HOSEA

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In literary terms this book is among the most poetic of the prophetic collections in the OT, particularly in the allusive character of individual units of speech and a propensity for metaphor and simile. It is therefore one of the most difficult to interpret. . . .

J. Andrew Dearman The Book of Hosea (NICOT)

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With the possible exception of Job, the book of Hosea has the dubious distinction of having the most obscure passages in the entire Hebrew Bible.

C.L. Seow Book of Hosea (Anchor Bible Dictionary)

?What kinds of things do we need to know if we are to correctly handle any passage of Scripture?

Context

Structure

Genre

Content

Context

?What kind of context do we need to know about?

How does understanding the context help us?

biblical context

Old Testament

Pentateuch

History books

Wisdom Lit.

Prophets

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Samuel 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Minor Prophets

New Testament

Revelation

History

Timeless present

Anticipation

Matthew Mark, Luke, John

Acts

Romans – Jude

Revelations

Old Testament

New Testament

Christian Jewish

Tanak

ProphetsHistory

LawPentateuch

History

InstructionTorah

History

ProphetsProphets

Wisdom

Old Testament Tanak

Wisdom

Prophets

Prophets

WritingsKetuvim

Nevi’im

Nev

i’im

Tanak

Ketuvim

Law/Instruction Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings

Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra–Nehemiah, Chronicles

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Book of the TwelveLatter Prophets

Writings

Former Prophets

historical context

Genre

?How do you feel about the Old Testament prophets?

What do you like about them?

What puts you off?

What is the most significant passage in the prophets for you, and why?

They have a queer way of talking, like people who, instead of proceeding in an orderly manner, ramble off from one thing to the next so that you cannot make heads or tails of them or see what they are getting at.

Martin Luther

?What aspects of the Old Testament prophets makes them difficult to understand?

barriers to

understanding

Language Geography

HistoryCulture

Religion

History 47%

Prophets 27%

Wisdom 26%

?Why do we have these books? What is their special contribution to the Bible?

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Whether he is discussing the past, present or future, the prophet is seeking to make God the most genuine reality that men can know and experience.

A.B. Mickelson‘Interpreting the Bible’, p. 287

the prophets’

focus

God extreme grace & wrath

Humanity extreme

disobedience

Calamity apparently unlimited judgement

Prosperity unlimited peace and

joy

foretelling

forthtelling

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Prophecy is essentially a ministry of disclosure, a stripping bare. Israel’s great prophets do not merely lift the veil of the future in order to destroy false expectations; at the same time, they expose the conduct of their contemporaries. . . . Prophets tear the masks away and show the true face of the people behind them.

Hans Walter WolffConfrontations

The Word of YHWH

Covenant enforcement mediators

(Fee and Stuart)

Warning of judgment

Promising restoration

Highlighting Israel’s sin

Announcing judgement

Declaring YHWH’s love

Announcing blessing

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The ‘prophet in scripture takes on the role of gracious mediator. He stands between God and the people to deliver the word of the Lord. . . . The person of the prophet substitutes for the presence of Almighty God himself.’

O.P. Robertson, The Christ of the Prophets, p. 10

Fulfilment

New Testament

Promise

Old Testament

Structure

A. 1:1 – 3:5

B. 4:1 – 14:9

Hosea’s family

Everything else

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The division of chapters 4–14 into separate oracles is not so clear . . . Typical beginning and ending prophetic formulae, ‘Thus says the Lord’ and ‘oracle of Yahweh’, are often missing . . .

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. . . and the oracles alternate constantly between the first person speech of Yahweh and the third person speech of the prophet, sometimes even within the same oracle. Nor is there an overarching structure or progression of thought in the section.

Elizabeth Achtemeier Minor Prophets I (NIBC)

A. 1:1 – 3:5 ~ A wayward wife

1. 1:1–11 Hosea’s wife (prophetic action)

2. 2:1–23 Punishment and restoration

3. 3:1–5 Hosea’s wife (prophetic action)

A2. 2:1–23 Punishment/restoration

a 2:1–4 YHWH’s 1st punishment

b 2:5–6 YHWH’s 2nd punishment

c 2:7–13 YHWH’s 3rd punishment

d 2:14–15 YHWH will woo Israel

c’ 2:16–17 Response to 3rd punish.

b’ 2:18–20 Response to 2nd punishment

a’ 2:21–23 Response to 1st punishment