Hosea 9:4
New International Version
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, nor will their sacrifices please him. Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat them will be unclean. This food will be for themselves; it will not come into the temple of the LORD.

New Living Translation
There you will make no offerings of wine to the LORD. None of your sacrifices there will please him. They will be unclean, like food touched by a person in mourning. All who present such sacrifices will be defiled. They may eat this food themselves, but they may not offer it to the LORD.

English Standard Version
They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners’ bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, Nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for their own life; It shall not come into the house of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD, Nor will their sacrifices please Him. Their bread will be to them like mourners’ bread; All who eat it will be defiled, Because their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of the LORD.

NASB 1995
They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD, Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread; All who eat of it will be defiled, For their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of the LORD.

NASB 1977
They will not pour out libations of wine to the LORD, Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread; All who eat of it will be defiled, For their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to Yahweh; Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread; All who eat of it will be defiled, For their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD; Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread [eaten at funerals]; All who eat it will be [ceremonially] unclean, For their bread will be for themselves; It will not enter the house of the LORD [to be consecrated].

Christian Standard Bible
They will not pour out their wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please him. Their food will be like the bread of mourners; all who eat it become defiled. For their bread will be for their appetites alone; it will not enter the house of the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They will not pour out their wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him. Their food will be like the bread of mourners; all who eat it become defiled. For their bread will be for their appetites alone; it will not enter the house of the LORD.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
You won't be able to offer sacrifices of wine to the LORD. None of your sacrifices will please him--they will be unclean like food offered to the dead. Your food will only be used to satisfy your hunger; none of it will be brought to the LORD's temple.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They won't pour wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices won't please him. Their sacrifices will be like the food that mourners eat. All who eat this food will be unclean. Their food will only satisfy their hunger. It will not be brought [as an offering] to the LORD's temple.

Good News Translation
In those foreign lands they will not be able to make wine offerings to the LORD or bring their sacrifices to him. Their food will defile everyone who eats it, like food eaten at funerals. It will be used only to satisfy their hunger; none of it will be taken as an offering to the LORD's Temple.

International Standard Version
They won't present wine offerings to the LORD, nor will they please him. Their sacrifices will seem like food for mourners— everyone who eats them will become unclean; none of them will enter the Temple of the LORD.

Majority Standard Bible
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.

NET Bible
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.

New Heart English Bible
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 house of the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
They won’t pour out wine offerings to Yahweh, 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 Yahweh’s house.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
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.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
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.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They will not offer a libation of wine to the Lord, and they will not please him. Their sacrifices will be like the bread of mourners. All those who eat it will be defiled. For their bread is of their soul; it will not enter into the house of the Lord.

New American Bible
They will not pour libations of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread, that makes unclean all who eat of it; Their food will be for their own appetites; it cannot enter the house of the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices shall not please him. Such sacrifices shall be like mourners’ bread; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the LORD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall their sacrifices please him; their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of affliction; all who eat of it shall be polluted; for their own bread shall not come into the house of the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They shall not pour out wine to LORD JEHOVAH, and their sacrifices will not be sweet to him, as it is the bread of affliction to them; all eating it shall be defiled because the bread of their souls does not enter the house of LORD JEHOVAH
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hosea Announces Israel's Punishment
3They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria. 4They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD. 5What will you do on the appointed day, on the day of the LORD’s feast?…

Cross References
Isaiah 1:11-15
“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...

Amos 5:21-23
“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.

Jeremiah 6:20
What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”

Malachi 1:10
“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.

Isaiah 66:3
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.

Psalm 51:16-17
For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. / The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Ezekiel 20:39
And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Matthew 15:8-9
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Mark 7:6-7
Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

John 4:23-24
But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. / God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

Hebrews 10:4-6
because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. / Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. / In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.


Treasury of Scripture

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 thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

shall not.

Hosea 3:4
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

Joel 1:13
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

Joel 2:14
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

neither.

Hosea 8:13
They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

Isaiah 1:11-15
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats…

Isaiah 57:6
Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

as.

Numbers 19:11
He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.

Deuteronomy 26:14
I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.

Nehemiah 8:9-12
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law…

their bread.

Exodus 40:23
And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Leviticus 21:6,8,17,21
They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy…

Jump to Previous
Alone Appetite Bread Defiled Eat Enter Food House Hunger Libations Mourners Offer Offerings Pleasing Polluted Pour Sacrifices Soul Temple Themselves Thereof Unclean Wine Won't
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Hosea 9
1. The distress and captivity of Israel for their sins.














They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD
This phrase indicates a cessation of worship practices that were integral to the Israelites' covenant relationship with God. The Hebrew word for "pour out" (נָסַךְ, nasak) often refers to the act of making a libation, a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a deity. In the context of ancient Israel, wine offerings were a significant part of sacrificial rituals, symbolizing joy and fellowship with God. The absence of these offerings signifies a broken relationship and a departure from the covenantal obligations that the Israelites were expected to uphold.

nor will their sacrifices please Him
The Hebrew word for "sacrifices" (זֶבַח, zevach) refers to offerings made to God, often involving the slaughter of animals. These sacrifices were meant to atone for sin and express devotion. The phrase "nor will their sacrifices please Him" suggests that the people's offerings have become unacceptable to God. This reflects a deeper spiritual malaise, where the external acts of worship are not matched by genuine faith and obedience. Historically, this is a common theme in the prophetic literature, where God desires mercy and knowledge of Him rather than mere ritual (Hosea 6:6).

Their bread will be like the bread of mourners
In ancient Israel, the "bread of mourners" was considered unclean because it was associated with death and the impurity that came from contact with a corpse. The Hebrew word for "mourners" (אָבֵל, avel) indicates those who are in a state of mourning, often involving specific rituals and restrictions. This comparison implies that the Israelites' sustenance, both physical and spiritual, has become defiled. It underscores the theme of separation from God, as their daily provisions are tainted by their spiritual infidelity.

all who eat it will be defiled
The concept of being "defiled" (טָמֵא, tame) in the Hebrew context refers to a state of ritual impurity that separates individuals from the community and from God. This defilement is not just physical but also spiritual, indicating a pervasive corruption that affects all aspects of life. The phrase suggests that the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness extend beyond themselves, impacting all who partake in their corrupted practices. It serves as a warning of the communal nature of sin and its far-reaching effects.

For their bread will be for themselves alone
This phrase highlights the self-centeredness of the Israelites' actions. The bread, which should have been a symbol of God's provision and a means of fellowship with Him, has become something consumed solely for personal gain. The Hebrew concept of bread (לֶחֶם, lechem) often symbolizes sustenance and community. By keeping it "for themselves alone," the Israelites demonstrate a lack of concern for God's commands and for the well-being of others, reflecting a society that has turned inward and away from divine purpose.

it will not enter the house of the LORD
The "house of the LORD" refers to the temple, the central place of worship and the dwelling place of God's presence among His people. The Hebrew word for "house" (בַּיִת, bayit) signifies not just a physical structure but also a place of familial and communal gathering. The exclusion of their bread from the temple indicates a severance from the sacred space where God meets His people. This exclusion is both a literal and symbolic representation of the broken relationship between Israel and God, emphasizing the gravity of their spiritual estrangement.

(4) Offer--i.e., pour out as a libation. A better rendering is to be obtained by abandoning the Hebrew accentuation: And their sacrifices will not be pleasing to Him; it shall be to them as bread of sorrow--i.e., funeral food, which defiles for seven days those who partake of it. Another reference to the Mosaic legislation (Deuteronomy 26:14)--Yea, their bread is for their appetite (i.e., only for bodily sustenance), it cometh not to Jehovah's house as a sacred offering.[12] These verses show that Hosea did not consider the worship of the Northern Kingdom as in itself illegal.

[12] Kuenen (Hibbert Lecture, p. 312) proposes an alteration in the text, whereby the parallelism becomes more harmonious and the construction simpler. He then renders, "They shall pour no libation of wine to Jehovah, and shall not lay out their sacrifices before Him: as food eaten in mourning is their food." This agrees better with Hosea 3:4.

Verses 4, 5. - They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them the broad of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted. Having predicted their inability to observe the ritual distinctions between clean and unclean, which the Law prescribed, whether from the tyranny of their oppressors or from scarcity, or from the absence of sanctification by the presentation of the firstfruits, the prophet proceeds to predict their cessation altogether. Such is the prophet's picture of their miserable position in Assyria. It is aptly remarked by Grotius that "they failed to pour out libations to the Lord when they could; now the time shall come when they may wish to make such libations, but cannot." According to the Massoretic punctuation and the common rendering,

(1) which is that of the Authorized Version, the people themselves are the subject of the second verb. They were neither able to offer drink offerings, a part for the whole of the meat offerings and unbloody oblations; nor, if they did, could they hope for acceptance for them away from the sanctuary and its central altar.

(2) Hitzig supplies niskeyhens, their drink offerings, from the foregoing clause, as subject to the verb of the following one, and the verb is explained by some in the sense of "mire." If

(3) we neglect the segholta, and make zibh-chehem the subject, the meaning is clearer, and the contrast between the unbloody and bloody offerings more obvious; thus: "They will not pour out libations of wine to Jehovah, nor will their sacrifices [equivalent to 'bloody oblations'] please him," that is to say, not such as were actually offered, but such as they might feel dis. posed to offer. The same noun may be repeated in next clause; thus, their sacrifices, or rather slaughtered meats, are unto him as bread of mourners, or, what is better, their food (supplied from ke lechem) shall be unto them like bread of mourners. Mourners' bread is that eaten at a funeral feast, or meal by persons mourning for the dead, and which was legally unclean, since a corpse defiled the house in which it was and all who entered it for seven days, as we read in Numbers 19:14, "This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days." Of course, all who partook of the food would be polluted; so with that of Israel in exile, being unsanctified by the offering of firstfruits. For their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. "Their bread for their soul," that is, for appeasing their appetite, whatsoever their soul lusted after, or bread for the preservation of their life, would not come into the house of the Lord to be sanctified by representative offerings. What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord? On such occasions they would feel the misery of their position most keenly. Away in a far foreign land, without temple and without ritual, they would bewail the loss of their annual celebrations, their national festivals and religious solemnities - those holiday-times of general joy and spiritual gladness. The distinction between moed and chag is variously given. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

pour out
יִסְּכ֨וּ (yis·sə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5258: To pour out, a libation, to cast, to anoint a, king

wine [offerings]
יַיִן֮ (ya·yin)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication

to the LORD,
לַיהוָ֥ה ׀ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and their sacrifices
זִבְחֵיהֶ֗ם (ziḇ·ḥê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2077: A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice

will not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

please
יֶֽעֶרְבוּ־ (ye·‘er·ḇū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6148: To braid, intermix, technically, to traffic, give to be security

Him,
לוֹ֒ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

[but will be] to them
לָהֶ֔ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

like the bread
כְּלֶ֤חֶם (kə·le·ḥem)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

of mourners;
אוֹנִים֙ (’ō·w·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 205: Strictly nothingness, trouble, vanity, wickedness, an idol

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

who eat it
אֹכְלָ֖יו (’ō·ḵə·lāw)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

will be defiled.
יִטַמָּ֑אוּ‪‬ (yi·ṭam·mā·’ū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean

For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

their bread
לַחְמָ֣ם (laḥ·mām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

will be for themselves;
לְנַפְשָׁ֔ם (lə·nap̄·šām)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

it will not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

enter
יָב֖וֹא (yā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the house
בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Hosea 9:4 They won't pour out wine offerings (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 9:3
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