Hosea 4:17
New International Version
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

New Living Translation
Leave Israel alone, because she is married to idolatry.

English Standard Version
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.

Berean Standard Bible
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

King James Bible
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

New King James Version
“Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone.

New American Standard Bible
Ephraim is allied with idols; Leave him alone.

NASB 1995
Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.

NASB 1977
Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.

Legacy Standard Bible
Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.

Amplified Bible
Ephraim is joined to idols, So let him alone [to suffer the consequences].

Christian Standard Bible
Ephraim is attached to idols; leave him alone!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ephraim is attached to idols; leave him alone!

American Standard Version
Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

Contemporary English Version
You people of Israel are charmed by idols. Leave those people alone!

English Revised Version
Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people of Ephraim have chosen to worship idols. Leave them alone!

Good News Translation
The people of Israel are under the spell of idols. Let them go their own way.

International Standard Version
Ephraim has become entwined with idols; leave him alone!

Majority Standard Bible
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

NET Bible
Ephraim has attached himself to idols; Do not go near him!

New Heart English Bible
Ephraim, joined to idols, has placed stumbling blocks against himself.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

World English Bible
Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Ephraim is joined to idols, leave him alone.

Young's Literal Translation
Joined to idols is Ephraim, let him alone.

Smith's Literal Translation
Ephraim is joined to images: leave him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ephraim is a partaker with idols, let him alone.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Ephraim participates in idolatry, so send him away.

New American Bible
Ephraim is bound to idols, let him alone!

New Revised Standard Version
Ephraim is joined to idols— let him alone.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Aphreim is a partner of idols; leave him!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ephraim, joined with idols, has laid stumbling-blocks in his own way.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Charges Against Israel
16For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now shepherd them like lambs in an open meadow? 17Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! 18When their liquor is gone, they turn to prostitution; their rulers dearly love disgrace.…

Cross References
1 Kings 12:28-30
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” / One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. / And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

1 Kings 14:9
You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back.

1 Kings 16:31-33
And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. / First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. / Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.

2 Kings 17:15-18
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. / They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. / They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. ...

2 Kings 17:21-23
When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin. / The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them. / Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day.

Amos 4:4-5
“Go to Bethel and transgress; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days. / Offer leavened bread as a thank offering, and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings. For that is what you children of Israel love to do,” declares the Lord GOD.

Amos 5:21-27
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ...

Amos 8:14
Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.”

Isaiah 1:4
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Isaiah 57:13
When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.”

Jeremiah 2:11-13
Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. / Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” declares the LORD. / “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Jeremiah 3:6-10
Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there. / I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. / She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. ...

Jeremiah 7:9-10
Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, / and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’?

Ezekiel 23:2-4
“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother, / and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed. / The older was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their identities, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 23:36-39
Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. / For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols. / They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

Ephraim.

Hosea 11:2
As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

Hosea 12:1
Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

Hosea 13:2
And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

let.

Hosea 4:4
Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

Psalm 81:12
So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Matthew 15:14
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Jump to Previous
Alone Ephraim E'phraim Gods Idols Joined Leave
Jump to Next
Alone Ephraim E'phraim Gods Idols Joined Leave
Hosea 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.














Ephraim
In the context of Hosea, "Ephraim" is often used to represent the northern kingdom of Israel. Historically, Ephraim was one of the tribes of Israel, descended from Joseph's son Ephraim. This tribe became prominent and influential, often symbolizing the entire northern kingdom. The use of "Ephraim" here underscores the collective identity and responsibility of the people in their spiritual state. It serves as a reminder of the covenant relationship they have with God, which they have neglected.

is joined
The Hebrew root word for "joined" is "חָבַר" (chabar), which means to be bound or allied with. This term indicates a strong, deliberate association or attachment. In this context, it suggests that Ephraim has willingly and persistently aligned itself with idolatry, forsaking its covenant with God. The imagery of being "joined" implies a deep-seated commitment, highlighting the severity of their spiritual adultery.

to idols
The term "idols" refers to the false gods and images that the Israelites worshipped, in direct violation of the first and second commandments. Historically, the worship of idols was prevalent in the ancient Near East, and Israel was repeatedly warned against adopting these practices. The Hebrew word for idols, "עֲצַבִּים" (atsabim), often conveys the idea of something that is crafted or shaped, emphasizing the futility and powerlessness of these man-made objects. This phrase serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual blindness and rebellion of the people.

leave him alone
This phrase is a divine directive, indicating a withdrawal of God's protective presence and guidance. The Hebrew root "נָחָה" (nachah) can mean to rest or to leave alone, suggesting a relinquishment of intervention. In a historical and theological context, this is a sobering pronouncement of judgment. It reflects the consequences of persistent disobedience and the seriousness of turning away from God. The call to "leave him alone" underscores the gravity of Ephraim's sin and the impending judgment, serving as a warning to all who would forsake their covenant with the Lord.

(17) Ephraim . . . idols.--The prophet calls on Judah to leave Ephraim to himself. The Jewish interpreters Rashi and Kimchi understand this as the appeal of Jehovah to the prophet to leave Israel to her fate, that so perhaps her eyes might be opened to discern her doom.

Verse 17. - Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. Ephraim being the dominant tribe, gave its name to the northern kingdom. The idols were Ephraim's folly, and to that they were wedded; and in consequence they are left to their folly, and at the same time surrendered to their fate. They may persist in their folly; they cannot be prevented. "Give him rest," as the words literally mean, from exhortations and expostulations, from remonstrances and reproofs; he will persist in his folly, prepare for his fate, and perish by his sin. This abandonment of Ephraim proves the desperate nature of his case. Left to his own recklessness, he is rushing towards ruin. Judah is warned to stand aloof from the contagion, lest by interference he might get implicated in the sin and involved in the punishment of Ephraim. The Hebrew commentators express the word rendered "joined to" in the Authorized Version (ver. 17) by words importing "yoked to," "allied with," and "cleaving to." Again, הַנַה, imperative of הֵנִחַ, is explained by them as follows: - Rashi: "Leave off, O prophet, and prophesy not to reprove him, for it is of no use." Aben Ezra: "Let him alone till God shall chastise him; perhaps his eyes shall then open." Kimchi: "Jehovah says to the prophet, Cease to reprove him, for it is of no use .... As a man who is angry with his fellow, because he will not hearken to him when he reproves him, and says, Since thou hearkenest not to me, I will cease for ever to reprove thee."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Ephraim
אֶפְרָ֖יִם (’ep̄·rā·yim)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

is joined
חֲב֧וּר (ḥă·ḇūr)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2266: To unite, be joined, to tie a magic knot or spell, to charm

to idols;
עֲצַבִּ֛ים (‘ă·ṣab·bîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6091: An, image

leave him alone!
הַֽנַּֽח־ (han·naḥ-)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3240: Bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let alone remain, pacify, place,


Links
Hosea 4:17 NIV
Hosea 4:17 NLT
Hosea 4:17 ESV
Hosea 4:17 NASB
Hosea 4:17 KJV

Hosea 4:17 BibleApps.com
Hosea 4:17 Biblia Paralela
Hosea 4:17 Chinese Bible
Hosea 4:17 French Bible
Hosea 4:17 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 4:16
Top of Page
Top of Page