Commentators overwhelmingly see this verse as a window into God's heart. The questions 'Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child?' are not of doubt, but of deep, yearning affection. Scholars explain that God's feelings are portrayed like those of a loving parent whose heart aches for a wayward child. This imagery, likened to the father of the prodigal son, reveals a God whose love is personal, emotional, and ready to welcome the repentant.