Hosea 4:7

As they were increased Rather, The more they increased, the more, &c. No doubt the priestly caste shared in the general prosperity under Jeroboam II., but the official conscience, torpid to begin with, was only the more deadened. A flagrant example of the sinning of the priests is given in the next verse.

will I change their glory into shame An ancient various reading (one of the so-called Tikkunç Soferim, on which see the Introductions to the Old Testament) is, -they have exchanged my glory for shame", i.e. the glory of Jehovah for the shameful worship of Baal. -To exchange (gods)" or -to take another in exchange" is a recognized phrase for a lapse into idolatry, and we know that the Jewish scribes sometimes ventured to modify expressions in the Scriptures which they thought too bold or liable to misunderstanding (see Geiger's Urschrift). If we do not go so far as to accept the whole of this various reading, it would seem that we must at least accept the correction of the 1st pers. sing. into the 3rd plur. in the verb, rendering they have exchanged their glory for infamy; comp. Jeremiah 2:11 -my people have exchanged their glory for that which doth not profit" (i.e. idols), Psalms 106:20 -they exchanged their glory (Psa 5:50 his glory) for the form of an ox." Still the received reading, already adopted in the versions, gives a good sense, and considered by itself is not less justifiable than the proposed correction. According to it, -their glory" means, not Jehovah, but the splendour of their position as priests. These verses are important as showing how influential that position was; we could not have inferred this from the scanty references in the historical books.