John Calvin Commentary Hosea 6:5

"Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are [as] the light that goeth forth." — Hosea 6:5 (ASV)

God shows here, by His prophet, that He was compelled by urgent necessity to deal harshly and roughly with the people. We know that nothing is more pleasing to God than to treat us kindly, for no father in the world cherishes his children as tenderly. But we, being perverse, do not allow Him to follow the inclination of His nature. He is therefore compelled to put on, as it were, a new character, and to rebuke us severely, according to the way He here says He had treated the Israelites; He says, I have cut them by my prophets, and killed them by the words of my mouth.

Some interpret the words differently, as though God had killed the prophets, by this meaning the impostors who corrupted the pure worship of God by their errors. But this view does not seem suitable to me in any way; and we know that it was a common way of speaking among the Hebrews to express the same thing in two ways. So the Prophet speaks here, I have cut or hewed them by my Prophets, I have killed them by the cords of my mouth. In the second clause, I do not doubt, He repeats what we have already briefly explained: namely, that God had cut or hewed them by His Prophets.

But we must see for what purpose God declares here that He had commanded His Prophets to treat the people roughly. We indeed know that hypocrites, however much they mock God in various ways, are yet sensitive and cannot bear any rebuke. Their sins are gross, except when they disguise themselves; but at the same time, when God begins to reprove them, they expostulate and say, “What does this mean?

God everywhere declares that He is kind and merciful, but He fulminates now against us; this does not seem consistent with His nature.” Thus, then, hypocrites would have God to be their flatterer. He now answers that He had been constrained, not only for a just cause but also by necessity, to kill them and to make His word by the Prophets like a hammer or an ax.

This is the reason, He says, why My Prophets have not endeavored to allure the people mildly and gently. For God kindly and sweetly draws or invites to Himself those whom He sees to be teachable; but when He sees such great perverseness in men that He cannot bend them by His goodness, He then begins, as we have said, to put on a new character.

We now then understand God’s design: so that hypocrites might not complain that they had been treated in a way inconsistent with God’s nature, the Prophet here answers in God’s name,

“You have forced Me to this severity, for there was need of a hard wedge, as they say, for a hard knot: I have therefore hewed you by my prophets, I have hewed you by the words of my mouth;

That is, I have used my word as an ax, for you were like knotty and tough wood. It was therefore necessary that my word should be to you like an ax.

And I have killed you by the words of my mouth. That is, my word has not been sweet food to you, as it is accustomed to be to meek men, but it has been like a two-edged sword.

It was therefore necessary to slay you, as you would not bear Me to be a Father to you.”

It then follows, Thy judgments are light that goes forth. Some understand “judgments” here to mean prosperity, as if God were here reproaching the Israelites that it was not His fault He did not win them over: “I have not neglected to treat you kindly and to defend you under My protection; but you are ungrateful.” But this is a strained exposition.

The greater part of interpreters explain the passage thus: “That thy judgments might be a light going forth.” But I do not see why we should change anything in the Prophet’s words.

God then simply intimates here that He had made known to the Israelites the rule of a religious and holy life, so that they could not pretend ignorance; for the Hebrews often understand “judgments” in the sense of rectitude.

I refer this to the instruction given them: Thy judgments then (that is, the way of living religiously) were like light. This means, “I have so warned you that you have sinned knowingly and willfully. Hence, your disobedience to Me must be imputed to your perverseness.

For when you were pliant, I certainly did not conceal from you what was right. For as the sun daily shines on the earth, so my teaching has been to you as the light, to show you the way of salvation; but it has been with no profit.”

We now then understand what the Prophet meant by these words.