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Thursday, July 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Complete Jewish Bible

Hosea 6:9

just as bands of robbers wait to ambush someone, so does a gang of cohanim. They commit murder on the road to Sh'khem! Their conduct is an outrage!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Minister, Christian;   Robbers;   Sin;   Thompson Chain Reference - Corrupt Priests;   Leaders;   Priests;   Religious;   Wicked, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Theft;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hosea;   Jeroboam;   Priest;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Murder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Robbery;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Troop;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Lewdness;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Untoward;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Robber ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Company;   Enormity;   Hosea;   Lewd;   Money;   Murder;   Untoward;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 28;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Like raiders who wait in ambush for someone,a band of priests murders on the road to Shechem.They commit atrocities.
Hebrew Names Version
As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, So the company of Kohanim murder in the way toward Shekhem, Committing shameful crimes.
King James Version
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
English Standard Version
As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together; they murder on the way to Shechem; they commit villainy.
New American Standard Bible
And as a band of robbers lie in wait for a person, So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Certainly they have committed an act of infamy.
New Century Version
The priests are like robbers waiting to attack people; they murder people on the road to Shechem and do wicked things.
Amplified Bible
And as bands of robbers [lie in] wait for a man, So a band of priests murder on the road toward Shechem [covering their crimes in that city of refuge]; Certainly they have committed crimes and outrages.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And as the eues waite for a man, so the companie of Priestes murther in the way by consent: for they worke mischiefe.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And as raiders wait for a man, So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Surely they have committed crime.
Legacy Standard Bible
And as raiders wait for a man,So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem;Surely they have committed lewdness.
Berean Standard Bible
Like raiders who lie in ambush, so does a band of priests; they murder on the way to Shechem; surely they have committed atrocities.
Contemporary English Version
You priests are like a gang of robbers in ambush. On the road to Shechem you murder and commit other horrible crimes.
Darby Translation
And as troops of robbers lie in wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way of Shechem; yea, they commit lewdness.
Easy-to-Read Version
The priests are like gangs of robbers hiding and waiting on the road to attack someone. They murder people before they reach safety in Shechem. They do such evil things.
George Lamsa Translation
The priests have joined them on the way, and they have destroyed Shechem, because they have committed iniquities.
Good News Translation
The priests are like a gang of robbers who wait in ambush for someone. Even on the road to the holy place at Shechem they commit murder. And they do all this evil deliberately!
Lexham English Bible
Like bandits lying in wait, so is a band of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem; indeed, they commit a monstrous crime.
Literal Translation
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, the company of priests murder in the way to Shechem; for they have done wickedness.
American Standard Version
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem; yea, they have committed lewdness.
Bible in Basic English
And like a band of thieves waiting for a man, so are the priests watching secretly the way of those going quickly to Shechem, for they are working with an evil design.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so doth the company of priests; they murder in the way toward Shechem; yea, they commit enormity.
King James Version (1611)
And as troupes of robbers waite for a man, so the company of priestes murther in the way by consent: for they commit lewdnesse.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And as theeues [armed] wayte for him that passeth by the way: suche is the counsell of the priestes, which with one agreed counsell murther cruelly suche as kepe the way, yea they dare do all vnspeakable mischiefe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
there the city Galaad despised me, working vanity, troubling water.
English Revised Version
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem; yea, they have committed lewdness.
World English Bible
As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, So the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem, Committing shameful crimes.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
as the chekis of men `that ben theues. Partener of prestis sleynge in the weie men goynge fro Sichem, for thei wrouyten greet trespasse.
Update Bible Version
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem; yes, they have committed lewdness.
Webster's Bible Translation
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, [so] the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
New English Translation
The company of priests is like a gang of robbers, lying in ambush to pounce on a victim. They commit murder on the road to Shechem; they have done heinous crimes!
New King James Version
As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man, So the company of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Surely they commit lewdness.
New Living Translation
Priests form bands of robbers, waiting in ambush for their victims. They murder travelers along the road to Shechem and practice every kind of sin.
New Life Bible
Like robbers lie in wait for a man, a group of religious leaders kill on the way to Shechem. For sure they have done a sinful thing.
New Revised Standard
As robbers lie in wait for someone, so the priests are banded together; they murder on the road to Shechem, they commit a monstrous crime.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, like liers in wait for a man, in troops, is a band of priests, on the road, will they murder towards Shechem, - because, a shameful deed, they have done.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And like the jaws of highway robbers, they conspire with the priests who murder in the way those that pass out of Sichem: for they have wrought wickedness.
Revised Standard Version
As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests are banded together; they murder on the way to Shechem, yea, they commit villainy.
Young's Literal Translation
And as bands do wait for a man, A company of priests do murder -- the way to Shechem, For wickedness they have done.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The multitude of the prestes is like an heape of theues, murtherers & bloudthurstie: for they haue wrought abhominacion.

Contextual Overview

4 "Efrayim, what should I do to you? Y'hudah, what should I do to you? For your ‘faithful love' is like a morning cloud, like dew that disappears quickly. 5 This is why I have cut them to pieces by the prophets, slaughtered them with the words from my mouth — the judgment on you shines out like light. 6 For what I desire is mercy, not sacrifices, knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 7 "But they, just like men, have broken the covenant, they have been faithless in dealing with me. 8 Gil‘ad is a city of criminals, covered with bloody footprints; 9 just as bands of robbers wait to ambush someone, so does a gang of cohanim. They commit murder on the road to Sh'khem! Their conduct is an outrage! 10 In the house of Isra'el I have seen a horrible thing; whoring is found there in Efrayim, Isra'el is defiled. 11 For you, too, Y'hudah, a harvest will come! "When I restore the fortunes of my people,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as troops: Hosea 7:1, Ezra 8:31, Job 1:15-17, Proverbs 1:11-19

so: Hosea 5:1, Jeremiah 11:9, Ezekiel 22:27, Micah 3:9, Zephaniah 3:3, Mark 14:1, Luke 22:2-6, John 11:47, Acts 4:24

by consent: Heb. with one shoulder, or, to Shechem, 1 Kings 12:25

lewdness: or, enormity

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 3:34 - wicked men Psalms 119:61 - The bands Ezekiel 22:9 - they commit Ezekiel 22:25 - like Hosea 4:2 - toucheth Hosea 4:7 - they were Hosea 5:2 - the revolters Luke 10:31 - priest

Cross-References

Genesis 2:4
(A: iv, S: ii) Here is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created. On the day when Adonai , God, made earth and heaven,
Genesis 5:1
(vi) Here is the genealogy of Adam. On the day that God created man he made him in the likeness of God;
Genesis 5:22
After Metushelach was born, Hanokh walked with God 300 years and had sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:24
Hanokh walked with God, and then he wasn't there, because God took him.
Genesis 6:9
But Noach found grace in the sight of Adonai . Haftarah B'resheet: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 42:5–43:10 (A); 42:5–21 (S) B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B'resheet: Mattityahu (Matthew) 1:1–17; 19:3–9; Mark 10:1–12; Luke 3:23–38; Yochanan (John) 1:1–18; 1 Corinthians 6:15–20; 15:35–58; Romans 5:12–21; Ephesians 5:21–32; Colossians 1:14–17; 1 Timothy 2:11–15; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 1:1–3; 3:7–4:11; 11:1–7; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 3:3–14; Revelation 21:1–5; 22:1–5 Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God.
Genesis 6:15
Here is how you are to build it: the length of the ark is to be 450 feet, its width seventy-five feet and its height forty-five feet.
Genesis 7:1
(ii) Adonai said to Noach, "Come into the ark, you and all your household; for I have seen that you alone in this generation are righteous before me.
Genesis 10:1
Here is the genealogy of the sons of Noach — Shem, Ham and Yefet; sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 17:1
When Avram was 99 years old Adonai appeared to Avram and said to him, "I am El Shaddai [God Almighty]. Walk in my presence and be pure-hearted.
Genesis 48:15
Then he blessed Yosef: "The God in whose presence my fathers Avraham and Yitz'chak lived, the God who has been my own shepherd all my life long to this day,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And as troops of robbers wait for a man,.... As a gang of highwaymen or footpads lie in wait in a ditch, or under a hedge, or in a cave of a rock or mountain, for a man they know will come by that way, who is full of money, in order to rob him; or, as Saadiah interprets it, as fishermen stand upon the banks of a river, and cast in their hooks to draw out the fish; and to the same purpose is Jarchi's note from R. Meir:

[so] the company of priests murder in the way by consent; not only encourage murderers, and commit murders within the city, but go out in a body together upon the highway, and there commit murders and robberies, and divide the spoil among them; all which they did unanimously, and were well agreed, being brethren in iniquity, as well as in office: or, "in the way of Shechem" e; as good people passed by Gilead to Shechem, and so to Jerusalem, to worship there at the solemn feasts, they lay in wait for them, and murdered them; because they did not give into the idolatrous worship of the calves at Dan and Bethel: or, "in the manner of Shechem" f; that is, they murdered men in a deceitful treacherous manner, as the Shechemites were murdered by Simeon and Levi: Joseph Kimchi interprets this of the princes and great men, so the word "cohanim" is sometimes used; but the context seems to carry it to the priests:

for they commit lewdness; or "enormity"; the most enormous crimes, and that purposely, with deliberation devising and contriving them.

e שכמה "Sichemam versus", Gussetius, Schmidt; approved by Reinbeck. De Accent. Heb. p. 442. "qua itur Sichem", Tigurine version; "qua via ad Shechemum [factum] occidunt", Junius Tremellius "quae ducit ad Sichermum", Piscator. So Abendana. f "Sicemice", so some in Drusius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent - Or (more probably) “in the way to Shechem.” Shechem too was a “city of refuge” John 20:7, and so also a city of Levites and priests John 21:21. It was an important city. For there Joshua assembled all Israel for his last address to them, and made a covenant with them John 24:1, 25. There, Rehoboam came to be accepted by Israel as their king 1 Kings 12:1, and was rejected by them. There Jeroboam after the schism, for a time, made his residence 1 Kings 12:25. The priests were banded together; their counsel was one; they formed one company; but they were bound together as a band of robbers, not to save people’s lives but to destroy them. Whereas the way to the cities of refuge was, by God’s law, to be “prepared” Deuteronomy 19:3, clear, open, without let or hindrance to the guiltless fugitive, to save his life, the priests, the guardians of God’s law, obstructed the way, to roll and destroy. They, whom God appointed to teach the truth that people might live, were banded together against His law.

Shechem, besides that it was a city of refuge, was also hallowed by the memory of histories of the patriarchs who walked with God. There, was Jacob’s well John 4:5-6; there Joseph’s bones were buried Joshua 24:32; and the memory of the patriarch Jacob was cherished there, even to the time of our Lord John 4:5-6. Lying in a narrow valley between Mount Ebal and Gerizim, it was a witness, as it were, of the blessing and curse pronounced from them, and had, in the times of Joshua, an ancient sanctuary of God Joshua 24:26. It was a halting-place for the pilgrims of the northern tribes, in their way to the feasts at Jerusalem; so that these murders by the priests coincide with the tradition of the Jews, that they who would go up to Jerusalem were murdered in the way.

For they commit lewdness - Literally, “For they have done deliberate sin” . The word literally means “a thing thought of,” especially an evil, and so, deliberate, contrived, bethought-of, wickedness. They did deliberate wickedness, gave themselves to do it, and did nothing else.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hosea 6:9. As troops of robbers — What a sad picture is this of the state of the priesthood! The country of Gilead was infamous for its robberies and murders. The idolatrous priests there formed themselves into companies, and kept possession of the roads and passes; and if they found any person going to Jerusalem to worship the true God, they put him to death. The reason is given:-

For they commit lewdness. — They are gross idolaters.


 
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