Hosea 4:14 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God will not single out the women, for the men set the example by joining themselves to cultic prostitution; a people without understanding falls.
What Does Hosea 4:14 Mean?
This verse turns the accusation back on the men who led the way. They cannot rightly condemn their daughters and wives, for they themselves consort with cult prostitutes at the pagan shrines. The example flows downward from those who should have guarded the home.
'The people that doth not understand shall fall.' The repeated theme of lost knowledge returns: without understanding of God, a society loses its footing and collapses. Accountability begins with those given responsibility. The verse summons every leader and parent to model the faithfulness they hope to see, rather than excusing in themselves what they condemn in others.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 4:14
What does Hosea 4:14 mean?
God will not single out the women, for the men set the example by joining themselves to cultic prostitution; a people without understanding falls.