Hosea 4:11 — Word Study
WLCזְנ֛וּת וְיַ֥יִן וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־ לֵֽב׃
BSAto promiscuityzᵉnûwth [fornication, unfaithfulness, idolatry] wineyayin [intoxicating drink, fermented wine] and new winetîyrôwsh [freshly squeezed, undiluted] which take awaylâqach▸ [remove, deprive] understandinglêb [heart, intellect, wisdom]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| זְנ֛וּת | prostitution | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְיַ֥יִן | and wine | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ | and new wine | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יִֽקַּֽח־ | it takes away | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לֵֽב׃ | [the] heart | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding. |
| KJV | Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. |
| ASV | Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding. |
| YLT | Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart, |
| WEB | Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding. |
| BBE | Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom. |
Where they part company is in the specific terms used for the influences on understanding, but the overall message remains consistent.
The sentence consists of a main subject followed by a verb phrase that describes the consequence of the subject's actions.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbלָקַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Hosea 4:11
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Consequences of Unfaithfulnessgenerated
Hosea 4:11 highlights the detrimental effects of promiscuity and intoxication on the people of Israel. Hosea speaks against their unfaithfulness, revealing that these behaviors lead to a lack of understanding and wisdom. This passage is part of a broader message concerning Israel's spiritual and moral decline, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hosea 4:12 | My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God. |
| 2 | Proverbs 6:32 | He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. |
| 3 | Proverbs 20:1 | Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise. |
| 4 | Proverbs 23:27–35 | For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well. |
| 5 | Ecclesiastes 7:7 | Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — זְנוּת, ze.Nutgenerated
The word זְנוּת (ze.Nut) refers to unfaithfulness, particularly in a sexual context, and can also imply idolatry. It is derived from a root that conveys the idea of committing adultery. This term is significant in the context of Hosea, where the prophet uses it to illustrate Israel's betrayal of God through both immorality and the worship of false idols.
In this verse, זְנוּת is listed first, emphasizing its role as a primary cause of the loss of understanding. The implication is that such unfaithfulness not only affects personal relationships but also leads to a broader spiritual blindness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִֽקַּֽח (yi.kach-) governs the entire verse, indicating that these elements collectively result in the loss of understanding. The structure places emphasis on the subjects—promiscuity, wine, and new wine—leading to the outcome expressed by the verb.
The sentence structure highlights the direct relationship between the subjects and the action, illustrating how these influences culminate in a significant consequence for the people.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates זְנוּת as πορνείαν (porneian), which also means fornication but carries a broader connotation of sexual immorality. This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the moral implications of the term in the context of Israel's relationship with God.
The translation of יִֽקַּֽח as ἐδέχατο (edéchato) suggests a taking or receiving, reinforcing the idea that understanding is actively removed rather than passively lost.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Hosea 4:11 warns that promiscuity, wine, and new wine lead to a loss of understanding. The verse highlights how these behaviors can blind people to the truth and wisdom they need.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Promiscuity refers to unfaithfulness, particularly in sexual relationships, and can also imply idolatry, as seen in the context of Israel's betrayal of God.
Wine, especially when intoxicating, can impair judgment and clarity of thought, leading to poor decisions and a lack of wisdom.
New wine refers to freshly squeezed grape juice, which can also be fermented. It signifies the effects of intoxication similar to regular wine.
Understanding is crucial for making wise choices and maintaining a faithful relationship with God, which is compromised by the influences mentioned in this verse.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen unfaithfulness affect relationships in my life?
- How can I guard against the influences of intoxication in my own life?
- What steps can I take to seek understanding and wisdom in my daily decisions?
- How does the concept of idolatry manifest in modern society?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Hosea 4:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWhoredom and wine, and new wine, take away the heart. Uncleanness and intemperance besot men, deprive them of reason and judgment, and even of common sense, make them downright fools, and so stupid
Read John Gill on Hosea 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart - a moral truth applicable to all times The special reference here is to the licentious orgies
Read Robert Jamieson on Hosea 4 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhoredom; unlawful converse with wanton women, the forbidden pleasures of an adulterous bed. And wine and new wine; excess of drinking, and indeed all immoderate pleasures; one kind being put for all. Take away the heart; besot men, and deprive them of the right use of their Understanding and judgment. By these courses both priests and people here have disabled themselves to discern aright between good and bad, between safe and dangerous.
Read Matthew Poole on Hosea 4 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsHosea 4:11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.Ver. 11. Whoredom and wine and new wine have taken away the heart] i.e. Have robbed my people of themselves, and laid a beast in their room. Any lust allowed and wallowed in will eat out the heart of grace; and, at length, all grace out of the heart. Hence temporizers grow in time so sapless, heatless, and heartless to any good; some unmortifled lust or other there is, that, as a worm, lieth grubbing at the root, and makes all to wither; that, like a drone in a hive, proves a great waster; that, as a moth in fine cloth, consumes all; or, as the light of the sun, puts out the light of the fire: so here. But, above all others…
Read John Trapp on Hosea 4 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) Heart.—The whole inner life, consumed by these licentious indulgences.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Hosea 4 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 11. Whoredom and wine] These debaucheries go generally together. Take away the heart.] Darken the understanding, deprave the judgment, pervert the will, debase all the passions, &c.
Read AdamClarke on Hosea 4 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11–14. Thus the priests have led the way, and the people follow. They have lost the spiritual faculty; a wild impulse to the most sensual idolatry has carried them away.
Read Cambridge on Hosea 4 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWhoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart - (Literally, “takes away”).
Read Albert Barnes on Hosea 4 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
to promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which take away understanding.
Old and new wine take away the understanding of my people.
Tyndale line
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.
Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.
Whoredome, and wine, and newe wine take away their heart.
Strictly literal
Fornication, and wine, and new wine take away the heart.
Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
Whoredom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,
Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart.
They love sexual promiscuity, wine, and new wine, which have taken away their understanding.
From the Latin
Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the understanding.
Simplified
They destroy their minds with old wine and new wine.
Loose ways and new wine take away wisdom.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Dead Sea Scrolls align closely in their rendering of this verse, though the scrolls contain some supplied words due to damage. The core message remains consistent across these witnesses, emphasizing the consequences of promiscuity and intoxication.
זְנ֛וּת וְיַ֥יִן וְתִיר֖וֹשׁ יִֽקַּֽח־ לֵֽב׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
זנות [ויין] [ותירוש] [יקח] [לב]
1 word on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
[זנות] [ויין] [ותירוש] [יקח] לב
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Hosea 4:11
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
זְנוּת (znuwth) refers to fornication and can also imply infidelity or idolatry. It is derived from the root word that means to commit adultery. The term encompasses sexual immorality and is used in various contexts, including religious and metaphorical senses.
זְנוּת n.f.abstr. fornication
sexual
international
religious
base
H2184 זְנוּת
2184 znuwth zen-ooth'
from 2181; adultery, i.e. (figuratively) infidelity,
idolatry:--whoredom.
see HEBREW for 02181
זְנוּת (ze.nut) — fornication.
fornication, harlotry
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
יַ֫יִן (yayin) means 'wine' and is associated with fermentation and intoxication. It appears in various contexts, including banqueting. The word is derived from an unused root that suggests the idea of effervescence.
יַ֫יִן 141 n.m. wine
base
H3196 יַ֫יִן wine
3196 yayin yah'-yin
from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as
fermented); by implication, intoxication:--banqueting, wine,
wine(-bibber).
יַ֫יִן (ya.yin) — wine.
wine
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
Wine
The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning “to boil up,” “to be in a ferment.” Others derive it from a root meaning “to tread out,” and hence the juice of the grape trodden out. The Greek word for wine is oinos_, and the Latin _vinun. But besides this common Hebrew word, there are several others which are thus rendered.
(1.) Ashishah (2 Sam. 6:19; 1 Chr. 16:3; Cant. 2:5; Hos. 3:1), which, however, rather denotes a solid cake of pressed grapes, or, as in the Revised Version, a cake of raisins.
(2.) ‘Asis, “sweet wine,” or “new wine,” the product of the same year (Cant. 8:2;
The manufacture of wine is carried back in the Bible to the age of Noah, (Genesis 9:20,21) to whom the discovery of the process is apparently, though not explicitly, attributed. The natural history and culture of the vine are described under a separate head. [VINE] The only other plant whose fruit is noticed as having been converted into wine was the pomegranate. (Solomon 8:2) In Palestine the vintage takes place in September, and is celebrated with great rejoicing. The ripe fruit was gathered in baskets, (Jeremiah 6:9) as represented in Egyptian paintings, and was carried to the wine-press. It was then placed in the upper one of the two vats or receptacles of which the winepress was formed, and was subjected to the process of "treading," which has prevailed in all ages in Oriental…
The vine being natural to the soil of Canaan and its vicinity, wine was much used as a beverage, especially at festivals, Es 1:7 5:6 Da 5:1-4 Joh 2:3. As one of the staple products of the Holy Land, it was employed for drink-offerings in the temple service, Ex 20:26 Nu 15:4-10; it was included among the "first-fruits," De 18:4, and was used in the celebration of the Passover, and subsequently of the Lord’s supper, Mt 26:27-29. Together with corn and oil it denoted all temporal supplies,
תִּירוֹשׁ (tiyrowsh) refers to must or fresh grape juice, indicating wine that is newly pressed. The term can imply fermented wine but primarily denotes new or sweet wine. It is derived from a root meaning expulsion, suggesting the process of pressing grapes.
תִּירוֹשׁ n.m. must, fresh or new wine
base
H8492 תִּירוֹשׁ must, fresh or new wine
8492 tiyrowsh tee-roshe'
or tiyrosh {tee-roshe'}; from 3423 in the sense of expulsion;
must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by
implication (rarely) fermented wine:--(new, sweet) wine.
see HEBREW for 03423
תִּירוֹשׁ (ti.rosh) — new wine.
wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
Wine
The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning “to boil up,” “to be in a ferment.” Others derive it from a root meaning “to tread out,” and hence the juice of the grape trodden out. The Greek word for wine is oinos_, and the Latin _vinun. But besides this common Hebrew word, there are several others which are thus rendered.
(1.) Ashishah (2 Sam. 6:19; 1 Chr. 16:3; Cant. 2:5; Hos. 3:1), which, however, rather denotes a solid cake of pressed grapes, or, as in the Revised Version, a cake of raisins.
(2.) ‘Asis, “sweet wine,” or “new wine,” the product of the same year (Cant. 8:2;
The manufacture of wine is carried back in the Bible to the age of Noah, (Genesis 9:20,21) to whom the discovery of the process is apparently, though not explicitly, attributed. The natural history and culture of the vine are described under a separate head. [VINE] The only other plant whose fruit is noticed as having been converted into wine was the pomegranate. (Solomon 8:2) In Palestine the vintage takes place in September, and is celebrated with great rejoicing. The ripe fruit was gathered in baskets, (Jeremiah 6:9) as represented in Egyptian paintings, and was carried to the wine-press. It was then placed in the upper one of the two vats or receptacles of which the winepress was formed, and was subjected to the process of "treading," which has prevailed in all ages in Oriental…
The vine being natural to the soil of Canaan and its vicinity, wine was much used as a beverage, especially at festivals, Es 1:7 5:6 Da 5:1-4 Joh 2:3. As one of the staple products of the Holy Land, it was employed for drink-offerings in the temple service, Ex 20:26 Nu 15:4-10; it was included among the "first-fruits," De 18:4, and was used in the celebration of the Passover, and subsequently of the Lord’s supper, Mt 26:27-29. Together with corn and oil it denoted all temporal supplies,
The Hebrew word לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. It can refer to taking something in hand, taking a wife, or even taking vengeance. The verb has various forms indicating different nuances, such as being taken away or captured.
לָקַח 965 vb. take
Qal
take, take in hand
take and carry along with oneself
take from, or out of
take, carry away
take away from, so as to deprive of
esp. take away life
take to or for a person
take up, upon = put upon
= fetch
take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)
take = capture, seize
take = carry off
in phr. take vengeance
Niph.
be captured, of ark
be taken away, removed
be taken, brought unto
Pu.
be taken from, out of
= be stolen from
be taken captive
be taken away, removed
Hoph.
be taken, brought unto
be taken out of
be taken away from
Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning
base
H3947 לָקַח take .. take, take in hand
. take and carry along with oneself
. . take from, or out of
. take, carry away
. take away from, so as to deprive of
. esp. take away life
. take to or for a person
. take up, upon = put upon
. = fetch
. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)
. take = capture, seize
. take = carry off
. in phr. take vengeance
. . be captured, of ark
. be taken away, removed
. be taken, brought unto
. . be taken from, out of
. = be stolen from
. be taken captive
. be taken away, removed
. . be taken, brought unto
. be taken out of
. be taken away from
. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning
3947 laqach law-kakh'
a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of
applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch,
get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve,
seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
לָקַח (la.qach) — to take: take.
: take
1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to take, take in the hand
1a2) to take and carry along
1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away
1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept
1a5) to take up or upon, put upon
1a6) to fetch
1a7) to take, lead, conduct
1a8) to take, capture, seize
1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be captured
1b2) to be taken away, be removed
1b3) to be taken, brought unto
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be taken from or out of
1c2) to be stolen from
1c3) to be taken captive
1c4) to be taken away, be removed
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto
1d2) to be taken out of
1d3) to be taken away
1e) (Hithpael)
1e1) to take hold of oneself
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
The Hebrew word לֵב (lev) means 'heart' and encompasses the inner man, mind, will, and emotions. It refers to the center of feelings, intellect, and moral character, as well as the seat of appetites and courage. The entries suggest a broad range of meanings related to human experience and thought, with a specific mention of its use in Jeremiah 51:1.
לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart
seldom of things in the midst of the sea
elsewhere of men
the inner man in contrast with the outer
the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
specific reference to mind
spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
spec. ref. to conscience
[various]
for the man himself
as seat of appetites
as seat of emotions and passions
seat of courage
base
לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.
ref
H3820a לֵב inner man, mind, will, heart . seldom of things in the midst of the sea
. elsewhere of men . the inner man in contrast with the outer
. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
. specific reference to mind
. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
. spec. ref. to conscience
. [various]
. for the man himself
. as seat of appetites
. as seat of emotions and passions
. seat of courage
H3820b לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash
3820 leb labe
a form of 3824; the heart; also used (figuratively) very
widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect;
likewise for the centre of anything:--+ care for, comfortably,
consent, X considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-),
(hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart((-ed)), X
heed, X I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), X regard((-ed)), X
themselves, X unawares, understanding, X well, willingly,
wisdom.
see HEBREW for 03824
לֵב (lev) — heart.
1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding
1a) inner part, midst
1a1) midst (of things)
1a2) heart (of man)
1a3) soul, heart (of man)
1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
1a6) conscience
1a7) heart (of moral character)
1a8) as seat of appetites
1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage
לֵב (lev) — Leb.
§ Leb- = "heart of"
(probably a cryptic name for Babylon by Atbash)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
hart (lebh, lebhabh; kardia): The different senses in which the word occurs in the Old Testament and the New Testament may be grouped under the following heads:
1. Various Meanings:
It represents in the first place the bodily organ, and by easy transition those experiences which affect or are affected by the body. Fear, love, courage, anger, Joy, sorrow, hatred are always ascribed to the heart--especially in the Old Testament; thus courage for which usually ruach is used (Ps 27:14); joy (Ps 4:7); anger (De 19:6, "while his heart is hot," lebhabh); fear (1Sa 25:37); sorrow (Ps 13:2), etc.
Heart
According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. “Heart” and “soul” are often used interchangeably (Deut. 6:5; 26:16; comp. Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33), but this is not generally the case.
The heart is the “home of the personal life,” and hence a man is designated, according to his heart, wise (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure (Ps. 24:4; Matt. 5:8, etc.), upright and righteous (Gen. 20:5, 6;