Hos 6:9, Zep 3:3-4, Mat 23:14 | JFB | STEP | 9. company —"association" or guild of priests. murder by consent —literally, "with one shoulder" (compare , Margin ). The image is from oxen putting their shoulders together to pull the same yoke [RIVETUS ]. MAURER translates, "in the way towards Shechem. " It was a city of refuge between Ebal and Gerizim; on Mount Ephraim ( ), long the civil capital of Ephraim, as Shiloh was the religious capital; now called Naploos; for a time the residence of Jeroboam ( ). The priests there became so corrupted that they waylaid and murdered persons fleeing to the asylum for refuge [HENDERSON ]; the sanctity of the place enhanced the guilt of the priests who abused their priestly privileges, and the right of asylum to perpetrate murders themselves, or to screen those committed by others [MAURER ]. commit lewdness — deliberate crime, presumptuous wickedness, from an Arabic root, "to form a deliberate purpose."

Hosea 6:9

9. company—"association" or guild of priests.

murder by consent—literally, "with one shoulder" (compare Zep 3:9, Margin). The image is from oxen putting their shoulders together to pull the same yoke [RIVETUS]. MAURER translates, "in the way towards Shechem." It was a city of refuge between Ebal and Gerizim; on Mount Ephraim (Jos 20:7; 21:21), long the civil capital of Ephraim, as Shiloh was the religious capital; now called Naploos; for a time the residence of Jeroboam (1Ki 12:25). The priests there became so corrupted that they waylaid and murdered persons fleeing to the asylum for refuge [HENDERSON]; the sanctity of the place enhanced the guilt of the priests who abused their priestly privileges, and the right of asylum to perpetrate murders themselves, or to screen those committed by others [MAURER].

commit lewdness—deliberate crime, presumptuous wickedness, from an Arabic root, "to form a deliberate purpose."

Zephaniah 3:3-4

3. roaring—for prey (Pr 28:15; Eze 22:27; Am 3:4; Mic 2:2).

evening wolves—which are most ravenous at evening after being foodless all day (Jer 5:6; Hab 1:8).

they gnaw not the bones till the morrow—rather, "they put not off till to-morrow to gnaw the bones"; but devour all at once, bones and flesh, so ragingly ravenous are they [CALVIN].

4. light—in whose life and teaching there is no truth, gravity, or steadiness.

treacherous—false to Jehovah, whose prophets they profess to be (Jer 23:32; Eze 22:28).

polluted . . . sanctuary—by their profane deeds.

Matthew 23:14

14. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, &c.—Taking advantage of the helpless condition and confiding character of "widows," they contrived to obtain possession of their property, while by their "long prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above "filthy lucre." So much "the greater damnation" awaits them. What a lifelike description of the Romish clergy, the true successors of those scribes!