Hosea 4:7 Study Bible: As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me. They have exchanged their glory into shame.

◄ Hosea 4:7 ►

The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; they exchanged their Glory for a thing of disgrace.

The more they multiplied
This phrase refers to the increase in population and prosperity of the Israelites. In the Hebrew context, "multiplied" (רָבָה, rabah) often signifies not just numerical growth but also an increase in blessings and abundance. Historically, Israel experienced periods of prosperity, especially under kings like Jeroboam II. However, this growth led to complacency and moral decline. The increase in numbers and wealth should have been a cause for gratitude and devotion to God, but instead, it became a catalyst for spiritual decay.

the more they sinned against Me
The Hebrew word for "sinned" (חָטָא, chata) implies missing the mark or failing to live up to God's standards. As the Israelites grew in number and wealth, their spiritual fidelity diminished. This reflects a recurring biblical theme where material prosperity often leads to spiritual complacency and rebellion. The phrase underscores the tragic irony that blessings intended to draw people closer to God instead led them further away.

they exchanged their Glory
"Glory" (כָּבוֹד, kavod) in this context refers to the honor and presence of God among His people. The Israelites were chosen to reflect God's glory to the nations, but they traded this divine privilege for idolatry and immorality. This exchange is reminiscent of Romans 1:23, where humanity trades the glory of the immortal God for images. The historical context reveals that Israel often turned to the gods of surrounding nations, forsaking their unique relationship with Yahweh.

for a thing of disgrace
The "thing of disgrace" (בֹּשֶׁת, boshet) signifies idols and false gods, which are shameful compared to the living God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idolatry was not just a religious act but a cultural norm. However, for Israel, it was a betrayal of their covenant with God. The disgrace lies in the futility and emptiness of idols, which cannot compare to the glory and power of the true God. This phrase serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of turning away from God to pursue worthless things.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Hosea
A prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope.

2. Israel
The Northern Kingdom, often referred to in Hosea as Ephraim, which had turned away from God and engaged in idolatry.

3. God
The central figure who is addressing the sins of Israel through the prophet Hosea.

4. Idolatry
The act of worshiping idols or false gods, which was prevalent in Israel during Hosea's time.

5. Multiplication of People
Refers to the growth and prosperity of the nation, which unfortunately led to increased sinfulness.

Teaching Points

The Danger of Prosperity Without God
Prosperity can lead to complacency and sin if not grounded in a relationship with God. As Israel multiplied, they turned away from God, showing that blessings can become curses if they lead us away from Him.

The Tragedy of Idolatry
Exchanging the glory of God for disgraceful things is a recurring theme in Scripture. Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can be anything that takes the place of God in our lives.

The Call to Repentance
Hosea's message is a call to recognize our sins and return to God. Repentance involves acknowledging where we have exchanged God's glory for lesser things and turning back to Him.

The Consequences of Sin
Sin has real consequences, both spiritually and physically. Israel's sin led to their downfall, serving as a warning for us to remain faithful to God.

God’s Unchanging Nature
Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. His desire is for His people to return to Him, highlighting His mercy and grace.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the prosperity of a nation or individual potentially lead to spiritual complacency, as seen in Hosea 4:7?

2. In what ways might we be guilty of exchanging God's glory for disgraceful things in our own lives today?

3. How can the historical context of Israel's idolatry inform our understanding of modern-day idolatry?

4. What steps can we take to ensure that our prosperity leads us closer to God rather than away from Him?

5. How does the message of Hosea 4:7 encourage us to reflect on the faithfulness of God despite human unfaithfulness?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Romans 1:23
This verse discusses exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images, similar to Israel's exchange of their glory for disgrace.

Jeremiah 2:11
Highlights the folly of exchanging God’s glory for worthless idols, paralleling Israel's actions in Hosea.

Psalm 106:20
Describes Israel exchanging their glorious God for an image of a bull, reflecting the same theme of idolatry.

Exodus 32
The incident of the golden calf, where the Israelites exchanged their worship of God for an idol, is a historical backdrop for understanding Hosea's message.

1 Corinthians 10:7
Warns against idolatry, using Israel's history as an example for believers.

Sermons

Man's Glory Changed into Shame	Henry Melvill, B. D.	Hosea 4:7
Perverted Gifts	E. B. Pusey, D. D.	Hosea 4:7
Prosperity Encouraging Sin	George Hutcheson.	Hosea 4:7
Secular Prosperity	Homilist	Hosea 4:7
Secular Prosperity	D. Thomas	Hosea 4:7
Shame for Glory	Jeremiah Burroughs.	Hosea 4:7
Spiritual Ruin Through Temporal Prosperity	J. Ossian Davies.	Hosea 4:7
Worldly Prosperity an Insidious Danger	"Life of Jenny Lind," by Canon Scott Holland.	Hosea 4:7
Priests and People	J. Orr	Hosea 4:6-11
Israel's Guilt and Punishment	C. Jerdan	Hosea 4:6-14

People

Hosea

Places

Beth-aven, Gilgal, Jezreel

Topics

Abundance, Change, Changed, Disgraceful, Exchanged, Glory, Honour, Increased, Increasing, Multiplied, Shame, Sinned, Sinning

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Hosea 4:7

1194 glory, divine and human
5836 disgrace

Hosea 4:6-9

7768 priests, OT function

Hosea 4:6-13

7233 Israel, northern kingdom

Hosea 4:7-8

6616 atonement, in OT

Library

'Let Him Alone'
'Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.'--HOSEA iv. 17. The tribe of Ephraim was the most important member of the kingdom of Israel; consequently its name was not unnaturally sometimes used in a wider application for the whole of the kingdom, of which it was the principal part. Being the 'predominant partner,' its name was used alone for that of the whole firm, just as in our own empire, we often say 'England,' meaning thereby the three kingdoms: England, Scotland, and Ireland. So 'Ephraim' here …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers.
1. His Early Years.--Ephraim, according to this biography, was a Syrian of Mesopotamia, by birth, and by parentage on both sides. His mother was of Amid (now Diarbekr) a central city of that region; his father belonged to the older and more famous City of Nisibis, not far from Amid but near the Persian frontier, where he was priest of an idol named Abnil (or Abizal) in the days of Constantine the Great (306-337). This idol was afterwards destroyed by Jovian (who became Emperor in 363 after the …
Ephraim the Syrian—Hymns and Homilies of Ephraim the Syrian

Instruction for the Ignorant:
BEING A SALVE TO CURE THAT GREAT WANT OF KNOWLEDGE, WHICH SO MUCH REIGNS BOTH IN YOUNG AND OLD. PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THEM IN A PLAIN AND EASY DIALOGUE, FITTED TO THE CAPACITY OF THE WEAKEST. 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'--Hosea 4:6 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This little catechism is upon a plan perfectly new and unique. It was first published as a pocket volume in 1675, and has been republished in every collection of the author's works; and recently in a separate tract. …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Beth-El. Beth-Aven.
Josephus thus describes the land of Benjamin; "The Benjamites' portion of land was from the river Jordan to the sea, in length: in breadth, it was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." Let these last words be marked, "The breadth of the land of Benjamin was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." May we not justly conclude, from these words, that Jerusalem and Beth-el were opposite, as it were, in a right line? But if you look upon the maps, there are some that separate these by a very large tract of land, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Of Orders.
Of this sacrament the Church of Christ knows nothing; it was invented by the church of the Pope. It not only has no promise of grace, anywhere declared, but not a word is said about it in the whole of the New Testament. Now it is ridiculous to set up as a sacrament of God that which can nowhere be proved to have been instituted by God. Not that I consider that a rite practised for so many ages is to be condemned; but I would not have human inventions established in sacred things, nor should it be …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

"For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Hath Made Me Free from the Law of Sin and Death. "
Rom. viii. 2.--"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." You know there are two principal things in the preceding verse,--the privilege of a Christian, and the property or character of a Christian. He is one that never enters into condemnation; He that believeth shall not perish, John iii. 15. And then he is one that walks not after the flesh, though he be in the flesh, but in a more elevate way above men, after the guiding and leading …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Epistle cxxi. To Leander, Bishop of Hispalis (Seville).
To Leander, Bishop of Hispalis (Seville). Gregory to Leander, Bishop of Spain. I have the epistle of thy Holiness, written with the pen of charity alone. For what the tongue transferred to the paper had got its tincture from the heart. Good and wise men were present when it was read, and at once their bowels were stirred with emotion. Everyone began to seize thee in his heart with the hand of love, for that in that epistle the sweetness of thy disposition was not to be heard, but seen. All severally …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

That the Ruler Relax not his Care for the Things that are Within in his Occupation among the Things that are Without, nor Neglect to Provide
The ruler should not relax his care for the things that are within in his occupation among the things that are without, nor neglect to provide for the things that are without in his solicitude for the things that are within; lest either, given up to the things that are without, he fall away from his inmost concerns, or, occupied only with the things that are within bestow not on his neighbours outside himself what he owes them. For it is often the case that some, as if forgetting that they have …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Doctrine
OF THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED; OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING THE LAW AND GRACE; THE NATURE OF THE ONE, AND THE NATURE OF THE OTHER; SHOWING WHAT THEY ARE, AS THEY ARE THE TWO COVENANTS; AND LIKEWISE, WHO THEY BE, AND WHAT THEIR CONDITIONS ARE, THAT BE UNDER EITHER OF THESE TWO COVENANTS: Wherein, for the better understanding of the reader, there are several questions answered touching the law and grace, very easy to be read, and as easy to be understood, by those that are the sons of wisdom, the children …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Hosea
The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts: i.-iii. and iv.-xiv., the former relatively clear and connected, the latter unusually disjointed and obscure. The difference is so unmistakable that i.-iii. have usually been assigned to the period before the death of Jeroboam II, and iv.-xiv. to the anarchic period which succeeded. Certainly Hosea's prophetic career began before the end of Jeroboam's reign, as he predicts the fall of the reigning dynasty, i. 4, which practically ended with Jeroboam's …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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