Introduction to Hosea 4:4
Hosea 4:4 stands at the beginning of a prophetic indictment. It opens with a forceful double prohibition, warning against judgmental contention, followed by a striking comparison between the people and the priest. The grammatical structure uses the particle אַל to negate jussive verbs twice in parallel, creating a rhetorical double command. This lesson explores the use of אַל + jussive verbs in Hebrew, particularly the stylistic and rhetorical effect of double jussive prohibitions.
אַ֥ךְ אִ֛ישׁ אַל־יָרֵ֖ב וְאַל־יֹוכַ֣ח אִ֑ישׁ וְעַמְּךָ֖ כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י כֹהֵֽן׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
- אַ֥ךְ (ʾaḵ) – An emphatic or adversative particle meaning “indeed,” “surely,” or “nevertheless.” Here it introduces a strong assertion or warning.
- אִ֛ישׁ (ʾish) – “Man” or “anyone.” Appears twice in this verse, used generically to represent any individual in society.
- אַל־יָרֵ֖ב (ʾal-yarev) – Jussive negation: “Let no man contend.”
- אַל is the particle of prohibition.
- יָרֵ֖ב is a jussive from ריב (“to contend, dispute”), 3rd person masculine singular.
- וְאַל־יֹוכַ֣ח (veʾal-yokhaḥ) – “And let no man rebuke.”
- Coordinated with the previous clause.
- יֹוכַ֣ח is jussive from יכח (“to rebuke, reprove”), in the Hifil stem (causative), 3ms.
- וְעַמְּךָ֖ (veʿammekha) – “And your people.” The possessive suffix ־ךָ refers to the prophet (presumably Hosea), contrasting his role with the people.
- כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י כֹהֵֽן (kimrivei kohen) – “Are like those who contend with a priest.”
- כְּ־ marks a simile.
- מְרִיבֵ֥י is a construct plural participle from ריב: “those who contend.”
- כֹהֵֽן is the noun in construct relationship: “with a priest.”
- This phrase invokes Deuteronomy 17:12, where contending with a priest was a capital offense.
Jussive Prohibition and the Rhetoric of Double Negation
In Biblical Hebrew, commands and prohibitions are often expressed with:
- Imperatives for direct commands.
- Jussives for third-person exhortations or prohibitions.
The particle אַל is used to negate jussive and imperative forms:
- אַל־יָרֵ֖ב – “Let no man contend.”
- וְאַל־יֹוכַ֣ח – “And let no man rebuke.”
The repetition of אִישׁ and אַל introduces a strong double prohibition, forming a parallelism that adds rhetorical emphasis:
- First clause: prohibits legal or social contention.
- Second clause: prohibits rebuke or prophetic challenge.
Together, they function as an ironic or frustrated appeal. Rather than encourage justice, the prophet is told to refrain—because the people have become so obstinate that reproof is futile.
The final clause offers the reason:
וְעַמְּךָ֖ כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י כֹהֵֽן – “And your people are like those who strive with a priest.”
This simile evokes legal rebellion. In Torah law, challenging a priest’s authority (e.g., Deut. 17:12) was a serious transgression. Thus, the people are portrayed as dangerously rebellious—resisting even divine mediators.
This structure—jussive prohibition + simile justification—turns grammar into prophetic rhetoric.
Why Jussive Negation Amplifies Prophetic Judgment in Hosea
The syntax of Hosea 4:4 is as sharp as its message. Through double jussive negation, the prophet conveys the moral impossibility of correction. The people are no longer open to contention or reproof; thus, the prophet is told: don’t even try.
This verse’s structure embodies linguistic resignation:
- Negated jussives = exhausted appeals.
- Repeated “man” = no exception in the audience.
- Simile of priestly rebellion = theological escalation.
Understanding how Biblical Hebrew uses אַל with jussive forms, especially in poetic prophetic rebuke, reveals the deep emotional and theological force encoded in short, parallel lines.
Thus, Hosea 4:4 uses grammar not just to instruct, but to lament, highlighting how syntax and structure carry the weight of divine sorrow and prophetic burden.
