Hosea 4:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, they wickedly led those seekers away from returning to God, engaging instead in inquiries through unholy spirits, akin to Balaam, who attempted to prophesy against the Israelites upon instructions from Balak, the son of Zippor: “Thou shalt build me,” he commanded, “and prepare for me here seven cattle, and seven sheep” (Num. 23:1), and he proceeded to consult with the wise men (Num. 24:1). They observed the manner and height at which sacrificial grains ascended, or lamented over the movements of animal organs, and speculated on the flight patterns of birds. Such practices of bird divination, sorcery, and other malevolent acts signify extreme wickedness, common in the depths of idolatry.

When the Israelites turned to them for counsel, the responses were provided not only through signs but also with their rods, representing another form of deceit—divination via sticks, an invention attributed to the meddlesome Chaldeans. This parallels the sorcery of Nebuchadnezzar concerning Jerusalem, as the prophet Ezekiel recounts (Ezekiel 21:21). He employed two rods and conducted secret rituals, calling upon demonic forces to influence their direction. Once they fell, they would observe where they leaned—forward or backward, to the right or the left—before relaying these conclusions to their inquirers. This illustrates the meaning behind “in the rods they told.” It is truly tragic that leaders, who should have drawn others toward the divine, instead played a role in the deception. As the prophet states, “astonishment in the house of God established” (Hos. 9:8). The term “amazement” addresses the false prophecies of those who engage in such practices, as they feign ignorance of their own state and some even claim divine inspiration, entering states of frenzy as if possessed by a deity. They fail to recognize that the heart of the misled serves as a dwelling or stable for unclean spirits.

Immorality depletes strength, yet the inclination towards it remains persistent. The ten tribes also strayed, worshiping the idols of Jeroboam son of Nebat, neglecting the Lord their God and failing to obey His command that they should worship only Him (Deuteronomy 6:13; cf. Matthew 4:10). The phrases fornication, strong drink, and intoxication are profoundly addictive to the heart, for as intoxicants cloud the mind, so too does immorality corrupt the senses and weaken the spirit, transforming a rational soul into a mindless creature, perpetually drawn to taverns and places of debauchery. When one’s heart is thus led astray, they elevate wood and stone to divine status, adoring creations of their own hands. Therefore, the prophet conveys astonishment, lamenting that My people, once called by My name, now inquire of wood and stone—an act of divination referred to by the Greeks as ῤαβδομανρείαν. In Ezekiel, we read how Nebuchadnezzar used rods concerning Ammon and Jerusalem, and the outcome favored Jerusalem. The root of this errant behavior is the spirit that entices them to forsake their God through immorality. As stated in Jeremiah, idolatry is likened to fornication—turning towards stone and wood, even as the call to return to God remains unheeded, with hearts not sincerely turned back. The scriptures express, 'She forsook Me and declared, I will ascend every high hill and engage in acts of immorality beneath every leafy tree' (Jeremiah 3). The Psalmist remarks, 'Thou hast destroyed all who stray from Thee' (Psalm 72:27). The origin of immorality lies in the creation of idols. Heretics are perpetually dissatisfied with their delusions, continually engaging in blatant immorality, breaking the law and the Holy Scriptures, ultimately abandoning the Lord. They become foolish and intoxicated, losing their capacity for sound judgment, and instead venerate idols of their own making, while the spirit of immorality overtakes them.

The Lord, addressing this through the prophet, declares, "Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up, and save thee from the things that shall come upon thee" (Isaiah 47:13). Similarly, in another passage, the Lord reproaches, "The spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from their God" (Hos. 4:12).