Tag Archives: Hosea 4:4

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.”… Learn Hebrew