Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, nor will their sacrifices please him. Such sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat them will be unclean. This food will be for themselves; it will not come into the temple of the LORD. New Living Translation There you will make no offerings of wine to the LORD. None of your sacrifices there will please him. They will be unclean, like food touched by a person in mourning. All who present such sacrifices will be defiled. They may eat this food themselves, but they may not offer it to the LORD. English Standard Version They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners’ bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the LORD. Berean Standard Bible They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD. Berean Literal Bible They will not pour out wine to YHWH, and their sacrifices they will not be pleasng to Him—like the bread of mourners to them, all those eating it will be defiled. For their bread is for their own soul; it will not come into the house of YHWH! King James Bible They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD. New King James Version They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, Nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for their own life; It shall not come into the house of the LORD. New American Standard Bible They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD, Nor will their sacrifices please Him. Their bread will be to them like mourners’ bread; All who eat it will be defiled, Because their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of the LORD. NASB 1995 They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD, Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread; All who eat of it will be defiled, For their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of the LORD. NASB 1977 They will not pour out libations of wine to the LORD, Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread; All who eat of it will be defiled, For their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of the LORD. Legacy Standard Bible They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to Yahweh; Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread; All who eat of it will be defiled, For their bread will be for themselves alone; It will not enter the house of Yahweh. Amplified Bible They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD; Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread [eaten at funerals]; All who eat it will be [ceremonially] unclean, For their bread will be for themselves; It will not enter the house of the LORD [to be consecrated]. Berean Annotated Bible They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD {YHWH}, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD. Christian Standard Bible They will not pour out their wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please him. Their food will be like the bread of mourners; all who eat it become defiled. For their bread will be for their appetites alone; it will not enter the house of the LORD. Holman Christian Standard Bible They will not pour out their wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him. Their food will be like the bread of mourners; all who eat it become defiled. For their bread will be for their appetites alone; it will not enter the house of the LORD. American Standard Version They shall not pour out wine- offerings to Jehovah, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah. Contemporary English Version You won't be able to offer sacrifices of wine to the LORD. None of your sacrifices will please him--they will be unclean like food offered to the dead. Your food will only be used to satisfy your hunger; none of it will be brought to the LORD's temple. English Revised Version They shall not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of the LORD. GOD'S WORD® Translation They won't pour wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices won't please him. Their sacrifices will be like the food that mourners eat. All who eat this food will be unclean. Their food will only satisfy their hunger. It will not be brought [as an offering] to the LORD's temple. Good News Translation In those foreign lands they will not be able to make wine offerings to the LORD or bring their sacrifices to him. Their food will defile everyone who eats it, like food eaten at funerals. It will be used only to satisfy their hunger; none of it will be taken as an offering to the LORD's Temple. International Standard Version They won't present wine offerings to the LORD, nor will they please him. Their sacrifices will seem like food for mourners— everyone who eats them will become unclean; none of them will enter the Temple of the LORD. NET Bible They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD; they will not please him with their sacrifices. Their sacrifices will be like bread eaten while in mourning; all those who eat them will make themselves ritually unclean. For their bread will be only to satisfy their appetite; it will not come into the temple of the LORD. New Heart English Bible They won't pour out wine offerings to the LORD, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of the LORD. Webster's Bible Translation They shall not offer wine-offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing to him: their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of mourners; all that eat of it shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThey will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD. World English Bible They won’t pour out wine offerings to Yahweh, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into Yahweh’s house. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThey do not pour out wine to YHWH, "" Nor are they sweet to Him, "" Their sacrifices [are] as bread of mourners to them, "" All eating it are unclean: For their bread [is] for themselves, "" It does not come into the house of YHWH. Berean Literal Bible They will not pour out wine to YHWH, and their sacrifices they will not be pleasng to Him—like the bread of mourners to them, all those eating it will be defiled. For their bread is for their own soul; it will not come into the house of YHWH! Young's Literal Translation They pour not out wine to Jehovah, Nor are they sweet to Him, Their sacrifices are as bread of mourners to them, All eating it are unclean: For their bread is for themselves, It doth not come into the house of Jehovah. Smith's Literal Translation They shall not pour out wine to Jehovah, and they shall not be pleasant to him: their sacrifices as the bread of sorrows to them; all eating it shall be defiled: for their bread for their soul shall not come in to the house of Jehovah. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThey shall not offer wine to the Lord, neither shall they please him: their sacrifices shall be like the bread of mourners: all that shall eat it shall be defiled: for their bread is life for their soul, it shall not enter into the house of the Lord. Catholic Public Domain Version They will not offer a libation of wine to the Lord, and they will not please him. Their sacrifices will be like the bread of mourners. All those who eat it will be defiled. For their bread is of their soul; it will not enter into the house of the Lord. New American Bible They will not pour libations of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please him. Their bread will be like mourners’ bread, that makes unclean all who eat of it; Their food will be for their own appetites; it cannot enter the house of the LORD. New Revised Standard Version They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices shall not please him. Such sacrifices shall be like mourners’ bread; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only; it shall not come to the house of the LORD. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThey shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall their sacrifices please him; their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of affliction; all who eat of it shall be polluted; for their own bread shall not come into the house of the LORD. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated They shall not pour out wine to LORD JEHOVAH, and their sacrifices will not be sweet to him, as it is the bread of affliction to them; all eating it shall be defiled because the bread of their souls does not enter the house of LORD JEHOVAH OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917They shall not pour out wine-offerings to the LORD, Neither shall they be pleasing unto Him; Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners, All that eat thereof shall be polluted; For their bread shall be for their appetite, It shall not come into the house of the LORD. Brenton Septuagint Translation They have not offered wine to the Lord, neither have their sacrifices been sweet to him, but as the bread of mourning to them; all that eat them shall be defiled; for their bread for their soul shall not enter into the house of the Lord. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Hosea Announces Israel's Punishment…3They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria. 4They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD. 5What will you do on the appointed day, on the day of the LORD’s feast?… Cross References They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, Joel 1:13 Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Joel 1:9 Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. Numbers 28:7 The drink offering accompanying each lamb shall be a quarter hin. Pour out the offering of fermented drink to the LORD in the sanctuary area. and their sacrifices will not please Him, Jeremiah 6:20 What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.” Isaiah 1:11-13 “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. Amos 5:21-22 “I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. but will be to them like the bread of mourners; Jeremiah 16:7 No food will be offered to comfort those who mourn the dead; not even a cup of consolation will be given for the loss of a father or mother. Deuteronomy 26:14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything You commanded me. Ezekiel 24:17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” all who eat will be defiled. Haggai 2:13-14 So Haggai asked, “If one who is defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” “Yes, it becomes defiled,” the priests answered. / Then Haggai replied, “So it is with this people and this nation before Me, declares the LORD, and so it is with every work of their hands; whatever they offer there is defiled. Leviticus 7:20-21 But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people. / If one touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable thing, and then eats any of the meat of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.” Numbers 19:13 Anyone who touches a human corpse and fails to purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person must be cut off from Israel. He remains unclean, because the water of purification has not been sprinkled on him, and his uncleanness is still on him. For their bread will be for themselves; Leviticus 24:5-9 You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf, / and set them in two rows—six per row—on the table of pure gold before the LORD. / And you are to place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread, a food offering to the LORD. … Leviticus 6:16-18 Aaron and his sons are to eat the remainder. It must be eaten without leaven in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. / It must not be baked with leaven; I have assigned it as their portion of My food offerings. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. / Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the food offerings to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them will become holy.” Numbers 18:11-13 And this is yours as well: the offering of their gifts, along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I have given this to you and your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat it. / I give you all the freshest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain that the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits. / The firstfruits of everything in their land that they bring to the LORD will belong to you. Every ceremonially clean person in your household may eat them. it will not enter the house of the LORD. Deuteronomy 23:18 You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God. Treasury of Scripture They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing to him: their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD. shall not. Hosea 3:4 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: Joel 1:13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Joel 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? neither. Hosea 8:13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt. Isaiah 1:11-15 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats… Isaiah 57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? as. Numbers 19:11 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. Deuteronomy 26:14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Nehemiah 8:9-12 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law… their bread. Exodus 40:23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses. Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Leviticus 21:6,8,17,21 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy… Jump to Previous Alone Appetite Bread Defiled Eat Enter Food House Hunger Libations Mourners Offer Offerings Pleasing Polluted Pour Sacrifices Soul Temple Themselves Thereof Unclean Wine Won'tJump to Next Alone Appetite Bread Defiled Eat Enter Food House Hunger Libations Mourners Offer Offerings Pleasing Polluted Pour Sacrifices Soul Temple Themselves Thereof Unclean Wine Won'tHosea 9 1. The distress and captivity of Israel for their sins.They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD In the context of ancient Israel, wine offerings, or drink offerings, were a significant part of sacrificial rituals, symbolizing joy and thanksgiving to God. The absence of these offerings indicates a broken relationship with God, reflecting Israel's spiritual decline and disobedience. This phrase suggests a cessation of worship and a loss of divine favor, as the people have turned away from God's commandments. and their sacrifices will not please Him but will be to them like the bread of mourners all who eat will be defiled For their bread will be for themselves it will not enter the house of the LORD Persons / Places / Events 1. HoseaA prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, called by God to deliver messages of judgment and redemption. 2. Israel The Northern Kingdom, often depicted in Hosea as unfaithful to God, akin to an adulterous spouse. 3. The LORD (Yahweh) The covenant God of Israel, who desires true worship and obedience from His people. 4. Wine Offerings and Sacrifices Rituals commanded in the Law of Moses, symbolizing devotion and atonement. 5. Bread of Mourners Bread consumed during mourning, considered unclean and not suitable for offerings to God. Teaching Points True Worship Over RitualsGod desires genuine worship from the heart rather than mere ritualistic practices. Our offerings and sacrifices must be accompanied by sincere devotion and obedience. The Consequences of Disobedience Just as Israel's sacrifices became unacceptable due to their unfaithfulness, our actions can render our worship ineffective if we live in disobedience. Purity in Worship The concept of the "bread of mourners" reminds us that what we offer to God must be pure and undefiled. We must approach God with clean hands and a pure heart. Self-Examination Before offering anything to God, we should examine our lives and motives, ensuring that we are in right standing with Him. Community and Worship Our worship is not just for ourselves but is meant to be a communal act that honors God and edifies others. We should strive to bring offerings that are pleasing to God and beneficial to the body of Christ. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Hosea 9:4?2. How does Hosea 9:4 illustrate Israel's separation from God through their offerings? 3. What does "bread of mourners" signify about Israel's spiritual state in Hosea 9:4? 4. How can Hosea 9:4 inform our understanding of true worship today? 5. Compare Hosea 9:4 with Psalm 51:17 on acceptable offerings to God. 6. How can we ensure our worship aligns with God's desires, unlike Israel's in Hosea? 7. What does Hosea 9:4 reveal about God's view on insincere worship and offerings? 8. How does Hosea 9:4 reflect the consequences of Israel's disobedience? 9. Why are sacrifices in Hosea 9:4 considered unacceptable to God? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Hosea 9? 11. What does the Bible say about addiction? 12. Why does Hosea 14:8 speak of Ephraim renouncing idols, yet later passages suggest the Northern Kingdom never fully returned from exile? 13. In Hosea 9:17, does the prediction of national rejection contradict later biblical passages indicating Israel's restoration? 14. What foods are mentioned in the Bible? What Does Hosea 9:4 Mean They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORDIsrael’s exile will mean a forced halt to the drink offerings prescribed in worship (Numbers 15:5; Deuteronomy 12:17). • In captivity there is no altar, no priesthood, no means to “draw near” (Psalm 42:4). • The absence of offerings underscores how sin robs God’s people of joyful fellowship (Joel 1:9–10). • Hosea’s audience hears a sober warning: rebellion leads to a life where praise dries up and celebration turns silent (Psalm 137:1–4). and their sacrifices will not please Him Outward rituals lose all value when the heart is far from God (Isaiah 1:11; Amos 5:22). • 1 Samuel 15:22 reminds us that obedience outweighs burnt offerings. • Hebrews 10:4 echoes that animal blood never satisfied God in itself; only faith-filled obedience counted. • By refusing to repent, Israel finds even their most costly gifts rejected—an echo of Cain’s displeasing sacrifice (Genesis 4:5). but will be to them like the bread of mourners “Bread of mourners” was ceremonially unclean because death defiled those who handled it (Numbers 19:14; Deuteronomy 26:14). • Mourning bread symbolized sorrow and separation; eating it marked a break with normal worship life (Jeremiah 16:7). • God says Israel’s offerings now carry the stench of death, not the aroma of life (2 Corinthians 2:16). • What should signal gratitude has become a reminder of loss. all who eat will be defiled Contact with what is unclean spreads impurity (Haggai 2:13). • Rather than blessing the nation, Israel’s worship practices now contaminate anyone who joins them. • Leviticus 15:31 warns that defilement leads to exclusion from God’s presence; Hosea shows that corporate sin can drag an entire community into that state. • The principle still stands: unrepentant worshipers influence others toward spiritual dullness (1 Corinthians 15:33). For their bread will be for themselves Self-focused worship turns God-given provision into mere personal consumption (Ezekiel 16:18–19; Micah 6:14). • God intended offerings to express dependence and covenant loyalty, but Israel now hoards what was meant for Him. • The appetite of the flesh replaces the honor of the LORD (Philippians 3:19). it will not enter the house of the LORD The climactic tragedy: nothing they bring ever reaches God’s sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12:5; Malachi 1:10). • Separation from the temple means separation from blessing, joy, and identity as God’s people (Psalm 84:1–4). • Ultimately, exile points to the greater need for a perfect Mediator whose once-for-all sacrifice cannot be barred from God’s house (Hebrews 9:11–12). summary Hosea 9:4 paints a vivid picture of judgment: sin strips Israel of worship, renders their sacrifices unclean, defiles those who participate, and turns covenant gifts into self-serving crumbs that never reach God’s altar. The verse stands as a sober warning that outward religion without repentance invites exile from God’s presence—and as a call to cherish the true, acceptable offering provided in Christ, who restores joyful access to the house of the LORD. (4) Offer--i.e., pour out as a libation. A better rendering is to be obtained by abandoning the Hebrew accentuation: And their sacrifices will not be pleasing to Him; it shall be to them as bread of sorrow--i.e., funeral food, which defiles for seven days those who partake of it. Another reference to the Mosaic legislation (Deuteronomy 26:14)--Yea, their bread is for their appetite (i.e., only for bodily sustenance), it cometh not to Jehovah's house as a sacred offering.[12] These verses show that Hosea did not consider the worship of the Northern Kingdom as in itself illegal.[12] Kuenen (Hibbert Lecture, p. 312) proposes an alteration in the text, whereby the parallelism becomes more harmonious and the construction simpler. He then renders, "They shall pour no libation of wine to Jehovah, and shall not lay out their sacrifices before Him: as food eaten in mourning is their food." This agrees better with Hosea 3:4.Verses 4, 5. - They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them the broad of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted. Having predicted their inability to observe the ritual distinctions between clean and unclean, which the Law prescribed, whether from the tyranny of their oppressors or from scarcity, or from the absence of sanctification by the presentation of the firstfruits, the prophet proceeds to predict their cessation altogether. Such is the prophet's picture of their miserable position in Assyria. It is aptly remarked by Grotius that "they failed to pour out libations to the Lord when they could; now the time shall come when they may wish to make such libations, but cannot." According to the Massoretic punctuation and the common rendering, (1) which is that of the Authorized Version, the people themselves are the subject of the second verb. They were neither able to offer drink offerings, a part for the whole of the meat offerings and unbloody oblations; nor, if they did, could they hope for acceptance for them away from the sanctuary and its central altar. (2) Hitzig supplies niskeyhens, their drink offerings, from the foregoing clause, as subject to the verb of the following one, and the verb is explained by some in the sense of "mire." If (3) we neglect the segholta, and make zibh-chehem the subject, the meaning is clearer, and the contrast between the unbloody and bloody offerings more obvious; thus: "They will not pour out libations of wine to Jehovah, nor will their sacrifices [equivalent to 'bloody oblations'] please him," that is to say, not such as were actually offered, but such as they might feel dis. posed to offer. The same noun may be repeated in next clause; thus, their sacrifices, or rather slaughtered meats, are unto him as bread of mourners, or, what is better, their food (supplied from ke lechem) shall be unto them like bread of mourners. Mourners' bread is that eaten at a funeral feast, or meal by persons mourning for the dead, and which was legally unclean, since a corpse defiled the house in which it was and all who entered it for seven days, as we read in Numbers 19:14, "This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days." Of course, all who partook of the food would be polluted; so with that of Israel in exile, being unsanctified by the offering of firstfruits. For their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. "Their bread for their soul," that is, for appeasing their appetite, whatsoever their soul lusted after, or bread for the preservation of their life, would not come into the house of the Lord to be sanctified by representative offerings. What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord? On such occasions they would feel the misery of their position most keenly. Away in a far foreign land, without temple and without ritual, they would bewail the loss of their annual celebrations, their national festivals and religious solemnities - those holiday-times of general joy and spiritual gladness. The distinction between moed and chag is variously given. . . . |
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