fulfillment. This echoes the curse of disobedience found in Leviticus 26:26, where God warns that despite having bread, they will not be satisfied. It also parallels the spiritual hunger described in Amos 8:11, where there is a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. The idea is that without God, even the most basic needs cannot truly satisfy. they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves Persons / Places / Events 1. HoseaA prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope. 2. Israel The Northern Kingdom, often depicted as unfaithful to God, engaging in idolatry and immorality. 3. The LORD (Yahweh) The covenant God of Israel, who desires faithfulness and obedience from His people. 4. Prostitution Used metaphorically to describe Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry. 5. Judgment The consequence of Israel's abandonment of God, leading to dissatisfaction and lack of increase. Teaching Points The Futility of IdolatryJust as Israel sought satisfaction in false gods and practices, modern believers must guard against placing anything above God in their lives. True Satisfaction in God Only a relationship with God can truly satisfy the deepest needs of the human heart. Pursuing Him leads to spiritual fulfillment. Consequences of Abandoning God Turning away from God leads to spiritual barrenness and dissatisfaction, as seen in Israel's experience. Call to Repentance Like Israel, believers are called to return to God, forsaking idols and seeking His forgiveness and restoration. Faithfulness in Relationship with God Emphasizes the importance of maintaining a faithful and obedient relationship with God, avoiding spiritual adultery. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Hosea 4:10?2. How does Hosea 4:10 illustrate the consequences of ignoring God's commandments today? 3. What does "eat but not be satisfied" reveal about spiritual emptiness? 4. How can Hosea 4:10 guide us in resisting idolatry in modern life? 5. What connections exist between Hosea 4:10 and the Ten Commandments? 6. How can we apply Hosea 4:10 to prioritize spiritual fulfillment over worldly desires? 7. What does Hosea 4:10 reveal about the consequences of ignoring God's commandments? 8. How does Hosea 4:10 reflect the relationship between sin and satisfaction? 9. Why does Hosea 4:10 emphasize the futility of seeking fulfillment outside of God? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Hosea 4? 11. Why did Assyria conquer Israel? 12. Psalm 4:5: How do sacrifices of righteousness compare to other biblical texts that claim God does not desire sacrifice (e.g., Psalm 51:16), creating potential inconsistency? 13. Hosea 10:15: How does the severe punishment described reconcile with portrayals of a merciful God elsewhere in the Bible? 14. What offerings are pleasing to God? What Does Hosea 4:10 Mean They will eat but not be satisfiedIsrael’s tables would still hold food, yet hunger would linger. The Lord promised covenant blessings of plenty when His people obeyed, but warned of emptiness when they rebelled (Deuteronomy 28:47-48: “you will serve your enemies… in hunger and thirst”). Hosea’s words echo that warning: • Physical lack mirrors spiritual famine. As Amos 8:11 reminds, “I will send a famine… not of bread, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” • Satisfaction is a gift the Lord alone provides; without Him even abundance tastes thin. Ecclesiastes 5:10 notes, “He who loves money is never satisfied with money.” • Withheld fullness is discipline meant to draw hearts back, just as in Leviticus 26:26 where “you will eat but not be satisfied.” The verse challenges us: if our souls feel lean despite full plates, have we drifted from the Giver? they will be promiscuous but not multiply Israel’s worship had blended with Canaanite fertility rites, yet the very thing they chased—growth—would dry up. The Lord told them long before, “The fruit of your womb will be cursed” when they rejected Him (Deuteronomy 28:18). Hosea shows the irony: • Sexual excess cannot manufacture blessing; Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the LORD.” • Immorality drains life rather than producing it. Proverbs 5:11 warns that at the end “your flesh and body are consumed.” • God sometimes withholds conception to expose idolatry. Malachi 2:15 asks, “Did He not make them one… seeking godly offspring?” When covenant faithfulness disappears, godly offspring dwindle too. Sin promises increase but delivers barrenness—both in the womb and in the heart. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves Here lies the root: forsaking the Lord for lesser loves. Hosea earlier pictured Israel as an unfaithful wife who said, “I will go after my lovers” (Hosea 2:5). Turning from God triggers the chain reaction of unmet hunger and fruitless intimacy. • Abandoning the Lord severs the source of every good gift (James 1:17). • Giving oneself to idols is spiritual adultery (James 4:4), provoking covenant curses. • Jeremiah 2:13 captures the tragedy: “They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, to dig cisterns… that cannot hold water.” Until loyalties return to the Lord alone, satisfaction and fruitfulness remain out of reach. summary Hosea 4:10 lays out a simple, sobering pattern: forsake the Lord, and even the most basic joys—full stomachs, growing families—slip through your fingers. The verse reminds us that real satisfaction and lasting fruit come only from steadfast devotion to the Lord. Return to Him, and the famine ends; persist in other loves, and emptiness remains no matter how much we eat or indulge. Verse 10. - For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase. This part of the verso states the punishment to be inflicted and the reward to be received; it is thus an expansion of the closing clause of the preceding verse, with an obvious allusion to the sin specified in the eighth verse. To eat and not be satisfied may occur in time of famine, or be the effect of disease or the consequence of insatiable craving. "Since," says Kimchi, "they eat in an unlawful manner, their food shall not be to them a blessing." This was one of the punishments threatened for violation of the Law, as we read in Leviticus 26:26, "When I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied." Further, the multiplication of wives or concubines would not increase their posterity; Solomon long previously had been a notable exemplification of this. "So in their cohabitation with their women, since it is in a whorish manner, they shall not increase, for they shall not have children by them; or, if they have, they shall die from the birth." The Hiph. hiznu has rather the intensive sense of Qal than that of causing or encouraging whoredom. Because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. The verbal lishmor either(1) has Jehovah for its object, as in the Authorized Version; or (2) durko or darkair may be supplied, as is done by Kimchi and Aben Ezra. The former has, "To observe his ways, for they have no delight in him and in his ways; to observe his ways they have left off;" the latter has, "They have forsaken Jehovah, to observe his way or his Laws." But (3) Kimchi informs us that "Saadiah Gaon of blessed memory has connected the word with the verse that comes after it; they have forsaken the Lord to observe whoredom and wine and new wine." Hebrew They will eatוְאָֽכְלוּ֙ (wə·’ā·ḵə·lū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 398: To eat but not וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no be satisfied; יִשְׂבָּ֔עוּ (yiś·bā·‘ū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited they will be promiscuous הִזְנ֖וּ (hiz·nū) Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 2181: To commit adultery, to commit idolatry but not וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no multiply. יִפְרֹ֑צוּ (yip̄·rō·ṣū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 6555: To break through For כִּֽי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction they have stopped עָזְב֖וּ (‘ā·zə·ḇū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit obeying לִשְׁמֹֽר׃ (liš·mōr) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to the LORD. יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel Links Hosea 4:10 NIVHosea 4:10 NLT Hosea 4:10 ESV Hosea 4:10 NASB Hosea 4:10 KJV Hosea 4:10 BibleApps.com Hosea 4:10 Biblia Paralela Hosea 4:10 Chinese Bible Hosea 4:10 French Bible Hosea 4:10 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Hosea 4:10 They will eat and not have enough (Ho Hs Hos.) |
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