Albert Barnes Commentary Hosea 4:7

"As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame." — Hosea 4:7 (ASV)

As they were increased, so they sinned against Me - The “increase” may be in actual number or in wealth, power, or dignity. The text includes both. In both kinds of increase, the wicked abuse God’s gifts against Himself and use them as an occasion to offend Him. The more they were increased in number, the more there were to sin, the more they were who sinned. God promised to make Abraham’s descendants as the stars of heaven. They were to shine in the world through the light of the law, and the glory which God gave them while obeying Him. Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee like the stars of heaven for multitude. Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments and His commandments alway. (Deuteronomy 10:22; Deuteronomy 11:1). God multiplied them so that there might be more to adore Him.

But instead of multiplying subjects, He multiplied apostates. “As many men as Israel had, so many altars did it build to demons, in the sacrifices to whom it sinned against Me.” “The more sons God gave to Israel, the more enemies He made to Himself, for Israel brought them up in hatred to God, and in the love and worship of idols.” “Just as among the devout, one provokes another, by word and deed, to good works, so, in the congregation of evildoers, one incites another to sins.” Again, worldly people make all God’s gifts serve pride, and so all the sins which are the daughters of pride.

“Jeshurun,” God says, waxed fat and kicked; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. (Deuteronomy 32:15). In this way too, the increase of wealth which God gives to those who forget Him increases the occasions of ingratitude and sins.

I will turn their glory into shame - Such is the course of sin and chastisement. God bestows gifts on humanity, which may be for them a matter of praise and glory if only ordered rightly to their highest and only true end, the glory of God; humanity perverts them to vainglory and thus to sin; God turns the gifts, so abused, to shame. He not only gives them shame instead of their glory; He makes the glory itself the means and occasion of their shame.

Beauty becomes the occasion of degradation; pride is proverbially near a fall; “vaulting ambition overleaps itself, and falls on the other side;” riches and abundance of population tempt nations to wars, which become their destruction, or they invite other and stronger nations to prey upon them. “Thou hast indeed smitten Edom,” was the message of Jehoash to Amaziah, “and thine heart hath lifted thee up; glory of this, and tarry at home, for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou and Judah with thee? But Amaziah would not hear.” (2 Kings 14:10–11). He lost his own wealth, wasted the treasures in God’s house, and the walls of Jerusalem were broken down.