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Hosea Redeems His Wife
…3Then I said to her, “You must live with me for many days; you must not be promiscuous or belong to another, and I will do the same for you.”4Forthe Israelitesmust livemanydayswithoutkingor prince,withoutsacrificeorsacred pillar,and withoutephodor idol.5Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.…

Treasury of Scripture

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

without a king.

Hosea 10:3
For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?

Genesis 49:10
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto himshall the gathering of the peoplebe.

Jeremiah 15:4,5
And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, forthat which he did in Jerusalem…

without a sacrifice.

2 Chronicles 15:2
And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORDis with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

Daniel 8:11-13
Yea, he magnifiedhimself even to the prince of the host, and by him the dailysacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down…

Daniel 9:27
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall makeit desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

an image.

Isaiah 19:19,20
In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD…

ephod.

Exodus 28:4
And theseare the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Leviticus 8:7
And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and boundit unto him therewith.

Judges 8:27
And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city,even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

without teraphim.

Genesis 31:19
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images thatwere her father's.

Judges 17:5
And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

Judges 18:17-24
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up,and came in thither,and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred menthat were appointed with weapons of war…

AbideChildrenDwellEphodHouseholdIdolsImageIsraelIsraelitesLiveOfferingsPillarPillarsPrinceRulerSacredSacrificeSitSolitaryStandingStatueStoneStonesTeraphimTimeAbideChildrenDwellEphodHouseholdIdolsImageIsraelIsraelitesLiveOfferingsPillarPillarsPrinceRulerSacredSacrificeSitSolitaryStandingStatueStoneStonesTeraphimTime1.The Lord's intended future kindness to Israel, not withstanding their wickedness,
2.illustrated by the emblem of Hosea's conduct toward his adulterous wife.
4.The desolation of Israel before their restoration.

For the Israelites must live many days
This phrase indicates a prolonged period of time during which the Israelites will experience a significant change in their national and religious life. Historically, this refers to the time after the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC and the Babylonian exile of the Southern Kingdom in 586 BC. During these periods, the Israelites were without a centralized government or temple worship, which marked a significant shift from their previous way of life.

without king or prince
The absence of a king or prince signifies the loss of political leadership and autonomy. In the context of Israel's history, this points to the end of the Davidic monarchy in Judah and the complete dissolution of the Northern Kingdom. Biblically, this can be seen as a consequence of the Israelites' disobedience and idolatry, as warned by prophets like Samuel (1 Samuel 8:10-18) and fulfilled in the exile. This also foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ, the ultimate King and Prince of Peace, who would restore the kingdom in a spiritual sense.

without sacrifice or sacred pillar
Sacrifices were central to Israelite worship, as outlined in Levitical law, and the absence of sacrifices indicates a disruption in their religious practices. Sacred pillars, often associated with pagan worship, were condemned by God (Deuteronomy 16:22). The removal of both suggests a purification process, where God strips away both legitimate and illegitimate forms of worship to refocus the Israelites on true worship. This period of absence anticipates the New Covenant, where Jesus becomes the ultimate sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10).

and without ephod or idol
The ephod was a priestly garment used in seeking God's will, particularly by the high priest (Exodus 28:6-30). Its absence implies a lack of divine guidance and priestly intercession. Idols, representing false gods, were a recurring problem in Israel's history, leading to their downfall (2 Kings 17:7-18). The removal of both ephod and idol suggests a time of spiritual barrenness but also a cleansing from idolatry. This points forward to the New Testament era, where Jesus, our High Priest, provides direct access to God (Hebrews 4:14-16) and calls for worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).

1.Israelites
The chosen people of God, often depicted in the Old Testament as struggling with faithfulness to God. In Hosea, they symbolize the unfaithful spouse, reflecting Israel's spiritual adultery.

2.King or Prince
Represents the political leadership and governance that Israel would be without during a period of judgment and exile.

3.Sacrifice or Sacred Pillar
Refers to the religious practices and symbols of worship. The absence of these indicates a disruption in their religious life and connection to God.

4.Ephod
A priestly garment used in seeking divine guidance. Its absence signifies a lack of spiritual direction and leadership.

5.Idol
Represents the false gods and idolatrous practices that Israel often turned to, leading them away from the true worship of Yahweh.Understanding God's Discipline
God's removal of political and religious structures was a form of discipline meant to bring Israel back to Him. We must recognize that God's discipline is an act of love intended for our restoration.

The Danger of Idolatry
The absence of idols in this prophecy highlights the destructive nature of idolatry. We must examine our lives for modern-day idols that may lead us away from God.

The Importance of Spiritual Leadership
The lack of ephod and priestly guidance underscores the need for strong spiritual leadership. We should pray for and support our spiritual leaders as they guide us in truth.

Hope in Restoration
WhileHosea 3:4 speaks of a time of absence, it also implies a future restoration. We can find hope in God's promises to restore and renew us, even after periods of spiritual drought.1.What is the meaning of Hosea 3:4?

2.How does Hosea 3:4 illustrate Israel's separation from God and its consequences?

3.What does the absence of "king or prince" signify about Israel's leadership?

4.How can Hosea 3:4's message guide our reliance on spiritual rather than physical symbols?

5.In what ways does Hosea 3:4 connect to the New Testament's call for repentance?

6.How can we apply Hosea 3:4's lessons to maintain faith during spiritual droughts?

7.What does Hosea 3:4 reveal about Israel's relationship with God during their exile?

8.How does Hosea 3:4 foreshadow the coming of the Messiah?

9.Why does Hosea 3:4 mention the absence of a king and prince for Israel?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Hosea 3?

11.Ezekiel 34:22–24 – Are the promises about a future Davidic ruler consistent with other Old Testament prophecies that appear to contradict this timeline?

12.Hosea 8:8: How do we reconcile Israel being “swallowed up” by other nations with promises of their continued distinct identity?

13.How can we reconcile the command in Hosea 3:1 for a prophet to marry a prostitute with moral standards presented elsewhere in Scripture?

14.How does Hosea 2:3 align with a loving and merciful God if He threatens to strip Israel bare like a barren land?For the Israelites must live many days

The verse opens with a time marker of extended duration. God is declaring, not suggesting, that Israel will experience a prolonged season of deprivation. This literally unfolded after the Assyrian (722 BC) and Babylonian (586 BC) captivities and has continued in various ways throughout the dispersion.

•Deuteronomy 28:36-37 foretells the scattering and the sense of being “an object of horror.”

•Ezekiel 4:5-6 pictures symbolic “days” of judgment corresponding to years.

•Luke 21:24 looks ahead to Israel being “led captive into all the nations,” a period still evident today.

•Romans 11:25 affirms a divinely set “partial hardening” that will last “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

These passages confirm that the “many days” are neither random nor permanent; they are part of God’s covenant-faithful discipline.

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without king or prince

The monarchy that once united the tribes under David’s line would disappear. From the exile onward, Israel has had no native king; even modern Israel is a parliamentary republic, not a restored Davidic kingdom.

•Hosea 10:3 admits, “We have no king … for we do not fear the LORD.”

•2 Kings 17:6 records the final deportation that ended the northern throne.

•Jeremiah 25:11 predicts “this whole land will become a desolate wasteland,” underscoring political vacuum.

• YetMicah 5:2 promises a ruler “from ancient days,” echoed inActs 2:30-36 where Peter declares Jesus the resurrected heir to David’s throne.

The phrase therefore points both to the literal absence of royal leadership and to the anticipation of the Messiah who will one day reign (Revelation 19:16).

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without sacrifice or sacred pillar

“Sacrifice” refers to temple offerings; “sacred pillar” recalls both legitimate memorial stones (Genesis 28:18) and the idolatrous pillars God later prohibited (Deuteronomy 16:22). The destruction of the first and second temples (586 BC and AD 70) left Israel unable to present the required offerings.

•Malachi 1:10 laments “My altar is useless; I have no pleasure in you,” anticipating the cessation.

•Hebrews 10:1-10 explains that animal sacrifices were merely a shadow fulfilled in Christ’s once-for-all offering.

•Hosea 10:1-2 condemns corrupt “sacred pillars” that drew Israel into idolatry.

ThusHosea 3:4 predicts both the disappearance of legitimate worship structures and the removal of illicit ones, showing God’s power to withhold every rival to His grace until hearts are ready for true atonement.

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and without ephod or idol

The ephod was the priest’s garment used for seeking God’s guidance (Exodus 28:4), while “idol” stands for every counterfeit god. Israel would lose both the means of legitimate priestly mediation and the unlawful objects of worship.

•Judges 8:27 shows how an ephod itself could become a snare when divorced from God’s direction.

•Zechariah 13:2 envisions a future day when the LORD “will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit,” eliminating idols entirely.

•Matthew 27:51 records the temple veil torn at Christ’s death, symbolizing the closure of the old priestly system and the opening of direct access through Him.

• In Christ, believers are now “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), awaiting the day when Israel, too, will enjoy restored fellowship under the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

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summary

Hosea 3:4 is God’s precise forecast of Israel’s long-term loss of monarchy, sacrificial worship, and priestly mediation, along with the stripping away of every idolatrous substitute. History verifies the literal fulfillment:

• No reigning Davidic king since the exile

• No temple sacrifices since AD 70

• No functioning Levitical priesthood or ephod

• A persistent scattering among the nations

Yet the verse also points forward: the very absence it describes prepares Israel to recognize the Messiah who alone can restore throne, worship, and communion with God. The discipline of “many days” is therefore both judgment and mercy, clearing the stage for the promised reunion of Israel with her King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

(4) The prophet suddenly passes from his personal history to that of Israel, which it symbolised.

Without a king . . .--The isolation of Gomer's position pre-figured that of Israel in the exile. Her bitter experience was a parable of Israel's utter deprivation of all civil and religious privilege. There was to be no king, or prince, or sacred ritual of any kind. Observe that the terms of both cultus are here intermingled, suggesting the idolatrous conceptions of the pure ancient practice which Jeroboam's calf-worship was only too likely to introduce. By "image" we are to understand upright stones, representing Baal or the sun-god. (Comp.Hosea 10:1 andExodus 24:4.) On "ephod," seeJudges 17:5;Judges 18:14;Judges 18:17-20; on "teraphim,"Genesis 31:19-35;1Samuel 19:13-16;Ezekiel 21:21;Zechariah 10:2. In the last two passages the word is translated "idols," "images," their use as instruments of divination being condemned. . . .

Verse 4. -For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and teraphim. For a long series of years they were thus doomed to be without civil polity, or ecclesiastical privilege, or prophetic intimations. More particularly they were to remain without royal rule, or princely power, or priestly function, or prophetic instruction. As the prophet's wife was neither to be, strictly speaking, her husband's nor yet belong to another man; so Israel, as represented by her, was destined to be deprived of independent self-government and princely sovereignty; of Divine service, whether allowed as by sacrifice - the central part of Hebrew worship - or disallowed as by statue; of oracular responses, whether lawful as by the ephod or unlawful as by teraphim. There was thus an entire breaking up of Church and state as they had long existed; of all civil and ecclesiastical relations and privileges as they had been long enjoyed. Without a king of their own nationality to sit upon the throne, or a prince of their own race as heir apparent to the kingdom, or princes as the great officers of state; without offering by sacrifice to Jehovah, or statue by way of memorial to Baal; without means of ascertaining the will of Heaven in relation to the future by the Urim and Thummim of the high-priestly ephod, only the more than questionable means of soothsaying by the teraphim; - the children of Israel were to be left. And what attaches special importance to this remarkable passage is the undeniable tact that these predictions were uttered, not only before the dissolution of the monarchy and the cessation of sacrifices, but at a time when no human sagacity could foresee and no human power foretell the future abstention of the Hebrew race from idol-worship so long practiced, and from heathenish divination resorted to from such an early period of their history. Rashi, in his comment, has the following: "I said to her, Many days shalt thou abide for me; thou shalt not go a-whoring after other gods; for if thou shalt play the harlot, thy sons shall remain many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice in the sanctuary in Judah, and without a statue of Baal in Samaria of the kings of Israel, and without an ephod with Urim and Thummim which declared to them secrets, and without teraphim; they are images that are made with the observation of one hour composed for the purpose, and which speak of themselves and declare secrets; and so Jonathan has translated, "Neither will there be an ephod nor one to give a response.'" Similarly Aben Ezra: "Without king, nor is there any objection from the Chasmoneans, for they were not of the children of Judah... without sacrifice to Jehovah nor statue to Baal, without ephod to Jehovah and without teraphim to the worshippers of idols, which Laban called his gods." It is a matter of much consequence that some of the ablest of the Jewish expositors realize these predictions as applicable to their own case and the existing circumstances of their nation. Thus Kimchi, in commenting on this verse, says, "These are the days of the exile in which we are this day, and we have neither king nor prince of Israel, for we are in the power of the Gentiles, and in the power of their kings and princes... no sacrifice to God and no statue for worshippers of idols... and no ephod which shall declare future things by Urim and Thummim, and no teraphim for idolaters which declare the future according to the notion of those who believe in them; and thus we are this day in this exile, all the children of Israel;" he then cites the Targum of Jonathan in confirmation of his sentiments. For the ephod, comp.Exodus 28:6-14, from which we learn that it was "a short cloak, covering shoulders and breast, wrought with colors and gold, formed of two halves connected by two shoulder-pieces, on each of which was an onyx engraved with six names of tribes, and held together round the waist by a girdle of the same material;" it was part of the high priest's attire. The teraphim - from the Arabictarifa, to live comfortably, andturfator, a comfortable life, were the household gods and domestic oracles, like the Roman penates, and deriving the name from being thought the givers and guardians of a comfortable life,חֶרֶפ. They were images in human form and stature, either graven of wood or stone (pesel), or molten out of precious metal (mas-sekhah). The first mention of them is inGenesis 31:19, and the name occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. They appear to have been of Syrian or Chaldean origin. Aben Ezra says of them, "What appears to me most probable is that they had a human form and were made for the purpose of receiving supernal power, nor can I explain it further." The two principal species of offerings were theזבח, or bloody sacrifice, and theמנחה, or unbloody oblation. The former comprehended those entirely burnt on the altar,עֹלָחrad.עלה, to ascend, from going up entirely in the altar-smoke; andחלב, or those of which only the fat was burnt. According to the object of the offerer, they werechattah, sin offering, pointing to expiation or pardon for something done demanding punishment; orasham, trespass offering, implying satisfaction and acceptance, or something undone demanding amends; andshelamim, peace offerings.

Parallel Commentaries ...


For
כִּ֣י ׀(kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunction

the Israelites
בְּנֵ֣י(bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121:A son

must live
יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙(yê·šə·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3427:To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

many
רַבִּ֗ים(rab·bîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7227:Much, many, great

days
יָמִ֣ים(yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117:A day

without
אֵ֥ין(’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369:A non-entity, a negative particle

king
מֶ֙לֶךְ֙(me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428:A king

or prince,
שָׂ֔ר(śār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8269:Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

without
וְאֵ֣ין(wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369:A non-entity, a negative particle

sacrifice
זֶ֖בַח(ze·ḇaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2077:A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice

or
וְאֵ֣ין(wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369:A non-entity, a negative particle

sacred pillar,
מַצֵּבָ֑ה(maṣ·ṣê·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4676:Something stationed, a column, an idol

and without
וְאֵ֥ין(wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369:A non-entity, a negative particle

ephod
אֵפ֖וֹד(’ê·p̄ō·wḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 646:A girdle, the ephod, highpriest's shoulder-piece, an image

or idol.
וּתְרָפִֽים׃(ū·ṯə·rā·p̄îm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8655:(a kind of idol) perhaps household idol


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OT Prophets: Hosea 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide (Ho Hs Hos.)