Albert Barnes Commentary Hosea 12:6

"Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep kindness and justice, and wait for thy God continually." — Hosea 12:6 (ASV)

Therefore turn to your God - (Literally, And you, you shall turn so as to lean on your God.) “And you,” he would say, unlike your great forefather as you are, now at least, turn to your God; hope in Him, as Jacob hoped; and you too shall be accepted. God was the same. They then had only to turn to Him in truth, and they too would find Him, just as Jacob their father had found Him, and then “trust in him continually.”

Mercy and judgment include all our duty to our neighbor: love and justice. The prophet selects the duties of the second table, as Micah also places them first, What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8). Our Lord also chooses those same commandments in answer to the rich young man, who asked him, What shall I do, in order to enter into life? (Matthew 19:17). For people cannot deceive themselves so easily about their duties to their neighbor as about their duty to God. It was in love to his neighbor that the rich young man failed.

You shall turn - that is, it is commonly said, you ought to turn; as ours has it, “turn.” But it may also include the promise that, at one time, Israel shall turn to the Lord, as Paul says, so shall all Israel be saved.

And wait on your God continually - If they did so, they should not wait in vain: “This word, “continually,” has no small weight in it, showing with what circumstances or properties their waiting or hope on God ought to be attended; that it ought to be on Him alone, on Him always, without doubting, fainting, failing, intermission or ceasing, in all occasions and conditions which may befall them, without exception of time, even in their adversity.” Turn to your God, he says, wait on your God, as the great ground of repentance and of trust. God had avouched them for His peculiar people (Deuteronomy 26:17–18), and they had avouched Him for their only God. He then was still their God, ready to receive them, if they would return to Him.