Hosea 14:2

“Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, etc.] Not mere words without the heart, but such as come from it, and express the true sense of it; words of confession, as the Targum; by which sin is acknowledged, and repentance declared, and forgiveness asked. Kimchi’s note is a very good one; “he (that is, God) does not require of you, upon return, neither gold nor silver, nor burnt offerings, but good works; therewith confessing your sins with your whole hearts, and not with your lips only;” and which best agrees with evangelical repentance and Gospel times, in which ceremonial sacrifices are no more; and not any words neither; not tautologies and multiplicity of words, or words of man’s…”

“Take with you words--instead of sacrifices, namely, the words of penitence here put in your mouths by God. "Words," in Hebrew, mean "realities," there being the same term for "words" and "things"; so God implies, He will not accept empty professions (Psa 78:36; Isa 29:13). He does not ask costly sacrifices, but words of heartfelt penitence. receive us graciously--literally "(for) good." calves of our lips--that is, instead of sacrifices of calves, which we cannot offer to Thee in exile, we present the praises of our lips. Thus the exile, wherein the temple service ceased, prepared the way for the gospel time when the types of the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament being realized in…”

“Take with you words - He bills them not bring costly offerings, that they might regain His favor; not whole burnt-offerings of bullocks, goats or rams; with which, and with which alone, they had before gone to seek Him (see the note above at Hosea 5:6); not the silver and gold which they had lavished on their idols; but what seems the cheapest of all, which any may have, without cost to their substance; “words;” worthless, as mere words; precious when from the heart; words of confession and prayer, blending humility, repentance, confession, entreaty and praise of God. God seems to assign to them a form, with which they should approach Him. But with these words, they were also to turn…”

“Render - This will qualify and encourage us to give the sacrifices which are more pleasing to God than calves or oxen. Hosea 14:3”

“14:2-3 Hosea composed a model prayer of confession to help his people return to the Lord. God’s prophets not only identified with God in his outrage over Israel’s rebellion; they also identified with the people in their broken condition (see also Dan 9:4-19). • Forgive all our sins: The Israelites should throw themselves upon God’s mercy and grace, freely acknowledging their many sins. • so that we may offer you our praises: Israel’s inclination was to offer animal sacrifices for sin, but the Lord had made it clear that sacrifices were not the solution (see Hos 6:6). Israel should offer God genuine repentance.”

“with, Job 34:31, Job 34:32; Joe 2:17; Mat 6:9-13; Luk 11:2-4, Luk 18:13 away: Sa2 12:13, Sa2 24:10; Job 7:21; Psa 51:2-10; Isa 6:7; Eze 36:25, Eze 36:26; Mic 7:19; Zac 3:4; Joh 1:29; Rom 11:27; Tit 2:14; Heb 10:4; Jo1 1:7, Jo1 3:5 receive: etc. or, give good, Mat 7:11; Luk 11:13, Luk 15:21-24; Eph 1:6, Eph 1:7, Eph 2:7, Eph 2:8; Ti2 1:9 the calves: Psa 69:30, Psa 69:31; Heb 13:15; Pe1 2:5, Pe1 2:9 Hosea 14:3”