Hosea 4:9

9 And it shall be, as the people, so the priest; and I shall visit on him the ways of him, and I shall yield to him the thoughts of him. (And it shall be, as for the people, so for the priests; and I shall punish them for their ways, and I shall repay them for their deeds.)

Hosea 4:9 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 4:9

And there shall be, like people, like priest
No difference between them in their festivals, the one being as greedy of committing intemperance and uncleanness as the other, and in their common conversation of life; though the priests ought both to have given good instructions, and to have set good examples; but instead of that were equally guilty as the people, and so would be alike in their punishment, as it follows: and I will punish them for their ways;
their evil ways, as the Targum; their wicked manner of life and conversation, both of the people and the priests; especially the latter are meant: or, "I will visit upon him his ways" F23; upon everyone of the priests, as well as the people; which visit must be understood in a way of wrath and vengeance: and reward them their doings;
reward them according to their doings, as their sins deserve, and as it is explained in the next verse: or, "I will return their doings to them" F24; bring them back again, when they seemed to be past and gone, and set them before them, and charge them with them, and punish for them.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 (wykrd wyle ytdqpw) "et visitabo super eum vias ejus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt.
F24 (wl byva wyllemw) "et opera ejus redire faciam", Zanchius.

Hosea 4:9 In-Context

7 By the multitude of them, so they sinned against me. I shall change the glory of them into shame.
8 They shall eat (from) the sins of my people, and they shall raise (up) the souls of them to the wickedness of them.
9 And it shall be, as the people, so the priest; and I shall visit on him the ways of him, and I shall yield to him the thoughts of him. (And it shall be, as for the people, so for the priests; and I shall punish them for their ways, and I shall repay them for their deeds.)
10 And they shall eat, and they shall not be [ful]filled; they did fornication, and ceased not, for they forsook the Lord in not keeping (his word). (And they shall eat, but they shall not be fulfilled; for they worshipped idols, and ceased not, yea, they deserted the Lord, and followed other gods.)
11 Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness do away the heart. (Wine and drunkenness do away clear thinking.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.