Hosea 4 · Verse 15

Hosea 4:15

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth–aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.
Hosea 4:15, King James Version

Hosea 4:15 in other translations

BSBThough you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
WEB“Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet don’t let Judah offend; and don’t come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, ‘As the LORD lives.’
ASVThough thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah liveth.
YLTThough a harlot thou art, O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.
DARBYThough thou, Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah trespass; and come ye not unto Gilgal, neither go up to Beth-aven, nor swear As Jehovah liveth!
BBEDo not you, O Israel, come into error; do not you, O Judah, come to Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, or take an oath, By the living Lord.
WebsterThough thou, Israel, playest the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye to Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

What does Hosea 4:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. Though Israel's ten tribes indulge in spiritual harlotry, at least thou, Judah, who hast the legal priesthood, and the temple rites, and Jerusalem, do not follow her bad example. Gilgal--situated between Jordan and Jericho on the confines of Samaria; once a holy place to Jehovah (Jos 5:10-15; 1Sa 10:8; 15:21); afterwards desecrated by idol-worship (Ho 9:15; 12:11; Am 4:4; 5:5; compare Jud 3:19, Margin). Beth-aven--that is, "house of vanity" or idols: a name substituted in contempt for Beth-el, "the house of God"; once sacred to Jehovah (Ge 28:17, 19; 35:7), but made by Jeroboam the seat of the worship of the calves (1Ki 12:28-33; 13:1; Jr 48:13; Am 3:14; 7:13). "Go up" refers to the fact that Beth-el was on a hill (Jos 16:1). nor swear, The Lord liveth--This formula of oath was appointed by God Himself (De 6:13; 10:20; Jr 4:2). It is therefore here forbidden not absolutely, but in conjunction with idolatry and falsehood (Is 48:1; Eze 20:39; Zep 1:5).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Let not Judah offend - Israel was totally dissolute; Judah was not so. Here she is exhorted to maintain her integrity. If the former will go to what was once Beth-el, the house of God, now Beth-aven, the house of iniquity, because Jeroboam has set up his calves there, let not Judah imitate them. Gilgal was the place where the covenant of circumcision was renewed when the people passed over Jordan; but was rendered infamous by the worship of idols, after Jeroboam had set up his idolatry.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hosea 4:12-19

The people consulted images, and not the Divine word. This would lead to disorder and sin. Thus men prepare scourges for themselves, and vice is spread through a people. Let not Judah come near the idolatrous worship of Israel. For Israel was devoted to idols, and must now be let alone. When sinners cast off the easy yoke of Christ, they go on in sin till the Lord saith, Let them alone. Then they receive no more…

Read the full comment on Hosea 4:12-19 →

Hosea 4:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אִם\־'im-thoughH518
זֹנֶ֤הzo.Neh[are] prostituting yourselfH2181
אַתָּה֙'a.TahyouH859
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElO IsraelH3478
אַל\־'al-may notH408
יֶאְשַׁ֖םye'.Shamit become guiltyH816
יְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תָּבֹ֣אוּta.Vo.'uyou goH935
הַגִּלְגָּ֗לha.gil.Gal<the> GilgalH1537
וְאַֽל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תַּעֲלוּ֙ta.'a.Luyou go upH5927
בֵּ֣יתbeitBethH1007
אָ֔וֶן'A.venAvenH1007
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תִּשָּׁבְע֖וּti.sha.ve.'Uyou swearH7650
חַי\־chai-[by] [the] lifeH2416
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehof YahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hosea 4:15

  • Hosea 9:15

    All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

  • Hosea 12:11

    Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

  • Amos 4:4

    Come to Beth–el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:

  • Amos 5:5

    But seek not Beth–el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer–sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth–el shall come to nought.

  • Ephesians 5:11

    And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

  • Hosea 10:8

    The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

  • Hosea 10:5

    The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth–aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

  • Jeremiah 5:2

    And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.

  • Hosea 5:8

    Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth–aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

  • Amos 8:14

    They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beer–sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

  • Hosea 4:12

    My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

  • Luke 12:47-48

    And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
play.
12; Jer 3:6-10; Eze 23:4-8
yet.
11:12; 2Ki 17:18,19; Jer 3:10,11; Lu 12:47,48; Eph 5:11
Gilgal.
9:15; 12:11; Am 4:4; 5:5
Beth-aven.
5:8; 10:5,8; 1Ki 12:28,29
nor.
Isa 48:1; Jer 5:2; Eze 20:39; Am 6:10; 8:14; Zep 1:5,6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hosea 4:14

    I 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.

  • Hosea 4:15

    Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth–aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.

  • Hosea 4:16

    For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

Read all of Hosea 4

Hosea 4:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Si fornicares tú, Israel, á lo menos no peque Judá: y no entréis en Gilgal, ni subáis á Beth-aven; ni juréis, Vive Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Si tu te prostitues, ô Israël, que Juda ne se rende pas coupable! N’allez pas à Guilgal, et ne montez pas à Beth-Aven, et ne jurez pas: L’ Éternel est vivant!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wenn du hurst, Israel, so verschulde sich Juda nicht! und kommet nicht nach Gilgal und ziehet nicht hinauf nach Beth-Awen und schwöret nicht: So wahr Jehova lebt!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Si fornicaris tu, Israël, non delinquat saltem Juda; et nolite ingredi in Galgala, et ne ascenderitis in Bethaven, neque juraveritis: Vivit Dominus!