Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.
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.
Their goodness vanishes like morning mist and early dew, they were unstable, unsteady as water. God asks what He can do with them not from perplexity but to show how absurd and unreasonable they were. He had tried every method; He was loath to extremity; but what else could He do when He could not in honour save them?
AI summary
Commenting on Hosea 6:4-11
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...