Albert Barnes Commentary Hosea 5:2

"And the revolters are gone deep in making slaughter; but I am a rebuker of them all." — Hosea 5:2 (ASV)

And the revolters are profound in making slaughter - Literally, “They made the slaughter deep,” as Isaiah says, “they deeply corrupted themselves” (Isaiah 31:6); and our old writers say, “He smote deep.” They also doubtless intended to “make it deep,” to hide it so deep that God would never know it, as the Psalmist says of the ungodly, “that the inward self and heart of the workers of iniquity is deep.” Upon this, it follows that God would “suddenly wound them,” just as the prophet here adds that God rebuked them.

Actual and profuse murder has already been mentioned (Hosea 4:2) as one of the common sins of Israel, and it is also later charged against the priests (Hosea 6:9).

Though I have been a rebuker - Literally, “a rebuke,” as the Psalmist says, “I am prayer” (Psalms 109:4), that is, “I am all prayer.” The Psalmist’s whole being was turned into prayer. So here, all the attributes of God—His mercies, love, justice—were concentrated into one, and that one was rebuke. Rebuke was the one form in which they were all seen.

It is an aggravation of crime to commit it in the place of judgment or in the presence of the judge. Israel was immersed in his sin and did not heed, although God rebuked him continually by His voice in the law, forbidding all idolatry, and was now all the while, both in word and deed, rebuking him.