For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to Yahweh.
- BSB They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have stopped obeying the LORD.
- NKJV For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.
- NASB They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the prostitute, but not increase, Because they gave up devoting themselves to the Lord.
- NLT They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the Lord
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their indulgence in food and immorality will fail to satisfy or multiply them, because they abandoned the Lord. Sin yields emptiness, not fulfillment.
Overview
Eating without being filled and pursuing immorality without increase picture the futility that follows forsaking God. The blessings of nourishment and offspring are withheld because the people have 'abandoned giving to Yahweh,' turning from true worship. The verse teaches that sin promises satisfaction but delivers frustration, for fullness of life is found only in faithful devotion to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Mic 6:14Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
- Hag 1:6Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
- Lev 26:26And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.
- Prov 13:25The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
- Ps 125:5As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
- Ps 36:3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
- Zeph 1:6And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
- 2 Pet 2:20–22For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
- Mal 2:1–3And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
- Hos 4:14I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
- Ezek 18:24But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
- Hos 9:11–17As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
- 2 Chr 24:17Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
- Isa 65:13–16Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
- Jer 34:15And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:
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Christ at the center
God's relentless love for an unfaithful bride dramatizes the gospel: 'Out of Egypt I called my son' is fulfilled in Jesus, who redeems an adulterous people at his own cost.
How Hosea 4:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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