Hosea 4:12

“My people ask counsel at their stocks, etc.] Or “at his wood”f72, or stick; his wooden image, as the Targum; their wooden gods, their idols made of wood, mere stocks and blocks, without life or sense, and much less reason and understanding, and still less divinity. Reference is here had either to the matter of which an idol was made, being the trunk of a tree, or a block of wood; as the poetf73 introduces Priapus saying, “olim truncus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum”: or to sticks of wood themselves, without being put into any form or shape; for so it is reportedf74, that the ancient idolaters used to receive for gods, with great veneration, trees or pieces of wood, having the bark taken off;…”

“Instances of their understanding ("heart") being "taken away." stocks--wooden idols (Jer 2:27; Hab 2:19). staff--alluding to divination by rods (see on Eze 21:21-22). The diviner, says ROSENMULLER, threw a rod from him, which was stripped of its bark on one side, not on the other: if the bare side turned uppermost, it was a good omen; if the side with the bark, it was a bad omen. The Arabs used two rods, the one marked God bids, the other, God forbids; whichever came out first, in drawing them out of a case, gave the omen for, or against, an undertaking. declareth--that is, is consulted to inform them of future events. spirit of whoredoms--a general disposition on the part of all towards…”

“My people ask counsel at - (literally, “on”) their stocks They ask habitually ; and that, in dependence “on their stocks.” The word “wood” is used of the idol made of it, to bring before them the senselessness of their doings, in that they asked counsel of the senseless wood. Thus Jeremiah reproaches them for “saying to a stock, my father” Jeremiah 2:27; and Habakkuk, “Woe unto him that saith to the wood, awake” Habakkuk 2:19. And their staff declareth unto them - Many sorts of this superstition existed among the Arabs and Chaldees. They were different ways of drawing lots, without any dependence upon the true God to direct it. This was a part of their senselessness, of which the prophet had…”

“Stocks - Wooden statues. The spirit of whoredom - A heart ensnared with whoredoms, spiritual and corporal. Caused them to err - Hath blinded, and deceived them. Hosea 4:13”

“4:12 They ask a piece of wood for advice! For millennia, people have worshiped natural objects such as wood and stones that they believed embodied spirits and gods (Jer 2:27). Biblical religion completely rejects such practices and beliefs (Exod 20:4-5; Isa 44:19).”

“ask: Jer 2:27, Jer 10:8; Eze 21:21; Hab 2:19 for: Hos 5:4; Isa 44:18-20; Mic 2:11; Th2 2:9-11 gone: Hos 9:1; Lev 17:7, Lev 20:5; Num 15:39; Deu 31:16; Ch2 21:13; Psa 73:27; Jer 3:1-3; Ezek. 16:1-63, 23:1-49 Hosea 4:13”