HOS 9:4 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) ⇔ They won’t pour out wine offerings to Yahweh,
⇔ ≈ and their sacrifices won’t please him.
⇔ To them, it’ll be like the food at a funeral—
⇔ everyone who eats it will become defiled.
⇔ Their food will only be for themselves to eat—
⇔ it won’t be allowed into Yahweh’s residence.

9:4 OSHB note: We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Οὐκ ἔσπεισαν τῷ Κυρίῳ οἶνον, καὶ οὐχ ἥδυναν αὐτῷ αἱ θυσίαι αὐτῶν, ὡς ἄρτος πένθους αὐτοῖς· πάντες οἱ ἐσθίοντες αὐτὰ μιανθήσονται, διότι οἱ ἄρτοι αὐτῶν ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν οὐκ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου.
(Ouk espeisan tōi Kuriōi oinon, kai ouⱪ haʸdunan autōi hai thusiai autōn, hōs artos penthous autois; pantes hoi esthiontes auta mianthaʸsontai, dioti hoi artoi autōn tais psuⱪais autōn ouk eiseleusontai eis ton oikon Kuriou. )

BrTr They have not offered wine to the Lord, neither have their sacrifices been sweet to him, but as the bread of mourning to them; all that eat them shall be defiled; for their bread for their soul shall not enter into the house of the Lord.

ULT They will not pour out wine offerings to Yahweh,
⇔ neither will their sacrifices be pleasing to him.
⇔ It will be like the bread of mourners to them:
⇔ all who eat it will be defiled.
⇔ For their bread will be for themselves only;
⇔ it will not come into the house of Yahweh.

UST No longer will they pour out wine to offer it to Yahweh;
⇔ their sacrifices will not please him at all.
⇔ Their sacrifices will be as unacceptable to God as the food that people eat at funerals;
⇔ and everyone who eats that food becomes unacceptable to God.
⇔ That food will be all they eat;
⇔ they will not be able to bring it into Yahweh’s house to offer it to him.

OEB ⇔ They will not pour out libations of wine to the Lord,
⇔ nor please him with their sacrifices.
⇔ Their bread will be like the bread of mourners:
⇔ all who eat it will defile themselves.
⇔ For their bread will be only for their hunger,
⇔ it will not come into the Lord’s temple.

WEBBE They won’t pour out wine offerings to the LORD,
⇔ neither will they be pleasing to him.
⇔ Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners;
⇔ all who eat of it will be polluted;
⇔ for their bread will be for their appetite.
⇔ It will not come into the LORD’s house.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the Lord;
⇔ they will not please him with their sacrifices.
⇔ Their sacrifices will be like bread eaten while in mourning;
⇔ all those who eat them will make themselves ritually unclean.
⇔ For their bread will be only to satisfy their appetite;
⇔ it will not come into the temple of the Lord.

LSV They do not pour out wine to YHWH,
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 does not come into the house of YHWH.

FBV You won't pour out any drink offerings to the Lord. None of your sacrifices will please him. Your sacrifices will be like food eaten by a person in mourning[fn]—all who eat will be unclean. You will eat this food yourselves, but it will not enter the house of the Lord.

9:4 A person in mourning would have touched a dead body, making them unclean (see Leviticus 21:11, Numbers 19:11 etc.)

T4T You Israelis will not be able to give wine offerings to him,
⇔ or bring sacrifices to him.
⇔ None of your other sacrifices will please him;
⇔ they will be unacceptable to him, like [SIM] food that is touched by people at funerals,
⇔ and everyone who eats that food will become unacceptable to him.
⇔ They will be permitted to eat that food themselves,
⇔ but they will not be permitted to bring it into the temple.

LEB   • They will not pour drink offerings of wine to Yahweh, and their sacrifices will not please him.
• They are like mourners’ bread for them;
  • all those who eat it will be defiled.
• For their bread will be for their hunger ;[fn]
  • it will not come to the house of Yahweh.

9:? Literally “for their soul”

BBE They will give no wine offering to the Lord, they will not make offerings ready for him; their bread will be like the bread of those in sorrow; all who take it will be unclean, because their bread will be only for their desire, it will not come into the house of the Lord.

Moff No libations to the Eternal then!
⇔ No sacrificing victims for him then!
⇔ Their food shall be like mourners’ food,
⇔ defiling all who eat it;
⇔ their food shall only be for their own table,
⇔ none can be offered in the Eternal’s house.

JPS They shall not pour out 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 shall be for their appetite, it shall not come into the house of the LORD.

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.

DRA They shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall they please him: their sacrifices shall be like the bread of mourners: all that shall eat it shall be defiled: for their bread is life for their soul, it shall not enter 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.

Drby 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.

RV They shall not pour out 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 shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of the LORD.

SLT They shall not pour out wine to Jehovah, and they shall not be pleasant to him: their sacrifices as the bread of sorrows to them; all eating it shall be defiled: for their bread for their soul shall not come in to the house of Jehovah.

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

KJB-1769 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.

KJB-1611 They shall not offer wine offrings to the LORD: neither shall they be pleasing vnto him: their sacrifices shalbe vnto them as the bread of mourners: all that eate thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soule shall not come into the house of the LORD.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Bshps They powre out no wine for a drynke offeryng vnto the Lorde, neither shall their slayne offeringes be pleasaunt vnto him, they shalbe vnto them as the bread of mourners, all they that eate shalbe defiled: for their bread for their soules shall not come into the house of the Lorde.
(They pour out no wine for a drink offering unto the Lord, neither shall their slain/killed offerings be pleasant unto him, they shall be unto them as the bread of mourners, all they that eat shall be defiled: for their bread for their souls shall not come into the house of the Lord.)

Gnva They shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall their sacrifices be pleasant vnto him: but they shall be vnto them as the bread of mourners: al that eate thereof, shalbe polluted: for their bread for their soules shall not come into the house of the Lord.
(They shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall their sacrifices be pleasant unto him: but they shall be unto them as the bread of mourners: all that eat thereof, shall be polluted: for their bread for their souls shall not come into the house of the Lord. )

Cvdl They poure out no wyne for a drinkofferinge vnto the LORDE, nether geue they him their slayne offeringes: but they be vnto them as mourners meates, wherin all they that eate them, are defyled. For the bred that they haue soch lust vnto, shal not come in the house of the LORDE.
(They pour out no wine for a drink-offering unto the LORD, neither give they him their slain/killed offerings: but they be unto them as mourners meats, wherein all they that eat them, are defiled. For the bred that they have such lust unto, shall not come in the house of the LORD.)

Wycl Thei schulen not offre wyn to the Lord, and thei schulen not plese hym. The sacrificis of hem ben as breed of mourneris; alle that schulen ete it schulen be defoulid. For the breed of hem is to the lijf of hem; thei schulen not entre in to the hous of the Lord.
(They should not offer wine to the Lord, and they should not please him. The sacrifices of hem been as bread of mourners; all that should eat it should be defiled. For the bread of hem is to the life of hem; they should not enter in to the house of the Lord.)

Luth daselbst sie dem HErr’s kein Trankopfer vom Wein noch etwas zu Gefallen tun können. Ihr Opfer soll sein wie der Betrübten Brot, an welchem unrein werden alle, die davon essen; denn ihr Brot müssen sie für sich selbst essen, und soll nicht in des HErr’s Haus gebracht werden.
(there they/she/them to_him LORD’s no/not libation/drink-offering from_the wine still something to/for fallen_(one) do/put can. You(pl) victim/prey should be as/like the/of_the afflicted_one(s) bread, at/to which_one unclean become all, the of_that eat; because/than you(pl)/their/her bread must they/she/them for/in_favour_of itself/yourself/themselves himself/itself eat, and should not in the LORD’s house brought become.)

ClVg Non libabunt Domino vinum, et non placebunt ei. Sacrificia eorum quasi panis lugentium; omnes qui comedent eum, contaminabuntur: quia panis eorum animæ ipsorum: non intrabit in domum Domini.
(Not/No libabunt Master wine, and not/no they_will_please to_him. Sacrificia their as_if bread/food they_mournium; everyone who/which they_will_eat him, contaminabuntur: because bread/food their soul their_own: not/no will_enter in/into/on house/home Master. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 9:1–9: The LORD will punish the Israelites

This section warns the people of Israel that the LORD will punish them because they have been unfaithful to him. When that happens, the people will no longer be able to celebrate at harvest time or enjoy the crops from their land. The section describes aspects of daily life that the people in Israel would clearly understand. Some examples are harvest festivals (9:1, 5), threshing grain and making wine (9:2), unclean food (9:3–4), offerings and sacrifices (9:4), briers and thorns (9:6), and prophets (9:7–8). There is also an indirect reference to Israel’s past (9:9).

Here are some other examples of section headings:

The Lord Will Punish Israel (ESV)

Hosea announces Israel’s Punishment (NLT)

Israel Will Be Punished (CEV)

The Sorrows of Exile (NJB)

Paragraph 9:1–6

This paragraph tells about joyful activities that the people will no longer experience when they are in exile in Assyria. In exile, they will no longer have joyful harvests or be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to God. Instead of rejoicing, they will mourn.

9:4a–b

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^4a They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD,

^4band their sacrifices will not please Him,

These lines indicate that in Assyria the people will no longer have the opportunity to offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD.Stuart (pages 143–144) states that in captivity there will be neither a legitimate nor illegitimate Yahwistic worship center where sacrifices may be offered. Other commentaries that hold this view include Wood, Polkinghorne, Hubbard, Keil, Andersen and Freedman, and McComiskey.

9:4a

They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD,

They will no longer have an opportunity to pour out wine offerings to Yahweh
There in exile/slavery you^(plur) will not be able to offer wine to Yahweh as you could do in Israel.

They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD: In Hebrew, the phrase wine offerings is literally wine. The BSB has supplied the word offerings to clarify the meaning. Offerings of wine often accompanied a burnt offering or other animal sacrifice. See Exodus 29:40; Numbers 15:5.

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

The Israelites will not give offerings of wine to the Lord (NCV)

There you will make no offerings of wine to the Lord. (NLT)

9:4b

and their sacrifices will not please Him,

or be able to please him with sacrifices.
You^(plur) will not be able to make any sacrifices there that will please him.

and their sacrifices will not please Him: According to Macintosh (page 343), an alternative view was that the wine offerings would not be pleasing to him. For example, the KJV has “They shall not offer wine [offerings] to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him:” There is a textual issue concerning the word that the BSB translates as please:

The Masoretic Text has “not will they be pleasing to him.” For example:
and their sacrifices shall not please him (ESV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NASB, NET, NJB, NIV, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB)
Some scholars have proposed that the original text was “not will they bring/give to him.” For example:
they will not give him sacrifices (NCV) (GNT, NAB, NCV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions. It makes sense and fits the context. There is no evidence that the Masoretic Text is incorrect.

Here is another way to translate this line:

None of your sacrifices there will please him. (NLT)

9:4c

but will be to them like the bread of mourners;

Any sacrifices that people offer in Assyria will be just like the bread that they eat when they are mourning.
If you make such sacrifices there, they will not be acceptable to Yahweh. The sacrifices will affect you^(plur) the same as the food that mourners eat.

but will be to them like the bread of mourners: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “likeTN follows the majority of commentators and modern versions that understand the Hebrew word to indicate a comparison, that is, “like bread of mourning.” Some scholars interpret the word to indicate emphasis, that is, “indeed it is bread of mourning.” See Anderson and Freedman (page 526). Still others interpret the word to indicate possession, that is, “to them it is bread of mourning.” See Macintosh (page 344). bread of mourning(s) to them.”Hebrew syntax allows the Hebrew word translated as “their sacrifices” to be connected either to this clause or to the preceding clause. The majority of modern commentators and versions connect it to the preceding clause, which results in “their sacrifices will not be pleasing to him.” The subject of the Hebrew clause is left implicit. As a result, there are two main interpretations:

The subject is sacrifices. 9:4a–b says that the people will not offer sacrifices to the LORD. This clause continues to describe those sacrifices.Davies (page 217), Wood (page 204). For example:
Such sacrifices shall be like mourners’ bread (NRSV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NLT, NRSV, REB)
The subject is bread or food. This refers to the bread/food that the exiles eat in Assyria. This clause introduces a new topic.Keil (page 120). For example:
Their bread shall be like mourners’ bread (RSV) (GNT, NASB, NJPS, RSV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions. It makes good sense to understand this simile as a continuation of the topic of sacrifices. It begins to explain why the peoples’ sacrifices would not be pleasing to the LORD.

to them: This phrase refers back to the people who offer the sacrifices.

like the bread of mourners: This phrase is a simile that compares the peoples’ sacrifices to food that people ate at a funeral.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

like food eaten at funerals (GNT)

like food touched by a person in mourning (NLT)

9:4d

all who eat will be defiled.

Whoever eats it becomes ritually/ceremonially unclean according to the laws of Moses.
Anyone who eats such food will be unclean/defiled in Yahweh’s sight.

all who eat will be defiled: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “all [those who] eat it will make themselves unclean.” There are two main interpretations of the pronoun “it”:

“It” refers to the mourners’ bread. The mourners’ bread is the nearest preceding noun. For example:
Their sacrifices will be like the food that mourners eat. All who eat this food will be unclean. (GW) (ESV, GNT, GW, NAB, NCV, NASB, NRSV, REB)
“It” refers to the sacrifices. The pronoun refers back to the subject of the clause.A difficulty is a mismatch in number between the singular pronoun and the plural referent. For example:
All who present such sacrifices will be defiled. (NLT) (NET, NIV, NJB, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Both the pronoun and the noun to which it refers are singular. With this interpretation, the line continues the description of the bread of mourners.

defiled: This word refers to spiritual uncleanness. Old Testament laws described activities and objects that were ritually unclean. Therefore they were not acceptable for worship of the LORD. See Deut 26:14; Num 19:11–13, 22.Stuart (pages 143–144).

General Comment on 9:4c–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine these verse parts. For example:

they will be ^4dunclean ^4clike food offered to the dead (CEV)

9:4e

For their bread will be for themselves;

This food will only be useful to satisfy their hunger.
You^(plur) can use the food for yourselves,

For their bread will be for themselves: In Hebrew, this clause begins with the word ki. In this context, one possible function of this word is to indicate the reason for the preceding statementVersions that use the word “for” to indicate the reason for the preceding statement include the BSB, ESV, KJV, NASB, NET, NJB, and NRSV. BART identifies ki as a deictic marker that gives emphasis. This interpretation is also preferred by Hubbard (page 158). No versions follow this approach. The NJPS introduces the clause with the word “but,” indicating a contrast. It is the only version that follows this approach. The reason that this food is considered to be unclean is that it is only for themselves. For example:

for their food will be for themselves alone (NJB)

However, in many languages, this clause does not give a logical reason for the preceding statement.Andersen & Freedman (page 527) say that it does not provide a recognizable reason for either what precedes or follows. Many versions leave the relationship between the clauses implied. For example:

It will be used only to satisfy their hunger (GNT)

Your food will only be used to satisfy your hunger (CEV)

An advantage of leaving the connection implied is that it allows the reader to supply the connection that makes the most sense in a particular language.

their bread: The phrase their bread refers to the food in the sacrifices that are like mourner’s bread. The LORD regards this food to be unclean and those that eat it to be unclean. It will be food for those that eat it, but it is not fit to use for worship.

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

this food will be for themselves alone

this food will serve only to satisfy their appetite

9:4f

it will not enter the house of the LORD.

Such food will not be allowed in the temple of Yahweh.
but not for the worship of Yahweh.

it will not enter the house of the LORD: This clause means that the LORD does not want this food to be offered to him in the temple.

it will not enter: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “it will not go.” This phrase is probably a prohibition. The LORD will not allow unclean bread in his house. It is not just a statement that it will not happen.Davies (218) describes this statement as a “prohibition.” Stuart (page 144) says the bread is “ritually excluded.” Some versions make it explicit that this is a prohibition. For example:

they cannot sacrifice it in the Temple. (NCV)

it must not be offered in the house of the Lord (REB)

house of the LORD: This refers to the temple in Jerusalem.Macintosh (page 345), Davies (page 218), McComiskey (page 141). The NCV and some other versions capitalize “Temple” to indicate that this refers to the temple in Jerusalem. It was the only worship center where the LORD allowed sacrifices to be offered.

Parallel HOS 9:4