Scholars are divided on the tone of God's question. Some, like Charles Ellicott, see it as stern irony, a rhetorical question highlighting Israel's hypocrisy during Josiah's reforms ('Haven't you been calling me Father while continuing to sin?'). However, most commentators, including John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon, view it as a genuine, heartfelt invitation from a grieving God who desires reconciliation and is actively calling His people back.