Hosea 5:2

“And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, etc.] The revolters are the king, priests, and people, who had revolted from the true worship and ways of God unto idolatry. These formed deep laid schemes, and took crafty methods, like hawkers; who lay themselves flat upon the ground to manage their snares and nets, and observe the creatures that fall into them, and take them, and whom they artfully decoy, to which the allusion is; and that either to slay those who would not comply with their false worship; or rather to multiply the sacrifices of slain beasts, and offer them with a great show of devotion and religion, and thereby beguile, entice, and ensnare simple and unwary souls; so the…”

“revolters--apostates. profound--deeply rooted [CALVIN] and sunk to the lowest depths, excessive in their idolatry (Hos 9:9; Isa 31:6) [HENDERSON]. From the antithesis (Hos 5:3), "not hid from me," I prefer explaining, profoundly cunning in their idolatry. Jeroboam thought it a profound piece of policy to set up golden calves to represent God in Dan and Beth-el, in order to prevent Israel's heart from turning again to David's line by going up to Jerusalem to worship. So Israel's subsequent idolatry was grounded by their leaders on various pleas of state expediency (compare Isa 29:15). to . . . slaughter--He does not say "to sacrifice," for their so-called sacrifices were butcheries rather…”

“And the revolters are profound to make slaughter - Literally, “They made the slaughter deep,” as Isaiah says, “they deeply corupted themselves” Isaiah 31:6; and our old writers say “He smote deep.” They willed also doubtless to “make it deep,” hide it so deep, that God should never know it, as the Psalmist says of the ungodly, “that the inward self and heart of the worker’s of iniquity is deep,” whereon it follows, that God should “suddenly wound them,” as here the prophet subjoins that God rebuked them. Actual and profuse murder has been already Hosea 4:2 mentioned as one of the common sins of Israel, and it is afterward Hosea 6:9 also charged upon the priests. Though I have been a rebuker…”

“The revolters - All those that have cast off the law of God. Profound - Dig deep to hide their counsels, and to slay the innocent. Though I - Hosea. Hosea 5:5”

“5:2 I will settle with you: God’s judgment (Hebrew musar, “discipline”) would inevitably fall upon Israel’s leaders. God did not judge Israel simply to punish them, but to correct them so that his people would return to him.”

“the revolters: Hos 6:9, Hos 9:15; Jer 6:28 profound: Psa 64:3-6, Psa 140:1-5; Isa 29:15; Jer 11:18, Jer 11:19, Jer 18:18; Luk 22:2-5; Act 23:12-15 though: or, and, etc a rebuker: Heb. a correction, Hos 6:5; Isa 1:5; Jer 5:3, Jer 25:3-7; Amo 4:6-12; Zep 3:1, Zep 3:2; Rev 3:19 Hosea 5:3”

“This accusation is still further vindicated in Hos 5:2., by a fuller exposure of the moral corruption of the nation. Hos 5:2. "And excesses they have spread out deeply; but I am a chastisement to them all." The meaning of the first half of the verse, which is very difficult, and has been very differently interpreted by both ancient and modern expositors, has been brought out best by Delitzsch (Com. on Psa 101:3), who renders it, "they understand from the very foundation how to spread out transgressions." For the word שׂטים the meaning transgressions is well established by the use of סטים in Psa 101:3, where Hengstenberg, Hupfeld, and Delitzsch all agree that this is the proper rendering (see…”