HOSEA INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA

NAME OF THE BOOK
1. It is named after the main revelator, Hosea.
2. His name means "salvation" (BDB 448). It was originally Joshua's name (cf. Num. 13:16). It is the same name as Hoshea (2 Kgs. 17:1).
CANONIZATION
1. This book is part of the "latter prophets" (Ecclesiasticus 49:10).
  SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW CANON
2. It is the first of the Twelve, a grouping of minor prophets (Baba Bathra 14b).
  1. Like the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, these twelve smaller books fit on one scroll.
  2. Their order reflects the traditional view of each book's chronology.
3. The order of "the Twelve" or Minor Prophets has been linked by many scholars to a chronological sequence. However, there are problems with this view:
  1. The first six books are different between the MT (Hebrew text; see SPECIAL TOPIC: MASORETIC TEXT) and LXX (Greek text; see SPECIAL TOPIC: SEPTUAGINT).
    
    MT LXX
    
    Hosea Hosea
    
    Joel Amos
    
    Amos Micah
    
    Obadiah Joel
    
    Jonah Obadiah
    
    Micah Jonah
  2. Internal evidence puts Amos chronologically before Hosea.
  3. Hosea is probably listed first because of its length and eighth century setting.
4. The text of Hosea is probably the most difficult of any OT book (see Introduction, IX. and NET Bible, p. 1557, #1).
  1. Part of this is due to the poetic and emotional nature of the book.
  2. Part is due to scribal copying. The MT and the LXX are different.
  3. Part is due to the differences in the spoken Hebrew between Israel and Judah.
GENRE
1. The book is a mixture of prose and poetry (mostly poetry).
2. Hosea 1 and 3 are historical narrative of the life and times of Hosea, while chapter 2 is poetry.
3. Hosea's life and marriage were used in an analogous way to demonstrate the waywardness of Israel and the steadfast, intimately personal love of YHWH.
  1. YHWH as faithful young lover (Hosea 1-3)
  2. YHWH as loving parent (Hosea 11)
  3. This imagery is based on the Israel's confusion of Ba'al as "husband" and "lord" instead of YHWH.
4. It is written in beautiful, powerful, and emotional poetry, but in disjoined units (Hosea 4-14). Hosea's writings and prophecies may have been collected and edited after his death (like so many of the prophetic books).
5. David A. Hubbard, Hosea (Tyndale OT Commentaries), characterizes the genre when he states:
  
  "It is that profound pathos, let loose towards Israel in speech after speech, irony after irony, metaphor after metaphor, question after question, which gives the book its fire" (p. 20).
6. There are several views about the Prophet's marriage.
  1. hypothetical (allegorical)
  2. spiritual infidelity (typological of Israel's idolatry)
  3. real marriage to a non-virgin (a regular participant in ritual fertility worship)
  4. real marriage to a wife who later became involved in ritual fertility worship (literal)
    
    For me, #3 fits all the known information best.
AUTHORSHIP
1. The consensus has always been Hosea himself, although we know little about him.
2. The man:
  1. son of Beeri (Hosea 1:1)
  2. a citizen of Israel (Hosea 7:5), but which city is unknown
  3. as Amos spoke of the need for a social justice, Hosea spoke of the need for covenant fidelity
  4. he has been called
    1. "the Jeremiah of Israel"
    2. "the Apostle John of the OT"
    3. "Israel's first evangelist"
3. The Talmudic book, Baba Bathra 15a, said the men of the Great Synagogue wrote "the Twelve." The term "wrote" must be in the sense of compiled or edited.
4. Some have questioned his authorship because
  1. of the references to Judah, Hosea 1:1,7,11; 4:15; 5:5,10,12-14; 6:4,11; 8:14; 10:11; 11:12; 12:2
  2. of the passages of future prosperity and deliverance
  3. Hosea's marriage is described in third person in chapters one and two, but second person in chapter three
5. Answers to objections.
  1. All the prophets view the split between Israel and Judah as wrong. Judah is always seen as the legitimate heir of the covenant promises to Abraham and David.
  2. The prophet often intersperses judgment and promise oracles. They go together as one divine message.
  3. Hosea may be a collection of his sermons and poems.
DATE
1. Hosea is an eighth century B.C. prophet
  1. Isaiah and Micah spoke in Judah
  2. Jonah, Amos, and Hosea spoke in Israel
    Timeline (Old Testament)
2. Hosea followed and overlapped the ministry of Amos
3. The date (see Special Topic below of the chart of kings of the divided monarchy) of his preaching would have been in the days of the kings mentioned in Hosea 1:1.
  1. Uzziah (of Judah)
  2. Jotham (of Judah)
  3. Ahaz (of Judah)
  4. Hezekiah (of Judah)
  5. Jeroboam II (of Israel)
    SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF THE DIVIDED MONARCHY
    
    There are several scholarly suggestions (the differences are caused by Pekah's 30 year reign, cf. 2 Kgs. 15:27. For a good brief answer see Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 209-211):
    1. Keil, 790-725 B.C.
      1. Hosea 1:4, started before fall of the Jehu dynasty
      2. Hosea 10:14, present at Shalmaneser V invasion (see SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF ASSYRIA)
    2. Francisco, 750-735 B.C.
      1. a little later than Amos
      2. in the last days of the reign of Jeroboam II
      3. not later than 735 B.C. because Assyria took the area of Gilead
    3. Harrison, 753 to just before 722 B.C.
      1. Jeroboam II dies in 753 B.C.
      2. tribute paid by Menahem to Tiglath-pileser III (8:9) about 739 B.C.
      3. events of Syro-Ephramatic War of 735-734 B.C. referred to in Hosea 5:8-6:6 (also Isa. 7-14).
      4. days of Hosea explain references to Egypt in Hosea 7:11; 9:6, and 12:2.
    4. La Sor, Hubbard, and Bush, 753 - til after 722 B.C.
      1. started before Jeroboam II's death, 753 B.C.
      2. extend to Hezekiah's reign
      3. Hezekiah was possibly co-regent from 728 B.C.
      4. king from 715 B.C.
      5. preached during Tiglath-pileser III's reign, 745-727 B.C.
HISTORICAL SETTING
1. The parallel biblical material is found in
  1. 2 Kgs. 14:3-17:6
  2. 2 Chr. 25-28
  3. Hosea
  4. Isaiah
  5. Micah
2. The simplest summary of the state of idolatry among God's people can be seen in Hosea.
  1. Hosea 2:16, "will no longer call me Baali"
  2. Hosea 4:12-13, ". . .daughters play the harlot. . ."
  3. Hosea 4:17, "Ephraim is joined to idols; Let him alone"
  4. Hosea 13:2, "men kiss calves!" (ritual)
3. Social setting
  1. It was a time of economic prosperity and military expansion for both Israel and Judah. However, this prosperity was beneficial only to the wealthy class. The poor and middle classes were exploited and abused. It almost seems that "the buck and the gun" became additional idols!
  2. The social stability and property of both Israel and Judah are related to several causes:
    1. the long and prosperous reigns of Jeroboam II (786-746 B.C.) in the north and Uzziah (783-742 B.C.) in the south
    2. the temporary decline of Egypt and Mesopotamia
    3. Assyrians' defeat of Syria by Adad-Nirari III in 805 B.C.
    4. the lack of conflict between Israel and Judah
    5. the taxation and exploitation of the trade routes from north to south through the land bridge of Palestine caused rapid economic growth, even extravagance for the wealthy class
  3. The "Ostraca of Samaria," which are dated during the reign of Jeroboam II seem to indicate an administrative organization much like Solomon's. This seems to confirm the widening gap between the haves and have nots.
  4. The dishonesty of the wealthy is clearly depicted in Amos, who is called "the prophet of social justice." The bribery of the judiciary and the falsification of commercial weights are two clear examples of the abuse that was common, apparently in both Israel and Judah.
4. Religious setting
  1. It was a time of much outward religious activity, but very little true faith. The fertility cults of Canaan had been amalgamated into Israel's religion. The people were idolaters, but they called it YHWHism. The trend of God's people toward political alliances had involved them in pagan worship and practices.
  2. The idolatry of Israel is spelled out in 2 Kgs. 17:7-18.
    1. v. 8, they followed the worship practices of the Canaanites
      
      (1) fertility worship
      
      (a) high places, 2 Kgs. 17:9,10.11
      
      (b) sacred pillars (Ba'al), 2 Kgs. 17:10,16
      
      (c) Asherim, 2 Kgs. 17:16, these were wooden symbols of the female consort of Ba'al. They were either curved stakes or live trees.
      
      (2) divination, 2 Kgs. 17:17, this is discussed in detail in Lev. 19-20 and Deut. 18.
    2. 2 Kgs. 17:16, they continued the worship of the two golden calves, symbolizing YHWH, set up at Dan and Bethel by Jeroboam I (1 Kgs. 12:28-29).
    3. 2 Kgs. 17:16, they worshiped the astral deities of Babylon: sun, moon, stars, and constellations.
    4. 2 Kgs. 17:18, they worshiped the Phoenician fertility fire god, Molech (cf. Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5).
  3. Ba'alism (cf. W. F. Albright's Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, p. 82ff).
    1. Our best source is "Ba'al Epic of Ugarit."
      
      (1) Depicts Ba'al as a seasonal dying and rising god. He was defeated by Mot and confined to the underworld. All life on earth ceased. But, helped by the female goddess, he rises and defeats Mot each spring. He is a fertility deity who was worshiped by imitation magic.
      
      (2) He was also known as Hadad (name of Syrian rulers). Many Syrian kings were called by this name.
    2. El is the chief deity of the Canaanite pantheon, but Ba'al's popularity usurped his place.
    3. Israel was most influenced by Tyrian Ba'alism through Jezebel, who was the daughter of the King of Tyre. She was chosen by Omri for his son Ahab.
    4. In Israel Ba'al was worshiped at local high places. He was symbolized by an uplifted stone. His consort is Asherah, symbolized by a carved stake symbolizing the tree of life.
  4. Several sources and types of idolatry are mentioned:
    1. the golden calves at Bethel and Dan set up by Jeroboam I to worship YHWH
    2. the worship of the Tyrian fertility god and goddess at local high places
    3. the necessary idolatry involved in political alliances of that day
      SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANE
5. Political setting in the North
  1. Jeroboam II was the last strong king in Israel. He was fourth in the line of Jehu and the last one predicted to reign (cf. 2 Kgs. 10:30). He had a long and politically successful reign (786-746 B.C.)
  2. After the death of Jeroboam II there were six kings within a twenty-five year period.
    1. Zechariah (2 Kgs. 15:8-12). He was assassinated after only six months.
    2. Shallum (2 Kgs. 15:13-15). He was assassinated after only one month.
    3. Menahem (2 Kgs. 15:16-22). He reigned ten years, but paid heavy tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III.
    4. Pekahian (2 Kgs. 15:23-26). He reigned two years and was assassinated.
    5. Pekah (2 Kgs. 15:27-31). He reigned five years and was assassinated. He lost several cities to Assyria.
    6. Hoshea (2 Kgs. 15:3; 17:1-6). He reigned nine years and was exiled by Assyria in 722, when Samaria fell.
  3. Brief summary of the invasions of Assyria and Babylon during the eighth century which affected Palestine.
    1. The four eighth century prophets were active during the rise of the Tigris-Euphrates empire of Assyria. God would use this cruel nation to judge His people, particularly Israel. The specific incident was the formation of a trans-jordan political and military alliance known as the "Syro-Ephramatic League" (735 B.C.). Syria and Israel tried to force Judah to join them against Assyria. Instead Ahaz, king of Judah, sent a letter to Assyria asking for help. The first powerful empire-minded Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 B.C.), responded to the military challenge and invaded Syria. Later, Assyria's puppet king, Hoshea (732-722 B.C.), in Israel, also rebelled, appealing to Egypt. Shalmaneser V (727-722 B.C.) invaded Israel again. He died before Israel was subdued, but his successor, Sargon II (722-705 B.C.), captured Israel's capital of Samaria in 722 B.C. Assyria deported over 27,000 Israelites on this occasion as Tiglath-Pileser had exiled thousands earlier in 732 B.C..
    2. After Ahaz's death (735-715 B.C.) another military coalition was formed by the trans-Jordan countries and Egypt against Assyria (714-711 B.C.). It is known as the "Ashdod Rebellion." Many Judean cities were destroyed when Assyria invaded again. Initially Hezekiah supported this coalition, but later withdrew his support.
    3. However, again, another coalition tried to take advantage of the death of Assyria's powerful king, Sargon II, in 705 B.C., along with the many other rebellions which occurred throughout the Assyrian Empire. Hezekiah fully participated in this rebellion. In light of this challenge Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.) invaded (701 B.C.) Palestine and camped near the city of Jerusalem (2 Kgs. 18-19; Isa. 36-39), but his army was miraculously destroyed by God. There is some question among scholars as to how many times Sennacherib invaded Palestine (e.g. John Bright has one invasion in 701 B.C. and another possible one in 688 B.C., cf. p. 270). Hezekiah was spared an Assyrian takeover, but because of his prideful exhibition of the treasures of Judah to the Babylonian delegation, Isaiah predicted Judah's fall to Babylon (39:1-8). Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 587-586 B.C.
    4. Isaiah also predicted the restoration of God's people under Cyrus II, the Medo-Persian ruler (Isa. 41:2-4; 44:28; 45:1; 56:11). Nineveh fell in 612 B.C. to Babylon, but the city of Babylon fell in 539 B.C. to Cyrus' army. In 538 B.C. Cyrus issued a decree that all exiled people, including the Jews, could return home. He even provided funds from his treasury for the rebuilding of the national temples.
LITERARY UNITS
1. (Taken from Introduction to the OT by Clyde Francisco, pp. 150-163)
  1. Introduction, Hosea 1:1
  2. Hosea's Domestic Crisis, Hosea 1:2-3:5
  3. God's Controversy with Israel, Hosea 4:1-10:15
  4. The Father and His Wayward Son, Hosea 11:1-12
  5. What is in a Name (Jacob vs. Israel) Hosea 12:1-15
  6. Death of a Nation, Hosea 13:1-16
  7. Alternative to Judgment Hosea 14:1-9
2. (Taken from Introduction to the OT by E. J. Young, pp. 252-254)
  1. God's Relations with His People, Hosea 1:1-3:5
  2. Various Discourses of the Prophet, Hosea 4:1-14:9
    1. The Guilt of the Northern Tribes, Hosea 4-8
    2. The Punishment of the Northern Tribes, Hosea 9:1-11:11
    3. The Future Blessings for a Repentant People, Hosea 11:12-14:9
MAIN TRUTHS
1. YHWH is a personal God. He created humans for fellowship (i.e. Gen. 1:26-27; 3:8). Sin is against a loving God (Hosea), not just a violation of covenant rules (Amos).
2. Biblical faith can best be expressed in interpersonal family imagery:
  1. husband (God) ‒ wife (Israel)
  2. parent (God) ‒ child (Israel)
3. YHWH has chosen to deal with fallen humanity through promise, sacrifice, and covenant. On the human side these involve personal trust and covenantal obedience.
  SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT
  SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP
4. Covenantal disobedience results in judgment. Judgment is always for the purpose of restoration (cf. Hosea 1:10-2:1; 2:14-23; 3:1-5; 11:8-11; 14:1-7; Amos 9:13-15). Discipline is an act of parental love (Heb. 12:5ff). Israel's future blessings are conditioned on her current obedience.
  SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT)
THE HEBREW TEXT OF HOSEA
The text of Hosea is the most disputed in the OT (see NET Bible, p. 1557, #1). I am certainly not a Hebrew scholar, but I do bring other strengths (insights) into the interpretive process.

The state of the Hebrew text is partly due to the emotion of Hosea's writing and partly to its poetic form (genre). His metaphors are fresh and varied. This has caused problems for readers/scribes, both ancient and modern. The poetic nature, though difficult lexically, makes the natural parallelism a means of understanding lines of poetry even if the original text or lexical forms are lost. No major truth is irreparably lost because of the parallelism and the recurrent pattern of truths.

Textual emendation is helpful (and necessary), but must always remain speculative. Here is where the variety of ancient versions is helpful in seeing how other ancient interpreters have seen these disputed lines of poetry.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY

SPECIAL TOPIC: TEXTUAL CRITICISM

MT	LXX
Hosea	Hosea
Joel	Amos
Amos	Micah
Obadiah	Joel
Jonah	Obadiah
Micah	Jonah