Hosea 4 · Verse 8

Hosea 4:8

They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
Hosea 4:8, King James Version

Hosea 4:8 in other translations

BSBThey feed on the sins of My people and set their hearts on iniquity.
WEBThey feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
ASVThey feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
YLTThe sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.
DARBYThey eat the sin of my people, and their soul longeth for their iniquity.
BBEThe sin of my people is like food to them; and their desire is for their wrongdoing.
WebsterThey eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

What does Hosea 4:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. eat ... sin of my people--that is, the sin offerings (Le 6:26; 10:17). The priests greedily devoured them. set their heart on their iniquity--literally, "lift up the animal soul to lust after," or strongly desire. Compare De 24:15, Margin; Psa 24:4; Jr 22:27. The priests set their own hearts on the iniquity of the people, instead of trying to suppress it. For the more the people sinned, the more sacrificial victims in atonement for sin the priests gained.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 They eat up the sin of my people - חטאת chattath, the sin-offering, though it be offered contrary to the law; for their hearts are set on iniquity, they wish to do whatever is contrary to God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hosea 4:6-11

Both priests and people rejected knowledge; God will justly reject them. They forgot the law of God, neither desired nor endeavoured to retain it in mind, and to transmit the remembrance to their posterity; therefore God will justly forget them and their children. If we dishonour God with that which is our honour, it will, sooner or later, be turned into shame to us. Instead of warning the people against sin, from…

Read the full comment on Hosea 4:6-11 →

Hosea 4:8 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.

חַטַּ֥אתcha.Tat[the] sin ofH2403
עַמִּ֖י'a.Mipeople myH5971
יֹאכֵ֑לוּyo.Khe.luthey eatH398
וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413
עֲוֹנָ֖ם'a.vo.Naminiquity theirH5771
יִשְׂא֥וּyis.'Uthey lift upH5375
נַפְשֽׁוֹ\׃naf.Shodesire itsH5315

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

Cross references for Hosea 4:8

  • Micah 3:11

    The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.

  • Isaiah 56:11

    Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

  • Titus 1:11

    Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

  • 1 Samuel 2:29

    Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

  • Leviticus 6:26

    The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.

  • Malachi 1:10

    Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

  • Leviticus 7:6-7

    Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy. As the sin offering is, so is the trespass offering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it.

  • Psalms 24:4

    He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

  • Romans 16:18

    For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

  • Ezekiel 14:7

    For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:

  • Ezekiel 14:3

    Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

  • Psalms 25:1

    A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
eat.
Le 6:26; 7:6,7
set their heart on their iniquity. Heb. lift up their soul totheir iniquity.
1Sa 2:29; Ps 24:4; 25:1; Isa 56:11; Eze 14:3,7; Mic 3:11; Mal 1:10
Ro 16:18; Tit 1:11; 2Pe 2:3

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

Context

  • Hosea 4:7

    As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.

  • Hosea 4:8

    They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.

  • Hosea 4:9

    And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

Read all of Hosea 4

Hosea 4:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Comen del pecado de mi pueblo, y en su maldad levantan su alma.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Ils mangent le péché de mon peuple, et leur âme désire son iniquité.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Sie essen die Sünde meines Volkes und verlangen nach seiner Missetat.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Peccata populi mei comedent, et ad iniquitatem eorum sublevabunt animas eorum.