◄ Hosea 4:17 ►
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!
Study Bible
Ephraim
In the context of Hosea, "Ephraim" is often used to represent the northern kingdom of Israel. Historically, Ephraim was one of the tribes of Israel, descended from Joseph's son Ephraim. This tribe became prominent and influential, often symbolizing the entire northern kingdom. The use of "Ephraim" here underscores the collective identity and responsibility of the people in their spiritual state. It serves as a reminder of the covenant relationship they have with God, which they have neglected.

is joined
The Hebrew root word for "joined" is "חָבַר" (chabar), which means to be bound or allied with. This term indicates a strong, deliberate association or attachment. In this context, it suggests that Ephraim has willingly and persistently aligned itself with idolatry, forsaking its covenant with God. The imagery of being "joined" implies a deep-seated commitment, highlighting the severity of their spiritual adultery.

to idols
The term "idols" refers to the false gods and images that the Israelites worshipped, in direct violation of the first and second commandments. Historically, the worship of idols was prevalent in the ancient Near East, and Israel was repeatedly warned against adopting these practices. The Hebrew word for idols, "עֲצַבִּים" (atsabim), often conveys the idea of something that is crafted or shaped, emphasizing the futility and powerlessness of these man-made objects. This phrase serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual blindness and rebellion of the people.

leave him alone
This phrase is a divine directive, indicating a withdrawal of God's protective presence and guidance. The Hebrew root "נָחָה" (nachah) can mean to rest or to leave alone, suggesting a relinquishment of intervention. In a historical and theological context, this is a sobering pronouncement of judgment. It reflects the consequences of persistent disobedience and the seriousness of turning away from God. The call to "leave him alone" underscores the gravity of Ephraim's sin and the impending judgment, serving as a warning to all who would forsake their covenant with the Lord.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ephraim
Ephraim was one of the tribes of Israel, often used to represent the Northern Kingdom as a whole. In this context, Ephraim symbolizes the collective idolatry and spiritual adultery of Israel.

2. Idols
These are the false gods and images that the Israelites worshipped, in direct violation of the first two commandments. Idolatry was a significant issue in Israel, leading to their spiritual downfall.

3. Hosea
A prophet in the 8th century BC, Hosea was called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His life and marriage were symbolic of God's relationship with Israel.

4. Northern Kingdom of Israel
After the division of the united monarchy, the Northern Kingdom, often referred to as Israel or Ephraim, fell into idolatry and was eventually conquered by Assyria.

5. God's Judgment
The context of this verse is God's pronouncement of judgment on Israel for their persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Idolatry
Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can include anything that takes the place of God in our lives. We must examine our hearts for modern-day idols such as money, power, or relationships.

The Consequences of Spiritual Adultery
Just as Ephraim faced judgment for their unfaithfulness, we too face spiritual consequences when we turn away from God. Repentance and returning to God are crucial.

God's Call to Separation
"Leave him alone" signifies a point where God allows people to face the consequences of their choices. It serves as a warning to remain faithful and not be unequally yoked with unbelief.

The Hope of Restoration
While Hosea's message is one of judgment, it also contains hope for restoration. God's discipline is meant to bring us back to Him, emphasizing His desire for a restored relationship.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day idols that can distract us from our relationship with God, and how can we guard against them?

2. How does the account of Ephraim's idolatry serve as a warning for us today in our spiritual walk?

3. In what ways can we ensure that we are not "joined to idols" in our personal lives and communities?

4. How does understanding the historical context of Hosea's message to Ephraim enhance our interpretation of this verse?

5. How can we apply the principle of "leaving alone" those who persist in sin, while still showing love and hope for their restoration?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:3-4
This passage outlines the first two commandments, which prohibit the worship of other gods and the making of idols. Hosea 4:17 highlights Israel's violation of these commandments.

1 Kings 12:28-30
This passage describes the establishment of idol worship in the Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam, setting the stage for the idolatry Hosea condemns.

Romans 1:21-23
Paul discusses humanity's tendency to exchange the glory of God for images, paralleling Israel's idolatry in Hosea's time.
Sermons
A Call to SeparationA. Maclaren, D. D.Hosea 4:17
A Sin and its PunishmentB. Beddome, M. A.Hosea 4:17
AbandonmentJ.R. Thomson Hosea 4:17
An Unholy Alliance and a Righteous AbandonmentD. Thomas Hosea 4:17
Beware of Unholy CompanionshipsJ. Hampden Lee.Hosea 4:17
Can Man Sin Himself Out of All Saving PossibilitiesHosea 4:17
Dangers of Carnal SecurityH.I. Swale, M. A.Hosea 4:17
Ephraim Abandoned to IdolsR. Davies, M. A.Hosea 4:17
Ephraim Let AloneP. B. Power, M. A.Hosea 4:17
God Abandons the IncorrigibleWilliam Jay.Hosea 4:17
Influence of CompanionsHosea 4:17
Insensibility the Result of ImpenitenceA. Rowland Hosea 4:17
Let Him AloneG. Hunt Jackson.Hosea 4:17
'Let Him Alone'Alexander MaclarenHosea 4:17
Spiritual AbandonmentJ. R. Woodford, M. A.Hosea 4:17
The DerelictA. Thomson, D. D.Hosea 4:17
The Disturbing Effects of Divine DisciplineC. Moinet, M. A.Hosea 4:17
The Sin of EphraimW. B. Williams, M. A.Hosea 4:17
Warning to JudahJeremiah Burroughs.Hosea 4:17
Ephraim and JudahC. Jerdan Hosea 4:15-19
Warning to JudahJ. Orr Hosea 4:15-19
People
Hosea
Places
Beth-aven, Gilgal, Jezreel
Topics
Alone, Ephraim, E'phraim, Gods, Idols, Joined, Leave
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Hosea 4:17

     6213   participation, in sin

Hosea 4:10-19

     8705   apostasy, in OT

Library
'Let Him Alone'
'Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.'--HOSEA iv. 17. The tribe of Ephraim was the most important member of the kingdom of Israel; consequently its name was not unnaturally sometimes used in a wider application for the whole of the kingdom, of which it was the principal part. Being the 'predominant partner,' its name was used alone for that of the whole firm, just as in our own empire, we often say 'England,' meaning thereby the three kingdoms: England, Scotland, and Ireland. So 'Ephraim' here …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers.
1. His Early Years.--Ephraim, according to this biography, was a Syrian of Mesopotamia, by birth, and by parentage on both sides. His mother was of Amid (now Diarbekr) a central city of that region; his father belonged to the older and more famous City of Nisibis, not far from Amid but near the Persian frontier, where he was priest of an idol named Abnil (or Abizal) in the days of Constantine the Great (306-337). This idol was afterwards destroyed by Jovian (who became Emperor in 363 after the …
Ephraim the Syrian—Hymns and Homilies of Ephraim the Syrian

Instruction for the Ignorant:
BEING A SALVE TO CURE THAT GREAT WANT OF KNOWLEDGE, WHICH SO MUCH REIGNS BOTH IN YOUNG AND OLD. PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THEM IN A PLAIN AND EASY DIALOGUE, FITTED TO THE CAPACITY OF THE WEAKEST. 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'--Hosea 4:6 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This little catechism is upon a plan perfectly new and unique. It was first published as a pocket volume in 1675, and has been republished in every collection of the author's works; and recently in a separate tract. …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Beth-El. Beth-Aven.
Josephus thus describes the land of Benjamin; "The Benjamites' portion of land was from the river Jordan to the sea, in length: in breadth, it was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." Let these last words be marked, "The breadth of the land of Benjamin was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." May we not justly conclude, from these words, that Jerusalem and Beth-el were opposite, as it were, in a right line? But if you look upon the maps, there are some that separate these by a very large tract of land, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Of Orders.
Of this sacrament the Church of Christ knows nothing; it was invented by the church of the Pope. It not only has no promise of grace, anywhere declared, but not a word is said about it in the whole of the New Testament. Now it is ridiculous to set up as a sacrament of God that which can nowhere be proved to have been instituted by God. Not that I consider that a rite practised for so many ages is to be condemned; but I would not have human inventions established in sacred things, nor should it be …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

"For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Hath Made Me Free from the Law of Sin and Death. "
Rom. viii. 2.--"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." You know there are two principal things in the preceding verse,--the privilege of a Christian, and the property or character of a Christian. He is one that never enters into condemnation; He that believeth shall not perish, John iii. 15. And then he is one that walks not after the flesh, though he be in the flesh, but in a more elevate way above men, after the guiding and leading …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Epistle cxxi. To Leander, Bishop of Hispalis (Seville).
To Leander, Bishop of Hispalis (Seville). Gregory to Leander, Bishop of Spain. I have the epistle of thy Holiness, written with the pen of charity alone. For what the tongue transferred to the paper had got its tincture from the heart. Good and wise men were present when it was read, and at once their bowels were stirred with emotion. Everyone began to seize thee in his heart with the hand of love, for that in that epistle the sweetness of thy disposition was not to be heard, but seen. All severally …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

That the Ruler Relax not his Care for the Things that are Within in his Occupation among the Things that are Without, nor Neglect to Provide
The ruler should not relax his care for the things that are within in his occupation among the things that are without, nor neglect to provide for the things that are without in his solicitude for the things that are within; lest either, given up to the things that are without, he fall away from his inmost concerns, or, occupied only with the things that are within bestow not on his neighbours outside himself what he owes them. For it is often the case that some, as if forgetting that they have …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Prophet Amos.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. It will not be necessary to extend our preliminary remarks on the prophet Amos, since on the main point--viz., the circumstances under which he appeared as a prophet--the introduction to the prophecies of Hosea may be regarded as having been written for those of Amos also. For, according to the inscription, they belong to the same period at which Hosea's prophetic ministry began, viz., the latter part of the reign of Jeroboam II., and after Uzziah had ascended the …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Doctrine
OF THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED; OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING THE LAW AND GRACE; THE NATURE OF THE ONE, AND THE NATURE OF THE OTHER; SHOWING WHAT THEY ARE, AS THEY ARE THE TWO COVENANTS; AND LIKEWISE, WHO THEY BE, AND WHAT THEIR CONDITIONS ARE, THAT BE UNDER EITHER OF THESE TWO COVENANTS: Wherein, for the better understanding of the reader, there are several questions answered touching the law and grace, very easy to be read, and as easy to be understood, by those that are the sons of wisdom, the children …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Hosea
The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts: i.-iii. and iv.-xiv., the former relatively clear and connected, the latter unusually disjointed and obscure. The difference is so unmistakable that i.-iii. have usually been assigned to the period before the death of Jeroboam II, and iv.-xiv. to the anarchic period which succeeded. Certainly Hosea's prophetic career began before the end of Jeroboam's reign, as he predicts the fall of the reigning dynasty, i. 4, which practically ended with Jeroboam's …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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