Hosea 3:4 Meaning
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:
Context Explained
2So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
3And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
4For 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:
5Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
Key Themes
Related Cross References
Isaiah 53:5
Both verses anticipate the coming of a sacrificial figure.
Luke 19:10
Jesus came to seek and save the lost, fulfilling the hope expressed in Hosea.
Acts 1:6-7
The disciples' question about restoring the kingdom echoes the longing for leadership in Hosea.
Source: Hosea 3:4