Hosea 6:5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hosea 6:4-11

Two things, two evil things, both Judah and Ephraim are here charged with, and justly accused of:? I. That they were not firm to their own convictions, but were unsteady, unstable as water, Hos. 6:4, 5. O Ephraim! what shall I do unto thee? O Judah! what shall I do unto thee? This is a strange expression. Can Infinite Wisdom be at a loss what to do? Can it be nonplussed, or put upon taking new measures? By no means; but God speaks after the manner of men, to show how absurd and unreasonable... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 6:5

Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth ,.... Sharply reproved them for their sins by the prophets, who were as lapidaries that cut stone, or us hewers of timber that cut off the knotty parts; so these by preaching the terrors of the law, which is a killing letter, and by delivering out the threatenings of the Lord, and denouncing his judgments upon them for their sins, cut them to the heart, and killed them; for their foretelling and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 6:5

Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets - I have sent my prophets to testify against their fickleness. They have smitten them with the most solemn and awful threatenings; they have, as it were, slain them by the words of my mouth. But to what purpose? Thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth - Instead of יצא אור ומשפטיך umispateycha or yetse , "and thy judgments a light that goeth forth," the versions in general have read כאור ומשפטי umishpati keor , "and my judgment... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 6:5

Verse 5 God shows here, by his Prophet, that he was constrained by urgent necessity to deal sharply and roughly with the people. Nothing, we know, is more pleasing to God than to treat us kindly; for there is not found a father in the world who cherishes his children as tenderly: but we, being perverse, suffer him not to follow the inclination of his nature. He is therefore constrained to put on, as it were, a new character, and to chide us severely, according to the way in which he here says,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 6:4-5

Fugitive piety. A thoughtful reader cannot fail to observe the contrast here suggested between the constancy of Jehovah's grace ( Hosea 6:3 ) and the inconstancy of Israel's piety ( Hosea 6:4 ). If Israel would (rely "return," and "follow on to know the Lord" now, all would yet be well. But, alas! the twelve tribes are as fickle as he is faithful. I. GOD 'S COMPLAINT REGARDING THE JEWISH PEOPLE . ( Hosea 6:4 ) In Eastern lands the sky is often heavily hung with clouds... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 6:4-6

Evanishing goodness. So froward, heedless, fickle, and incorrigible had Ephraim proved, that God did not know what more he could do with him. The same was true of Judah. The tender mode of speech, "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee?" shows how loath God is to pass from mercy to judgment. His heart yearns for the conversion of the objects of his solicitude. I. PIETY VALUELESS , IF EVANESCENT . ( Hosea 6:4 ) Ephraim arid Judah had fits of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 6:4-9

Israel's inconstant. The Lord had just comforted the truly godly portion of the people; he now turns aside and expostulates with the ungodly. Judah as well as Ephraim—the two tribes and the ten—fell far short, unspeakably short, of the picture of penitence, with the annexed promises, which he had just placed before them. Their state had become so desperate that destruction had become their desert, not because of his severity, but their own sin, themselves being judges. I. THE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 6:5-6

The consequence of Israel's unsteadiness and inconstancy is here stated. Because of the fluctuating and formal nature of their religiousness, God cut them down (instead of rearing them up) through his prophets by fierce denunciations, and slew them (instead of reviving them) by the Divine word. The judgment of Jehovah went forth as the lightning-fish, or was as clear and conspicuous for justice as the light of day. Neither could outward services expiate their sins, when the proper feelings and... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Hosea 6:5

Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets - Since they despised God’s gentler warnings and measures, He used severer. “He hewed” them, He says, as men hew stones out of the quarry, and with hard blows and sharp instruments overcome the hardness of the stone which they have to work. Their piety and goodness were light and unsubstantial as a summer cloud; their stony hearts were harder than the material stone. The stone takes the shape which man would give it; God hews man in vain; he will not... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Hosea 6:5

Hosea 6:5. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets Severely reproved and threatened them; or cut them off, as the word, חצבתי , may be properly rendered: that is, I have denounced against them great destruction. The prophets, and God by the prophets, are said to do those things which they foretel, or denounce: see notes on Jeremiah 1:10; Jeremiah 5:14. I have slain them by the words of my mouth that is, I have declared, or denounced, the slaughter of them. God’s word is described as... read more

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