Hosea 4:2

"There is naught but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood."

The fact that the Third, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth commandments of the Decalogue are here indicated by the fact of Israel's violation of them removes all doubt of the Decalogue's prior existence as an essential element in the covenant of God with Israel. Without that element of covenant-breaking in Israel's conduct, God could not have had a "lawsuit" with them. We are amazed at the timid recognition of this truth which rather cautiously states that this verse "seems to give some support"[8] to the view that the Decalogue was prior to this prophecy! Indeed, .indeed, two plus two might possibly equal four! As W.R. Harper more adequately stated the obvious fact, "There is every reason to believe that the Decalogne in its original form was at this time in existence."[9]

"Swearing and breaking faith ..." Such conduct violated the Third commandment with its prohibition against taking the name of God in vain, and also the Ninth with its prohibition against false witness.

"Killing ... stealing ... committing adultery ..." Commandments Six, Seven, and Eight were broken in these actions; and, in fact, the utter repudiation of the whole Law of God was evident in the rampant immorality, violence, and deceit which characterized the conduct of Israel in the days of Hosea.

"Blood toucheth blood ..." This is evidently some kind of idiomatic expression referring to massive and continual violence. The New English Bible translates this phrase, "nothing but one deed of blood after another."