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Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Hosea 6:6

For — I so hewed and slew them, because they did not what I most of all required; they were full of sacrifices, but either to idols, or else in formality and pride. Mercy — Compassion and charity towards men, this one principal duty of the second table put for all. In this I delight, I have found little of this among you. Not sacrifice — Rather than sacrifice. The knowledge of God — The affectionate knowledge of God, which fills the mind with reverence of his majesty, fear of his goodness, love of his holiness, trust in his promise, and submission to his will.

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See also Hosea 6:6 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Hosea 6:6. _I DESIRED MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE_] I taught them righteousness by my prophets; for I desired mercy. I was more willing to _save_ than to _destroy_; and would rather see them full...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FOR I DESIRED MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE - God had said before, that they should “seek” Him “with their flocks and herds, and not find” Him. So here He anticipates their excuses with the same answer wher...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 6:4-11 Divine Mourning over Ephraim and Judah _ 1. What shall I do to thee? (Hosea 6:4) _ 2. Their transgression (Hosea 6:7) Hosea 6:4. The Lord grieves and mourns over the condition of the...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    HOSEA 6:4 TO HOSEA 7:2. ISRAEL'S MORAL CONDITION HOPELESSLY CORRUPT. The shallow expressions of loyalty by the fickle people mean nothing, and cannot avert Yahweh's inevitable judgment. He looks for r...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    I DESIRED, &C. Compare 1 Samuel 15:22.Ecclesiastes 5:1.Micah 6:8. MERCY. lovingkindness. Quoted in Matthew 9:13;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    A further explanation of these severe judgments, the moral effect of which the prophet has been considering. _For I desired mercy and not sacrifice_ Rather, FOR I DELIGHT IN PIETY AND NOT IN SACRIFICE...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _REMEMBERING GOD'S COVENANT HOSEA 6:6-8:_ Gomer had broken the covenant that she had made with Hosea. She had become an unfaithful wife treacherous companion. Israel had likewise broken her covenant w...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 1156 MERCY BEFORE SACRIFICE Hosea 6:6. _I desired mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings_. THERE is a disposition in every man to substitute external o...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    I DESIRED MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE— Or, _Rather than sacrifice._ See Matthew 9:13. I think the word חסד _chesed,_ which we translate _mercy,_ is used here in a comprehensive sense; signifying both pie...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    ISRAEL'S INGRATITUDEHER INCONSTANCY TEXT: Hosea 6:1-11 1 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days wil...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. FOR I DESIRED MERCY - put for piety in general, of which mercy or charity is a branch. The connection of...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    6:6 loving-kindness, (b-5) _ Chesed_ , 'goodness.' see ver. 4....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SHALLOWNESS OF ISRAEL'S REPENTANCE Hosea now represents the people as counselling one another to repentance in presence of the impending danger; and goes on to point out the futility of a hurried...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE MAN WHO NEVER STOPPED LOVING HOSEA _MARK KIRKPATRICK_ CHAPTER 6 THE PEOPLE ARE NOT TRUE TO GOD V1 ‘Come, let us return to the *Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will bring us health....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    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,...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֛י חֶ֥סֶד חָפַ֖צְתִּי וְ לֹא ־זָ֑בַח וְ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE THICK NIGHT OF ISRAEL Hosea 4:1; Hosea 5:1; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 7:1; Hosea 8:1

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “LET US RETURN UNTO THE LORD” Hosea 6:1-11 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 th...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here we have the prophet's appeal in consequence of the judgment threatened. It was first a message calling the people to return to Jehovah. It was based on the certainty of divine pity; and a promise...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For I desired (f) mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (f) He shows to what his doctrine was aimed at, that they should unite the obedience of God, and the lo...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Mercy: sincere piety, ver. 4. --- Sacrifice. They had offered many, chap. v. 6. (Calmet) --- "My victims are the salvation of the faithful, and the conversion of sinners." (St. Jerome) --- Knowledge,...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Our blessed Jesus hath made this scripture memorable by twice quoting it. Matthew 9:13 and again, Matthew 12:7. But it should seem, as if by our Lord's expression on both occasions, the sense of it wa...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The rest of the prophecy consists of the indignant appeals of the Holy Spirit to conscience because of the increasing evils of Israel not so much the judgment of God on a grand scale, and His grace at...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    VII. HOSEA 6:1-2 (NASB) "COME, LET US RETURN TO THE LORD. FOR HE HAS TORN [US,] BUT HE WILL HEAL US; HE HAS WOUNDED [US,] BUT HE WILL BANDAGE US. 2 "HE WILL REVIVE US AFTER TWO DAYS; HE WILL RAISE U...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    God in this place declares that he desires mercy, and not sacrifices; and he does so to prevent an objections and to anticipate all frivolous pretenses. There is never wanting to hypocrites, we well k...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 6 AND 7. Chapter 6 calls forth a touching address from the prophet, in which he entreats the people to return to Jehovah. Faith has always this resource, beca...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR I DESIRED MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE,.... That is, the one rather than the other, as the next clause explains it. Sacrifices were of early use, even before the law of Moses; they were of divine appo...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. Ver. 6. _For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice_] That is, rather than sacrifice: I prefer the marrow and p...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice_ That is, rather than sacrifice, this being spoken comparatively. I am better pleased with true goodness than with the most exact observance of the external dut...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, the true piety of the heart rather than a mere outward form of worship, AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD MORE THAN BURNT OFFERINGS. Cf Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7. To hav...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AN EARNEST INVITATION AND A FURTHER ADMONITION. Having stated his threat in a most uncompromising form, the prophet adds a powerful appeal to the people of his nation to heed the warning of the Lord...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    4-11 Sometimes Israel and Judah seemed disposed to repent under their sufferings, but their goodness vanished like the empty morning cloud, and the early dew, and they were as vile as ever. Therefore...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    I so hewed and slew them, because they did not what I most of all required, approved, and could accept of; they were full of sacrifices, and spared them not, but either to idols, or else in formality...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Hosea 6:6 desire H2654 (H8804) mercy H2617 sacrifice H2077 knowledge H1847 God H430 offerings H5930 I desired -...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘For I desire covenant love, and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.' The reason for God's judgment on Israel and Judah is now explained. It will be because their relig...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    YHWH MAKES CLEAR HIS CURRENT VIEW OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH BECAUSE OF THEIR SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY (HOSEA 6:4). Hosea, in words of YHWH, now contrasts his future glowing picture of Israel's restoration with...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The voice of the remnant of Israel in the last days. Jehovah's response. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: The consideration of God's judgments upon us because of sin should awaken us to return...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Hosea 6:2. _After two days will he revive us._ The Chaldaic paraphrase gives a double acceptation to this text, that the Messiah should raise the dead, and that he should also revive and heal the chur...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice._ MERCY AND SACRIFICE NOT CONTRASTS God had Himself, after the fall, enjoined sacrifice to foreshow and plead to Himself the meritorious sacrifice of Christ. H...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    HOSEA—NOTE ON HOSEA 6:6 RATHER THAN BURNT OFFERINGS, God desires real participation in the covenant by his people, here expressed as STEADFAST LOVE and KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (see note on...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— HOSEA 6:6. SAC.] which they brought. MERCY] which they lacked; a comparison by negatives; things less worthy are rejected. Moral obedience is better than ritual offerings (Matthew 9:1...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION HOSEA 6:1 These three verses have, by the division into chapters, been violently and improperly torn from the preceding chapter, to which they naturally belong. Their connection with the f...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And they will say, Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up (Hsa Hosea 6:1). This is the prayer that they will be offerin...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 John 2:3; 1 John 3:6; 1 Samuel 15:22; Amos 5:21;...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Do the prophets disavow the sacrificial system of Moses? PROBLEM: Moses commanded the use of sacrifices in the worship of the Lord, saying, “And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burn...

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