Hosea 4:12 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people seek guidance from wooden idols and divining sticks, led astray by a spirit of unfaithfulness away from their God.
What Does Hosea 4:12 Mean?
Hosea pictures the people consulting blocks of wood and a diviner's staff for guidance, turning from the living God to lifeless objects. A 'spirit of whoredoms,' a pull toward unfaithfulness, has taken hold, and they have wandered 'from under' God, like a wife straying from a faithful husband.
Idolatry is portrayed throughout this book as spiritual adultery, a betrayal of love. Yet notice that God still calls them 'my people.' The grief of a faithful Lord runs beneath the rebuke. He does not stop loving the wayward; He waits, longing for them to come home and seek counsel from Him alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 4:12
What does Hosea 4:12 mean?
The people seek guidance from wooden idols and divining sticks, led astray by a spirit of unfaithfulness away from their God.