Hosea

What makes Hosea special?

Hosea is a short version of the Hebrew name Hoshaiah, which means “the Lord has saved.” Hosea lived and wrote in the northern kingdom (Israel). Some scholars believe that when the Assyrians invaded Israel, Hosea may have escaped to the southern kingdom (Judah), taking his prophecies with him. The first three chapters of Hosea tell of Hosea's marriage to Gomer, a woman who may have been a temple prostitute in the cult of Baal, a Canaanite fertility god. Hosea's family life became a living picture of the message he preached. Hosea uses language and images from the Canaanite religion to fight against Baal worship. The many footnotes in this book show that parts of the Hebrew text of this book have been very difficult to translate.

Why was Hosea written?

Hosea told the people of Israel and Judah to be faithful to the Lord, who had brought them out of slavery in Egypt and kept his promise to give them a land of their own. But the people sinned by worshiping other gods. Their leaders trusted in their own military strength and in the power of allied foreign countries rather than depending on the Lord to protect their nation. Hosea told the people of Israel that they were to be punished because they had not been loyal to the Lord. However, he also offers the hope that God would forgive them and give them a fresh start as God's chosen people.

What's the story behind the scene?

Why would the people turn away from the Lord God after becoming rich and wealthy in the land of promise (Canaan)? When the people of Israel settled in Canaan, they did not force all of the Canaanite people out the land. Instead, they settled among the Canaanites and began to adopt some of their ways. The Canaanite gods were believed to be responsible for giving rain and making the land fertile for good crops. In order to have good crops some of the Israelite people began to participate in religious ceremonies honoring the Canaanite gods. These ceremonies included the practice of ritual prostitution (see the note at 1.2). Also at this time (750-722 b.c.) Israel was threatened by the powerful Assyrian Empire. Various kings of Israel bribed the Assyrian leaders with gifts to keep them from taking over the land. At other times, they asked countries such as Egypt to help them stand up against the Assyrians. Eventually, these political attempts to save the land backfired. Assyria defeated the northern kingdom (Israel) in 722 b.c. and forced many of its people to leave their homeland. See also the article called “From Joshua to the Exile: The People of Israel in the Promised Land,” XXB 7.0.

Most of the prophecies in the book are directed toward the northern kingdom (Israel). But the southern kingdom (Judah) is also named in a few places (5.5, 10-15; 6.4-11; 12.2). Some scholars have suggested that the prophecies naming Judah may have been added at a later time, so that Hosea's strong message about remaining faithful to the Lord could apply to all God's people.

How is Hosea constructed?

Hosea has two clear sections. The first section (chapters 1–3) compares Hosea's marriage with the Lord's relationship with the people of Israel. The second section contains Hosea's messages to the people and leaders of Israel and Judah. His words describe God's anger and judgment as well as God's promise to forgive the people.