New American Standard Bible 1995

Back to Reader

Hosea

4

:

4

Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your people are like those who contend with the priest.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Yet surely, howbeit Adverb H389 אַ֥ךְ ach
let no not (a subjective neg.) Adverb H408 אַל־ al-
one man Noun H376 אִ֛ישׁ ish
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

find to strive, contend Verb H7378 יָרֵ֖ב ya·rev
fault, to strive, contend Verb H7378 כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י kim·ri·vei
and let none not (a subjective neg.) Adverb H408 וְאַל־ ve·'al-
offer reproof; to decide, adjudge, prove Verb H3198 יֹוכַ֣ח yo·v·chach
For your people people Noun H5971 וְעַמְּךָ֖ ve·'am·me·cha
are like those who contend to strive, contend Verb H7378    
with the priest. priest Noun H3548 כֹהֵֽן׃ cho·hen.

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your people are like those who contend with the priest.
King James Bible Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are like those who contend as they that strive with the priest.
Hebrew Greek English Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your people are like those who contend with the priest.