4:1a

Hear the word of the LORD: In the Old Testament, this command was a standard way to introduce a prophetic message or warning of judgment. It emphasized that the message that followed was important because it was from the LORD. Hosea told the message to the people, but the LORD was the source of the message.

Here is another way to translate this command:

hear what Yahweh says (NJB)

O children of Israel: See the note on “the Israelites” in 3:1c. The same phrase also occurs in 3:4a. Hosea used this phrase here to address the Israelites directly.

Here is another way to translate this vocative:

O people of Israel (NRSV)

Use a term of address (vocative) that is natural in your language when a person speaks to a group of people.

4:1b

for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: In Hebrew, the word for probably introduces the reason or motivation for the Israelites to listen carefully to the LORD’s message.According to McComiskey (page 56), Macintosh (page 56), and Wood (page 184), the Hebrew word ki here introduces the reason for the command to listen. Keil’s translation (page 50) supports this view. Follingstad disagrees with this traditional causal interpretation of ki. According to his analysis in Deictic Viewpoint of Biblical Hebrew Text (on TW), which focuses on passages that are not analogous to Hosea and does not comment on this or other passages in Hosea, the primary function of ki is to shift the listener’s viewpoint to the content of the following proposition. However, Follingstad admits that “there often is a causal connection between the semantic contents of the clauses” (10.2.3). For example:

Israel, hear the word of the LORD; for the Lord has a charge to bring against the inhabitants of the land: (REB)

Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel; for the Lord has an indictment against the inhabitants of the land. (NRSV)

Some versions leave this connection implied. For example:

Listen to the word of the LORD, you Israelites. The Lord has brought these charges against those who live in the land: (GW)

Use a natural way in your language to translate the relationship between 4:1a and 4:1b.

for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: This statement indicates that the LORD was making a very serious accusation against the people of Israel.

case: This is the same word that the BSB translated as “rebuke” in 2:2. In Hebrew, it means “to fight with words,” as in a quarrel or a legal case.

Some English versions use an expression that refers to an actual trial. For example:

The Lord has filed a lawsuit against you (NLT96)

But this verse may also refer to an informal accusation, so it is better to use a more general expression. For example:

The Lord has an accusation to bring against the people who live in this land.The GNT translation could refer either to a legal accusation as part of a court case or to a non-trial setting. (GNT)

the people of the land: This phrase refers to the inhabitants of the land of Israel.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

citizens of the country (NJB)

you (NLT)

The NLT probably left the rest of the phrase implied because it is clear from both the preceding and following context.

4:1c–d

There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land: In 4:1c–d, the LORD stated his charge. The people of Israel were guilty of these three crimes.

In some languages, it may be more natural to make explicit a human subject here. For example:

No one is faithful or loyal or truly cares about God. (CEV)

4:1c

There is no truth, no loving devotion: In Hebrew and in most versions, the object of no truth and no loving devotion is left implied. Two possible objects are other people and God:

• There is no truth and no love towards other people.

• There is no truth and no love towards God.

If possible, you should translate in a way that allows either or both objects to be understood. If you need to make an object explicit in your language, it is recommended that you specify other people.Macintosh (page 127). This better fits the context of 4:2 that lists cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. These are sins that the people committed against other people.Hubbard (page 97).

truth: In Hebrew, this word describes a person who is honest and dependable in what he says and does. Some languages may have a single expression that has these meanings. In other languages, it may be appropriate to use more than one expression.

Here are some other ways to translate the statement “There is no truth”:

No one is faithful (CEV)

There are no trustworthy people

No one tells the truth or can be trusted

loving devotion: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as loving devotion has several aspects of meaning:

1. steadfastness, loyalty

2. love

3. kindness, mercy

A number of versions translate one aspect of the meaning. For example:

love (GNT)

loyalty (NET)

kindness (NLT)

Some versions have two aspects. For example:

faithful love (NJB)

steadfast love (ESV)

In some languages, it may be possible to express all three aspects. For example:

consistent/unchanging love and kindness

Translate this term in a way that fits naturally in the context. Here it may refer particularly to showing a concern for the needs of others. The LORD’s covenant with Israel required them to have this concern in response to the love that the LORD had shown to them.Hubbard (page 97). TWOT (#698a) says God was obviously in a covenant relationship with Israel, and he expressed this relationship in eternal ḥesed, but ḥesed does not necessarily involve a covenant nor does it mean loyalty to a covenant. Rather, it is a kind of love, including mercy, close to the KJV rendering “lovingkindness.” Vine (page 142) insists that three basic meanings of the word always interact: kindness, steadfastness, and love. He says that ḥesed is not only a matter of obligation within a relationship; it is also generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy.

4:1d

no knowledge of God: The phrase knowledge of God means that a person knows God and has a relationship with him. He also knows who God is and what God wants his people to do. It is implied that a person who knows God will obey him. He will acknowledge God’s authority by his actions.

In verses such as 2:20b, there is a difference of interpretation between “know” and “acknowledge.” Here (4:1d), both senses fit the context. Most English versions choose one sense or the other. For example:

no knowledge of God (ESV)

people do not acknowledge me as God (GNT)

If possible, translate in a way that allows or includes both senses of meaning. See the meaning lines in the Display for 4:1d for two examples.

God: The Hebrew word here is ʾelohim and not Yahweh. Versions indicate this by translating this word as God and not as “LORD.”

in the land: This phrase also occurs in 4:1b. In some languages, it may be natural to translate this phrase explicitly both here and in 4:1b, as in the BSB. In other languages, it may be better to translate this phrase explicitly in only one of these places. For example, the CEV makes this phrase explicit only in 4:1b:

^1bthe Lord accuses everyone in the land! ^1cNo one is faithful or loyal ^1dor truly cares about God. (CEV)

The NLT makes this phrase explicit only in 4:1d:

^1bThe Lord has brought charges against you, ^1csaying: There is no faithfulness, no kindness, ^1dno knowledge of God in your land. (NLT)

With any of these options, make sure that the meaning is clear in the context.