Hosea 6:5 (ASV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Hosea 6:3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.

Hosea 6:4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early away.

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 6:6 For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.

Hosea 6:7 But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "therefore", "hewed", "prophets", "slain", "words", "mouth", and "judgments". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "O Ephraim what shall I do unto..." into verse 6's "For I desire goodness and not sacrifice...", so "light" and "therefore" belong inside that flow. In Hosea context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.