Hosea 3:4 Meaning and Explanation
“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:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The woman's long waiting is explained: Israel too will pass many days stripped of king, sacrifice, and the objects of false worship.
What Does Hosea 3:4 Mean?
The prophet now unfolds the meaning of the long days of waiting. Israel will be left without the marks of her national and religious life, both the lawful and the corrupt: no king or prince to lead, no sacrifice or ephod for worship, and no image or teraphim for the idolatry that had crept in. The whole familiar framework will be taken away.
Stripped of everything she had leaned on, true and false alike, the nation is left with nothing but the hope of her God. Sometimes love empties the hands so that they may at last reach for the one thing needful. The barrenness of these many days is not the end of the story but the clearing of the ground for return.
Hosea 3:4 in the Original Language
teraphim (תְּרָפִים), 'teraphim' -- household idols consulted for guidance, here named among the things to be removed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 3:4
What does Hosea 3:4 mean?
The woman's long waiting is explained: Israel too will pass many days stripped of king, sacrifice, and the objects of false worship.