Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — YHWH addresses Israel, with the priests as the direct object of the pronouncement, in a judgment sequence that moves from the stumbling of prophet and priest (v. 5) to the people's multiplication in sin (v. 7).

The words — דַּעַת (da'at, H1847) appears twice: first as the cause of destruction, then as the thing the priests have rejected. The verb מָאַס (ma'as, H3988) is strong—spurn, cast off—not a passive lapse.

The thread — Isaiah 5:13 pairs the same lack of understanding with exile; Hosea 6:6 returns to da'at as the thing God desires over sacrifice; Proverbs 19:2 warns that zeal without knowledge misses the mark.

Why it lands — The verse makes the people's own rejection the stated ground for God's rejection, removing any room to blame external circumstance for the loss of priestly standing.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

נִדְמ֥וּnid.Muthey have been destroyed עַמִּ֖י'a.M/ipeople/ my מִבְּלִ֣יmi./be.Libecause/ not הַדָּ֑עַתha./Da.'at<the>/ knowledge כִּֽי־ki-for אַתָּ֞ה'a.Tahyou הַדַּ֣עַתha./Da.'at<the>/ knowledge מָאַ֗סְתָּma.'As.tayou have rejected וְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ֙ve./'em.'a.se./Khaand/ I will reject/ you מִכַּהֵ֣ןmi./ka.Henfrom/ serving as a priestלִ֔יL/i<to>/ meוַתִּשְׁכַּח֙va./tish.Kachand/ you have forgotten תּוֹרַ֣תto.Rat[the] law of אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח'esh.KachI will forget בָּנֶ֖יךָba.Nei./khachildren/ your גַּם־gam-also אָֽנִי׃'A.niI

King James Version

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Cross-references

Isaiah 5:13 Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.
Proverbs 19:2 Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.
Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
2 Corinthians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land!
Matthew 15:8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
Proverbs 1:30 They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
Isaiah 17:10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and failed to remember the Rock of your refuge. Therefore, though you cultivate delightful plots and set out cuttings from exotic vines—
Hosea 8:14 Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has multiplied its fortified cities. But I will send fire upon their cities, and it will consume their citadels.
Malachi 2:7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.