Hosea 5:4 Meaning and Explanation
“They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Their deeds keep them from returning to God, for a spirit of unfaithfulness rules them and they do not truly know Him.
What Does Hosea 5:4 Mean?
The verse explains why the people cannot simply right themselves. They will not frame their doings to turn, that is, their habits of life are bent against repentance. A spirit of whoredoms, an ingrained disposition toward false worship, is in the midst of them. The result is that they have not known the LORD, not in the deep, covenant sense of knowing that Hosea prizes.
Sin is not only wrong acts but a settled direction of the heart that makes turning back feel impossible. Yet what we cannot do for ourselves, God delights to do for us. To know the LORD is the cure He offers, and that knowledge is His gift, written on the heart by His own Spirit. Where habits have hardened, grace can soften; the road home that we cannot frame, He can open.
Hosea 5:4 in the Original Language
yada (יָדַע), 'known' -- to know by close relationship, not mere awareness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 5:4
What does Hosea 5:4 mean?
Their deeds keep them from returning to God, for a spirit of unfaithfulness rules them and they do not truly know Him.