HOSEA

Author and Title

!e opening verse, “!e word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri,” identifies Hosea
with other OT prophets and follows the same general pa"ern of naming the book a#er its author (cf.
Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Mic. 1:1; Zeph. 1:1; Mal. 1:1). Beeri is a Hi"ite name in Genesis 26:34, perhaps
demonstrating the practice, as today, of naming children from the Scriptures. Because chapters 1–3 of
Hosea are quite different from chapters 4–14, Hosea’s authorship of the whole book has been ques-
tioned. But this is unnecessary. !e la"er section expands and applies the essential message of God’s
mercy for his people; the preceding biographical sketch enhances that message, though it employs
different literary forms.

Date

!e OT prophets commonly dated their ministries in conjunction with reigning kings. In Hosea’s
day the Judean kings were Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. !e king of Israel (the northern king-
dom, also called “Ephraim” in Hosea; see note on 4:17) was Jeroboam, son of Joash. Jeroboam’s last
year was 753 B.C., and Hezekiah’s was 687, so Hosea’s ministry was situated in this time period. !e
prophet’s ministry was probably not that long (66 years), though a 35-year ministry is possible. !e
significant feature is that he ministered during the la"er half of the eighth century. !is period was
the most turbulent and trying time in the history of Israel prior to the captivity.

!eme

Hosea depicts Israel’s unfaithfulness with a number of images from family and nature. Israel is like:
a promiscuous wife, an indifferent mother, an illegitimate child, an ungrateful son, a stubborn heifer,
a silly dove, a luxuriant vine, and grapes in the wilderness. Yet Israel’s unfaithfulness and obstinacy
are not enough to exhaust God’s redeeming love that outstrips the human capacity to comprehend.

Purpose, Occasion, and Background

!e purpose, occasion, and background of Hosea all work in tandem. !ey pertain to the la"er half
of the eighth century B.C. , certain aspects of Baalism, and the ideology of the prophet Hosea.
!e la"er days of the eighth century B.C. witnessed the rise of the neo-Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser
III (745–727). He was followed by several capable kings who extended Assyrian dominance over the
entire ancient Near East (eventually including Egypt) for more than a century. Particularly relevant to
Hosea were at least six incursions into Palestine and its neighbors by an unstoppable Assyrian army
during the prophet’s lifetime. Conquest and exile were the most dreaded fate in biblical times. !is

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perennial threat hanging over Israel (specifically the northern kingdom) came with a time of unparal-
leled political upheaval and instability. !e nation had six kings within about 30 years, a period filled
with intrigue and violence. Zechariah (753 B.C. ) was murdered a"er only six months in power. !e
usurper, Shallum, was assassinated one month later. !e next king, Menahem (752–742 B.C.) survived
for a decade only by paying a burdensome tribute to Tiglath-pileser. His son, Pekahiah (742–740 B.C.),
was assassinated by an army officer, Pekah (740–732), a"er only two years’ reign. Subsequently,
Pekah was disposed of by Hoshea, whose rebellion against the Assyrians led to the end of the north-
ern kingdom (732–722 B.C.).
Within this chaotic 30-year period, external conflicts and failures of international diplomacy
repeatedly proved disastrous. !ese times are reflected in Hosea, whose primary audience was
Ephraim (the northern kingdom, Israel), mentioned 35 times in the book. As Hosea reflects these
times, it is o"en difficult to be sure just what specific historical reference he has in mind. Although
there is a range of suggestions regarding different passages, most lack consensus. !e prophet’s mes-
sages, however, are not tarnished by the reader’s inability to tie down all of the details. His priority
was to see Israel turn back to God.
Hosea’s major concern was the worship of Baal—an apostasy that he understood to be the reason
for Israel’s dilemma. Baal was the weather-god worshiped in Syria-Palestine, who had control over
agriculture and fertility, rainfall and productivity. Since ancient Israel was always an agricultural soci-
ety, Baal worship was of unrivaled importance. Baal was localized at different shrines identified by
such names as Baal-peor (9:10) and Baal-gad (Josh. 11:17) and hence was sometimes referred to as the
Baals (Judg. 2:11; 3:7; 8:33). While a full description of this religion is not possible here, one major
aspect of Baalism touches on this prophet’s message: the religion’s appeal to human sexuality (cf. Isa.
57:3–10). Other aspects—such as drunkenness, bestiality, human sacrifice, mutilations, and
incest—may be discerned in the book, but Hosea understands the strength of Baalism’s appeal to the
sex drive by way of ritual prostitution.
!is amounted to sexual intimacy at one of the pagan shrines, understood most probably as an act
of imitative magic. !at is, sexual behavior at these shrines was expected to cause the Baals to respond
in like manner—to follow the worshipers by producing for them fertile seed and rain for a good crop.
!is intimacy took place with cult prostitutes (Hos. 4:14). When a worshiper selected a prostitute, he
prayed, “I beseech the goddess of Astarte to favor you and Baal to favor me.” !ere was also eating and
drinking at shrines as an act of worship.
Hosea’s approach is dominated by his knowledge that God’s people have been joined to the Lord.
Hosea makes a number of references to Israel’s past to remind them of that. Israel is the Lord’s bride,
but Israel has instead become joined to the Baals. Worship of Baal is not just a violation of the first of
the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:3), it is a betrayal of that intimate and endearing union that God
made with his people. Idolatry, therefore, is depicted as spiritual adultery, transgression against the
marriage between the Lord and Israel (cf. Ex. 34:11–16; Lev. 17:7; 20:4–6; Deut. 31:16). !e prophet

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justifies the Lord’s coming judgments with a litany of offenses that amount to the radical ingratitude
of a wayward wife. But punishment is not ultimately what the Lord wants for his people; he desires
that they leave their fornication and return to the One who first loved them and can indeed provide
what is for their best.

!e Near East at the Time of Hosea

c. 740 B.C.
Hosea prophesied to Israel and Judah during the decades surrounding the fall of Samaria to the Assyr-
ian Empire. "e resurgence of this ancient empire dominated much of the politics of the ancient Near
East from the time of Jeroboam and Azariah until the empire’s demise at the end of the sixth century
B.C. Assyria would eventually engulf nearly the entire Near East from Ur to Ararat to Egypt.

Key !emes

1. Hosea frequently refers to the Pentateuch, the foundation of Israel’s relationship to God (1:10;
2:9–10, 18; 4:3; 6:7, 9; 7:13; 8:4–6; 9:6–10, 14; 10:9–10; 11:1–4, 8; 12:2–5, 9–10, 12–13; 13:4–6, 15).

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 2. Hosea stresses divine sovereignty, with God speaking in the first person, “I,” almost a hundred
times in the book.
3. Hosea’s personal biography exemplifies the Lord’s compassion (chs. 1–3).
4. Isolation/exile, which is coming upon Israel, is a means to restoration (1:6–7; 2:14–23; 3:1–3;
5:6–6:3; 11:8–11; 12:9).

Israel and Judah at the Time of Hosea

c. 740 B.C.
Hosea prophesied during a time of great political turbulence in Israel and Judah. !e early part of his
ministry witnessed a brief period of resurgence under the reign of Jeroboam II, who captured much
of Syria for Israel. Within a couple decades, however, Israel and Syria a"acked Judah, but Assyria in
turn a"acked Israel and captured Galilee and Gilead. Finally, in 722 B.C., the Assyrians captured
Samaria itself and annexed the rest of Israel’s territory into their empire.

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History of Salvation Summary

!e Lord has yoked himself to Israel and will not give up on her, even in the face of the rampant
unfaithfulness of the northern kingdom. He must purify Israel from her unfaithfulness through ter-
rible punishments. For the northern kingdom to return to the Lord, the people must return to the
house of David (3:5), which they will do in the “la"er days” (the time of the Messiah). (For an explana-
tion of the “History of Salvation,” see the Overview of the Bible. See also History of Salvation in the
Old Testament: Preparing the Way for Christ.)

Literary Features

!e overall genre of the book is prophecy, and most of the book consists of oracles of judgment,
with only a few interspersed oracles of salvation. Its main literary form is satire (in this case, sharp
and bi"er). Virtually the entire book is embodied in poetry. !e overall format is that of a legal or
judicial indictment, as God presents a detailed case against his covenant people.
!e vividness of the poetry and figurative language is a striking feature of the book, as God’s peo-
ple, e.g., are pictured as an oven or a stubborn heifer or wild grapes. Even though the failed and
restored marriage of Hosea and Gomer is present only in the first three chapters, the controlling
metaphor of covenant Israel as an unfaithful wife exerts an implied presence throughout the book.
!e multiple lists of indictments that God brings against Israel also make the implied metaphor of a
divine lawsuit a continuous presence. Recurrent themes include: (1) the unfolding list of acts and a"i-
tudes that disappoint God; (2) a picture of what people who reject God can expect to receive from him;
and (3) evidences of God’s love and grace toward people who do not deserve them.

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