The Meaning of Hosea 6:5 Explained

Hosea 6:5

KJV: 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.

YLT: Therefore I have hewed by prophets, I have slain them by sayings of My mouth, And My judgments to the light goeth forth.

Darby: Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and my judgment goeth forth as the light.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Hosea 6:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Therefore the Lord had sent messages of condemnation through His prophets that had the effect of mowing His people down. These messages had been as destructive as lightning bolts (cf. Amos 4:6-11).

Context Summary

Hosea 6:1-11 - "let Us Return Unto The Lord"
How full Scripture is of tender invitations: Come, and let us return! This opening verse is closely connected with Hosea 5:15. The hand that smote was the Father's who waited to welcome the prodigal nation with healing and up-binding. When the sun seems to dip below the horizon, we begin to travel toward its rising again. Then we follow on, to behold the glorious dawn of the next day, which is prepared for us. Presently we catch the first glimpse, and soon come into its full splendor. The sun does not move toward us, but we toward it. So when the soul turns toward God, if only it is willing to do His will, it has begun to follow on toward the light of His countenance, which presently will be revealed in its full radiance. God's favor is also compared to the fertilizing rain, for its certainty and refreshment, Genesis 8:22.
While God's love is constant, our religious life is fickle and changeful. Emotion is evanescent as the morning clouds, which in Palestine vanish by nine or ten o'clock. Our Lord quoted Hosea 5:6 in Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7. The pomp of outward ritual, however ornate, counts less with God than one contrite sigh or tear. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 6

1  Exhortations to repent and hope in God
4  A lamentation over those who had sinned after conviction
5  Reproofs of obstinate sinners, and threats against them

What do the individual words in Hosea 6:5 mean?

Upon thus I have hewn [them] by the prophets I have slain them by the words of My mouth and your judgments [are] [like] light [that] goes forth
עַל־ כֵּ֗ן חָצַ֙בְתִּי֙ בַּנְּבִיאִ֔ים הֲרַגְתִּ֖ים בְּאִמְרֵי־ פִ֑י וּמִשְׁפָּטֶ֖יךָ א֥וֹר יֵצֵֽא

עַל־  Upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֗ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
חָצַ֙בְתִּי֙  I  have  hewn  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָצֵב 
Sense: to dig, cleave, divide, hew, make, cut out, dig out, cut down, quarry, hewer, mason.
בַּנְּבִיאִ֔ים  by  the  prophets 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הֲרַגְתִּ֖ים  I  have  slain  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
בְּאִמְרֵי־  by  the  words 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֵמֶר 
Sense: utterance, speech, word, saying, promise, command.
פִ֑י  of  My  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וּמִשְׁפָּטֶ֖יךָ  and  your  judgments  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
א֥וֹר  [like]  light 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֹור  
Sense: light.
יֵצֵֽא  [that]  goes  forth 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.