The first of the Minor or lesser Prophets

Hosheah, "salvation," the first name of Josue, Numbers 13:8-9.

Osee was apparently from the Northern kingdom, for he never mentions Jerusalem nor the temple.

He prophesied under Osias, 808-757 B.C., Joatham, 757-742, Achaz, 742-726, Ezechias, 726-698, and Jeroboam II of Israel, 823-782. This is, as often said, the ordinary chronology; but the monuments indicate a somewhat later date, and it is possible that the comparative chronology of the two kingdoms during the period in which Hosea prophesied should be arranged as follows:

Juda	Israel
Azarias (Osias) 792-740 B.C.	Jehu, 843-815 B.C.
Joatham, 740-734	Joachaz, 815-790
Achaz, 734-728	Jeroboam II, 790-749
Ezechias, 728-697	Menahen, 748-738
	Phaceia, 738-736
	Phacee, 736-734
	Hosea, 734-722

This is, of course, only an hypothetical arrangement, but it should be noted that according to the ordinary chronology we should have to suppose that Hosea prophesied at least from 790-724 B.C., which is not likely. It is highly probable that Hosea lived to see the destruction of Samaria at the hand of the Assyrians, cf. Hosea 3:4, 7:3-5, 8:10, 10:3-7, 11:1, 13:10-11.

The Theme of Hosea

Hosea regards Israel as an apostate kingdom; the Schism is their bane, Hosea 3:4, and 5:4; they will not return to God, 5:4-6, 5:15, 6:1, 7:7-10, 8:2, 10:12, 14:2-4; they have given themselves up to the worship of the calves, 8:5-6, 10:5, etc.; this is Baal-worship, chapter 2, throughout, 11:2, 13:1. But God yearns as a father over His erring children, and the whole prophecy may be described as a constant reminder of former mercies, 2:8, 9:10, 12:13; these should surely have prevented them from apostatising; yet, in spite of their rejection of them, these mercies shall be offered to them once more. This it is which gives to the prophecy of Osee its peculiarly pathetic character. The opening chapters strike this note, for they tell us of the Prophet's unhappy marriage; he marries an abandoned woman who is unfaithful to him: so Israel has been unfaithful to God, yet will He espouse her to Himself. But though He thus espouses her. He will yet shut her up for awhile to purify her, chapter 3.

Struture of Hosea

Chapters 1-3

Introductory; the marriage of Osee.

Chapters 4-to-9:9

Israel's sins are reproved and the coming punishment is foretold.

Chapters 10:10-to-14

The penalty is insisted on, yet it shall lead to their ultimate salvation.

This division may stand since it serves to break up the subject-matter. But it is hard to justify it chronologically; in Hosea 1:4, the House of Jehu is still standing; in 8:10, we have a probable reference to the tribute which Menahen paid to Assyria, 4 Kings 15:19-20. Hence we might distinguish the introductory portion, chapters 1-3, from the body of the prophecy; the former belongs to an earlier period than the latter.

The prophecy is, as we have said, directed against Israel, yet Juda is by no means excluded, their sin and its judgements are dwelt on, Hosea 4:15, 5:5, 5:10-14, 8:14, 10:11; but their ultimate redemption is also promised, Hosea 1:11, 6:4, 6:11; while a glorious tribute is paid to Juda if the reading can be trusted, in 11:12.

The State of the Times as depicted in Hosea

The moral state of Israel was deplorable; the reign of Jeroboam II, with its successes, had begotten prosperity, with its accompanying vices. Men looked for the good things of this world and forgot their Giver, Hosea 2:5, 2:8-9, 7:14, 9:2, 14:8. The calf-worship, with the Schism of which it was the symbol, had alienated men from the Lord their God and from David their king, Hosea 3:5; priests and prophets had alike gone astray, 4:6, 5:1-2, 6:9, 9:7, altars were set up everywhere, 8:11-14, 10:1-2, 12:11; while the moral tone of the people had suffered in proportion, 4:1-2. And if the moral atmosphere was bad the political one was worse. King after king had been deposed; there was no stability of govern ment; men were divided as to the advisability of throwing in their lot with Assyria or with Egypt, 5:13, 7:11, 8:9, 9:3, 10:6, 11:5, etc. The result was hopeless confusion; in the end, says the Prophet, their calf shall be carried into Assyria, a present to the avenging king, 10:6, 11:5.

Style and Characteristics of the Prophecy of Hosea

As St. Jerome remarked long ago, Osee's style is "abrupt," cammalictis. His sentences are short and pithy, and the thought is often so condensed that it becomes difficult to follow the drift of the author. He is the lyric poet of the Bible, cf. for example chapter 14. We have already referred to the pathos of his style, Hosea 11:3-4, 11:8-12, 13:4-5. His similes are abundant and striking, cf. 5:12-14, 6:3-5, 7:6-8, 7:11-12, 7:16, 11:11, 10:4, 13:3-7, 14:6-9; many of his expressions have become proverbial, 2:14, 4:9-11, 6:6, 8:7, 11:4, 13:9; and others are familiar to us from the New Testament quotations of them, e.g., Hosea 6:8, 13:11. He is fond, too, of playing upon words and names, e.g. 1:5-6, 1:9, 2:16, etc.; see, too, his use of the term Bethaven, or House of evil, for Bethel, House of God. The tenderness which prevails throughout is shown by his frequent use of the word chesed, signifying mercy, cf. 4:1, 6:6, 10:12, 12:7, 2:21.

Theology of Hosea

• God is termed the Holy One, 11:9;
• He is the Lord God of hosts, 12:5;
• the very land is His, 9:3-4.

Although the term is not used, God, for Osee, is always the Father, we see this particularly in the many passages which set forth the sweet compulsions of the divine mercy, e.g. 2:6-24. And He is also the Redeemer, 1:10-11, 11:8-11, etc. In the moral order, Osee's teaching is the same as that of Amos, he condemns false material ideas of the value of sacrifice, 8:13, 9:4; note the awful reprobation in 9:13-17.

References to the Past History of Israel

Osee is peculiarly rich in such references, especially in chapter 9 and 10. Some of them are obscure to us, for after so many centuries the key has been lost, but it is well to notice this since it affords proof, if such were needed, that the whole story of the Hebrews is not to be found between the covers of the Bible. It is often possible to remove some of the difficulties by a study of the original text. The parallels between the prophecies of Osee and the Mosaic Law are numerous; it will repay the student to work them out for himself. The modern theory is that Osee is the parent of the book of Deuteronomy, but the student should compare such passages as Hosea 5:10 and Deuteronomy 19:14; Hosea 8:7-8 and Deuteronomy 28:33; Hosea 9:11-12 and Deuteronomy 28:41; Hosea 8:1 and Deuteronomy 28:41, etc.

Date of Hosea

We have already shown that it is possible that the prophet wrote subsequent to the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. It should be noted, in addition, that he shows a certain dependence upon Amos, cf. Amos 1:2and Hosea 11:10; Amos 4:15 and Hosea 5:5; Amos 4:11 and Hosea 7:10. At the same time it is possible that Isaias 1:23 (Hebrew text), shows an acquaintance with Hosea 9:15, for both have a similar play upon words, though this might be accidental.

by
Very Rev. Hugh Pope, O.P., S.T.M.
Doctor in Sacred Scripture,
Member of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, and
late Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the Collegio Angelico, Rome.