Hosea Chapter 4 verse 9 Holy Bible
And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.
read chapter 4 in ASV
And the priest will be like the people; I will give them punishment for their evil ways, and the reward of their acts.
read chapter 4 in BBE
And it shall be as the people so the priest; and I will visit their ways upon them, and recompense to them their doings;
read chapter 4 in DARBY
And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
read chapter 4 in KJV
read chapter 4 in WBT
It will be, like people, like priest; And I will punish them for their ways, And will repay them for their deeds.
read chapter 4 in WEB
And it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.
read chapter 4 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 9. - Like people, like priest. As it had fared with the people who had sinned and had been punished, as is stated in the third and fifth verses; so shall it be with the priest or whole priestly order. He has involved himself in sin and punishment like the people, and that as the consequence of his extreme unfaithfulness; whereas by faithful dealing with the people and discharge of his duty he might have delivered his own soul, as stated by Ezekiel 33:9, "Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." It is well explained by Kimchi as follows: "These two caphs of likeness are by way of abbreviation, and the explanation is - the people are like the priest and the priest is like the people. And the meaning is that, as the people and the priest are equal with respect to sin, so shall they be equal in relation to punishment." And I will visit upon his ways, and his doings I will bring back to him. The retribution here threatened includes the whole priestly order, not people and priest as one man, according to Pusey, who, however, makes the following excellent comment on מעלליו: "The word rendered doings signifies great doings when used of God, bold doings on the part of man. These bold presumptuous doings against the Law and will of God, God will bring back to the sinner's bosom," or rather, down overwhelmingly upon his head. The singular individualizes; so both Aben Ezra and Kimchi: "Upon every one of them."
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9, 10) As the people will be punished, so will the priest. The latter will not be saved by wealth or dignity. And I will visit upon him his ways (observe here the collective singular in the pronoun), and cause his doings to return upon him. The form of the punishment is to be noticed. The eating of the sin of the people shall leave them hungry, and their licentiousness shall leave them childless.
