Verses 4-5
4, 5. What shall I do unto thee What more can I do to move you to heartfelt repentance?
Goodness In Hosea 2:19, “lovingkindness” (see comment there); here the loving attitude and disposition toward Jehovah. It is unstable and fickle; “evanescent and transient, like the morning cloud which is dispersed by the rising sun,” and like the dew which remains but for a little time.
Therefore This fickleness has compelled Jehovah to use severe means.
Hewed… by the prophets He carefully carved them like a piece of hard wood or marble, which requires hard and effective blows. He sought to make Israel a holy nation through the efforts of the prophets.
Slain them by the words of my mouth As spoken by the prophets. The words of Jehovah have power to kill (Isaiah 11:4; compare Isaiah 9:8; Isaiah 49:2); here is meant not so much extinction of life as infliction of severe judgments. The activity of Elijah and Elisha may be in the prophet’s mind.
Thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth Better, R.V. margin, following several ancient versions, “my judgments,” that is, the penal judgments of Jehovah. The thought is the same as in the preceding clauses, and the whole sentence is translated most naturally, “My judgment went forth as the light,” that is, so that all could see it and profit thereby. Sometimes the Hebrew light is used in the sense of lightning; if so in this case, it calls attention to the terrible character of the divine judgments.
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