Introduction to Hosea 4:1: A Prophetic Legal Complaint
Hosea 4:1 marks the beginning of a formal prophetic rīv—a covenant lawsuit in which YHWH takes legal action against Yisra’el for violating the covenant. This verse is grammatically structured as a declaration of indictment, with the divine voice naming the charges in legal-poetic form. The centerpiece of the verse is the triplet of negative nominal clauses, all beginning with אֵין, stating what is missing from society. These three nouns—אֱמֶת, חֶסֶד, and דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים—represent core covenantal values. This article explores the syntax, semantics, and theological implications of these negative constructions.
שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־יֹושְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֠י אֵין־אֱמֶ֧ת וְֽאֵין־חֶ֛סֶד וְאֵֽין־דַּ֥עַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
Analysis of Key Words and Grammatical Structure
1. שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה – “Hear the word of YHWH”
- שִׁמְע֥וּ – Qal imperative 2mp of שׁ־מ־ע, command form: “Listen!”
- דְבַר־יְהוָה – Construct phrase, “the word of YHWH,” serving as the direct object
This summons introduces a legal oracle. The prophet calls the audience into a courtroom setting, inviting them to hear YHWH’s judgment. The imperative reflects urgency and authority.
2. כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־יֹושְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ – “For YHWH has a dispute with the inhabitants of the land”
- רִיב – “lawsuit, dispute,” used in prophetic literature as a technical term for covenantal litigation
- לַֽיהוָה֙ – Dative of possession: “belonging to YHWH”
- עִם־יֹושְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ – Prepositional phrase indicating the defendants
This is a formal legal accusation. YHWH, as the covenant suzerain, files a lawsuit against His vassals—the people of Yisra’el. The structure reflects ancient Near Eastern legal complaint formulae, repurposed for prophetic judgment.
3. The Triple אֵין־ Nominal Clauses
Each clause begins with אֵין, the negation particle used for existential negation in Biblical Hebrew, followed by a nominative noun:
- אֵין־אֱמֶת – “There is no truth” or “no faithfulness”
- וְאֵין־חֶסֶד – “and no kindness” or “no covenantal loyalty”
- וְאֵין־דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים – “and no knowledge of God”
These three clauses function cumulatively. The use of וְאֵין in parallel repetition amplifies the total absence of moral and theological integrity in the land. The structure of these clauses omits verbs, as is typical in nominal (verbless) clauses, where the copula “is” is implied. The three negated nouns represent the core values of the covenant:
- אֱמֶת – fidelity in human relationships and truth in legal speech
- חֶסֶד – covenantal love, mercy, and social justice
- דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים – experiential knowledge of YHWH, not mere cognition but relational faithfulness
This triple list has both literary rhythm and theological weight. It serves as a divine indictment: the foundations of covenant life are absent.
The Syntax of Absence: Nominal Negation as Indictment
The repeated use of אֵין reflects a Hebrew rhetorical strategy to show not just moral decline, but the complete void of covenantal values. Each clause stands on its own, with its own existential judgment, and the final clause בָּאָֽרֶץ (“in the land”) applies to all three, showing the nationwide scope of spiritual corruption.
Truth, Mercy, and Knowledge: The Lost Pillars of Covenant Society
Hosea 4:1 is a poetic yet legal declaration from YHWH against His people. The structure, marked by imperative summons, covenantal lawsuit syntax, and triple existential negation, communicates both urgency and tragedy. Without אֱמֶת, חֶסֶד, and דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים, society disintegrates. These are not abstract ideals—they are the lived requirements of divine relationship. Their absence signals not merely lawlessness but covenant betrayal. The grammar, in its stark repetition of אֵין, becomes the voice of judgment itself.
