Charles Ellicott Commentary Hosea 6

The haste of the seeming penitents for the fulfillment of their hope. They expect the rapid restoration of the national prosperity, prompted by the abundance of Divine love, and His response to the first touch of penitence .

After two days. —A phrase sometimes used for the second day, that is, tomorrow.

In the third day—that is, after a short time. This and the above expression are not identical in the designation of time. Some Christian interpreters (Jerome, Luther, Pusey) consider that the passage refers solely to the resurrection of Christ. But with Calvin, Henderson, Schmoller, etc., we consider this to be contradicted by the form of the expression. To bring in the resurrection of Christ with no authority from the New Testament is far-fetched over-refinement, and breaks the consistency of the passage.

Render, So that we shall live in his presence, and shall know and strive after the knowledge of Jehovah, whose coming forth is sure, like the dawn (another play on Hosea 6:15, I will return to my place, etc.), so that he may come as the plentiful (dashing) rain for us, as the latter rain (needed for the ripening corn) which waters the earth.

Here ends the supposed language of the penitents.

If it were genuine, and accompanied by a deep sense of sin, it would not be in vain. But the prophet utters the heartrending response and expostulation of Jehovah, who bewails the transitory nature of their repentance.

Your goodness... —Better rendered, Your love (to me) is like the morning cloud (which promises rain, and does not give it); like the dew (or, “morning mist; ” see Hosea 14:5), which early goes away, vanishing in the blaze of the summer day—your tears leaving you parched and dried as before.

The Septuagint renders, Therefore I have mowed down their prophets; but this would destroy the parallelism, in which “prophets” correspond to “words of my mouth.” The sense is, I have slain them by the announcement of deserved doom.

Your judgments ...—An error has crept here into the Masoretic text from which the Septuagint and other ancient versions are free. The mistake consists in misplacing an initial letter as a final one. Translate, My judgment shall go forth as the light, clear, victorious, and beneficent. (Compare the language of Psalms 37:6 and Isaiah 62:1-2.)

Mercy— Better rendered, love. This passage is richly sustained by our Lord’s adoption of its teaching (Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7). Mark 12:33 shows that according to even Old Testament teaching, the moral ranks above the ceremonial, that ritual is valueless apart from spiritual conformity with Divine will.