Albert Barnes Commentary Hosea 10:2

"Their heart is divided; now shall they be found guilty: he will smite their altars, he will destroy their pillars." — Hosea 10:2 (ASV)

Their heart is divided - Between God and their idols, because they would not wholly part with either, as Elijah upbraided them, “How long halt ye between the two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). When the pagans, whom the king of Assyria used to replace them, had been taught by one of the priests whom the king sent back to avert God’s judgments, they still propagated this division.

Like Jeroboam (2 Kings 17:32–33, 2 Kings 17:41), they became “fearers of the Lord,” His worshipers, “and made to themselves out of their whole number (i.e., indiscriminately) priests of the high places.” They were fearers of the Lord, and they were servers of their gods, according to the manner of the nations whom they carried away from there.

“These nations were fearers of the Lord, and they were servers of their idols, both their children and their children’s children. As did their fathers, so do they unto this day.”

This divided allegiance was their hereditary worship. These pagans, as taught by one of the priests of Israel, added the service of God to that of their idols, just as Israel had added the service of idols to that of God. But God rejects such half-service. Therefore, he adds that “now”—meaning in a brief time, almost at hand—“they shall be found faulty.” Literally, “they shall be guilty,” and they shall be convicted of guilt and shall bear it. They thought to “serve at once God and Mammon;” but, in truth, they served their idols only, whom they would not part with for God.

God Himself then would reject all their worship—both the bad and what they thought was good.

“He”—from whom their heart was divided, He Himself, by His mighty power which no one can dispute—“shall break down their altars.” Literally, He shall “behead” them.

As they, using His gifts, multiplied their altars and killed their sacrifices upon them against His will, so now the altars themselves would be demolished. And “the images,” which they had adorned with the gold He had given, would, on account of that very gold, tempt the spoiler, through whom God would spoil them.

He shall break down - He Himself. The word is emphatic:

“God does not will that, when the merited vengeance of God is inflicted through man, it should be ascribed to man. Yes, if anyone ascribes to himself what, by permission of God, he has power to do against the people of God, he draws down on himself the displeasure of God, and, at times, on that very ground, his ability to harm is lessened” (see Deuteronomy 32:26, Deuteronomy 32:7; Isaiah 10:5 and following).

The prophet therefore says very earnestly, “He Himself shall break,” meaning that we should understand it was not the lofty hand of the enemy, but the Lord Himself who did all these things.