King James Version

Hosea 4:13

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…רָאשֵׁ֨יrasheheadרֹאשׁnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “head”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.הֶהָרִ֜יםheharimthe hillהַרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the hill”, the ordinary formH2022a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion.יְזַבֵּ֗חוּyezabechvsacrificeזָבַחverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “sacrifice”, an unfinished actionH2076to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.וְעַלvealand aboveעַלconjunction, preposition — “and above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הַגְּבָעוֹת֙hagvaotthe hillגִּבְעָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the hill”, the ordinary formH1389a hillockhill, little hill.יְקַטֵּ֔רוּyeqatervburnקָטַרverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “burn”, an unfinished actionH6999to smoke, i.e. turn into fragrance by fire (especially as an act of worship)burn (incense, sacrifice) (upon), (altar for) incense, kindle, offer (incense, a sacrifice).תַּ֣חַתtachatwithתַּחַתpreposition — “with”H8478the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.אַלּ֧וֹןalonoakאַלּוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “oak”, the ordinary formH437{an oak or other strong tree}oak.וְלִבְנֶ֛הvelivnehand poplarלִבְנֶהconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and poplar”, the ordinary formH3839some sort of whitish tree, perhaps the storaxpoplar.וְאֵלָ֖הveelahand oakאֵלָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and oak”, the ordinary formH424an oak or other strong treeelm, oak, teil-tree.כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…ט֣וֹבtovgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…צִלָּ֑הּtsilahshadeצֵלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “shade”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6738shade, whether literal or figurativedefence, shade(-ow).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כֵּ֗ןkenas... asכֵּןparticle, demonstrative — “as... as”H3651properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (th…תִּזְנֶ֨ינָה֙tizneynahcommit fornicationזָנָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “commit fornication”, an unfinished actionH2181to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)(cause to) commit fornication, [idiom] continually, [idiom] great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.בְּנ֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔םbenoteykhemdaughterבַּתnoun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “daughter”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1323a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.וְכַלּוֹתֵיכֶ֖םvekhaloteykhemand brideכַּלָּהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “and bride”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3618a bride (as if perfect); hence, a son's wifebride, daughter-in-law, spouse.תְּנָאַֽפְנָהtenaafnahcommit adulteryנָאַףverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “commit adultery”, an unfinished actionH5003to commit adultery; figuratively, to apostatizeadulterer(-ess), commit(-ing) adultery, woman that breaketh wedlock.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and offer upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good; therefore your daughters commit harlotry, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery.

Young’s Literal Translation

On tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good [is] its shade.

World English Bible

They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, and your brides commit adultery.

Darby Translation

they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because the shade thereof is good; therefore your daughters play the harlot and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

Douay-Rheims

They offered sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burnt incense upon the hills: under the oak, and the poplar, and the turpentine tree, because the shadow thereof was good: therefore shall your daughters commit fornication, and your spouses shall be adulteresses.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

They have sacrificed on the tops of the mountains, and on the hills they have sacrificed under the oak and poplar, and under the shady tree, because the shade was good: therefore your daughters shall go a-whoring, and your daughters-in-law shall commit adultery.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐπὶ τὰς κορυφὰς τῶν ὀρέων ἐθυσίαζον, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς ἔθυον ὑποκάτω δρυὸς, καὶ λεύκης, καὶ δένδρου συσκιάζοντος, ὅτι καλὸν σκέπη. διὰ τοῦτο ἐκπορνεύσουσιν αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ αἱ νύμφαι ὑμῶν μοιχεύσουσι.