SEM. MARK M. CAÑON REV. FR.

KELVIN JOY APURILLO

Theology III – St. Athanasius Professor, Prophets
MINOR PROPHET: HOSEA
Introduction
As we try to examine the book of the prophet Hosea, according to scholars, it is usually
limited to the first three chapters and the striking analogy between the prophet’s failed marriage
and Israel’s relationship with Yahweh. While the remaining chapters (4-14) are among the most
textually difficult sections in the Bible1, the message of Hosea remains clear and powerful. This
paper seeks to explore the theology of the book of Hosea, reflecting on some of the most moving
and mysterious language concerning God’s love and His relationship to His people.
The book of Hosea comes first in the collection known as the “minor prophets”, albeit,
chronologically it is the second book, coming after Amos, and the prophet Amos, historically,
preceded him in his mission. The position that Hosea is given shows the regard in which the
book is held in both the Hebrew and the Christian canons. 2 The Book of Hosea is the longest in
the collection called the Book of Twelve (i.e., the Minor Prophets). Like the book of Amos,
Hosea’s prophecy is set in the northern kingdom of Israel, but unlike Amos, Hosea was himself a
northerner. Hence, Hosea is from the Kingdom of Israel. He is a witness of the unfaithfulness of
Israel. He is living in his own flesh the Assyrian menace; all what Amos had foretold.3
We know very little biographical information about Hosea from his book. As stated by
scholars, his name comes from the Hebrew word ‫( הֹוֵׁש ַע‬Hoshea), meaning ‘salvation.’4 His
prophetic ministry took place shortly before the fall of Israel to Assyria in 722 B.C., probably
late in the reigns of Jeroboam II in the north and Uzziah in the south, and ended early in
Hezekiah’s rule of the south.5
Evidently, Hosea used powerful and imaginative language to portray the relationship
between Israel and Yahweh, calling the idolatrous nation back to a relationship of fidelity with
their covenant with God. While a significant portion of Hosea’s message is concerned with
Yahweh’s judgment, each major section concludes with a message of hope, along with other
scattered references to hope and redemption.6 Hosea’s enduring message is that God’s love
endures for Israel despite her continued unfaithfulness. On the other side of his judgment, God
intends redemption and forgiveness for his people. For this reason, based on the authority of
1
Cf., Raymond B. Dillard and Tremper Longman III, An Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 1994), 353.
2
The Navarre Bible: Minor Prophets - Hosea, ed. Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre
(Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1999), 31.
3
See. Dillard and Longman III, An Introduction to the Old Testament, 354.
4
Abarim Publications, https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Hosea.html (accessed November 30,
2023).
5
See. J. Gordon McConville, "Hosea, Book of," in Dictionary of Old Testament Prophets, edited by M. J.
Boda and J. G. McConville (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2012), 338.
6
Cf., N. E. L. Bolstrom, "Hosea," in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, edited by T. Desmond
Alexander, Brian S. Rosner, et al. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2000), 236; Birch, "Hosea," New
Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (NIDB), 895.
many biblical scholars, it is concluded that no prophet, not even Isaiah or Jeremiah, has equaled
Hosea in the fervor with which he describes the mystery of God’s love for his people.7

Content and Structure

The opening section, Chapters 1-3, narrates Hosea’s marriage to Gomer and the birth of
their three children. Hosea receives the divine instruction, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry
and have children of harlotry, for the land commits great harlotry by forsaking the Lord' (Hosea
1:2). One interpretation, as stated in the Navarre Bible, which explains God’s command and
probes into Hosea’s real marriage, receives more favor nowadays. This interpretation argues that
there was a real marriage, but Hosea’s wife was not a prostitute when he married her. The book
calls her a “wife of harlotry” because it is anticipating Gomer’s later infidelity. This explanation
is consistent with the application of the image to Israel: God chose her before she sinned and she
can be called wanton in view of her later apostasy. Irrespective of whether the text is describing a
real marriage or not, the meaning is always clear: Israel has been unfaithful to her marriage
covenant with her God, just as Gomer betrayed her marriage to Hosea.8
Moreover, in the narration of the book, the relationship between Hosea and his unfaithful
wife, Gomer is compared with the relationship between God and the people of Israel who are
unfaithful. However, the fact that Hosea and his unfaithful wife serve as an illustration or
metaphor for the people of Israel brings a sense of reconciliation, “Afterward the children of
Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and they shall come in fear
to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days” (Hosea 3:5), this reconciliation signifies the
establishment of a good rapport between the people of Israel and God, leading to eventual
reconciliation with God.9
The second half of the book “explains how the result of Hosea 1 – 3 will be achieved”
through a period of severe judgment and discipline. The section starts with a series of oracle
about the widespread corruption in the Northern kingdom; thus, chapters 4 – 11 are Hosea’s
oracles of judgment on Israel for their covenantal unfaithfulness to Yahweh. Despite Yahweh’s
love and desire to restore Israel, their idolatry has brought upon themselves harsh punishment in
the form of the Assyrian exile (Hosea 11:5). The most interesting thing about this section is the
fact that Hosea goes right back to the beginnings of the people, to accuse his fellow-citizens of
being as inconsistent as their father Jacob, who was not a very trustworthy man (Hosea 11:12 –
12:14), and to remind them that they owe their nationhood, their identity, to the Lord, the only
God, when he delivered them from Egypt (Hosea 12:9; 13:4).10
However, the section ends with a very touching oracle surveying the history of Israel
from the viewpoint of God’s love and compassion. The last oracle follows the pattern of the

7
The Navarre Bible: Minor Prophets – Hosea, 35.
8
See. Ibid., 41.
9
Cf., Else K. Holt et al., “Thematic Threads in the Book of the Twelve,” Journal of Biblical Literature 123,
no. 3 (2019): 550, doi:10.2307/3268053.
10
The Navarre Bible: Minor Prophets – Hosea, 73.
whole book: the denunciation of Israel’s infidelity is followed by a blessing from the Lord. The
novelty of this oracle lies in the fact that previously salvation and forgiveness were offered by
the Lord spontaneously and generously, without Israel’s being asked for anything; whereas here
(Hosea 14:1-3) the prophet entreats Israel to be converted so that God may heal her
unfaithfulness. The Lord’s words (Hosea 14:4-8) benevolently offer the people reconciliation and
a cure for their unfaithfulness. So, the book’s conclusion is clear: since the Lord loves them so
deeply, there is nothing that the people can do but respond: “The love of the Beloved or, to put it
better, the Beloved who is love, loves only love and faithfulness. Can we stop loving the one
who is Love in person? Can the one who is Love by his very nature be unloved?”11

Conclusion
I intentionally divided this paper into three parts: Introduction, Content and Structure, and
finally, my Reflection. It is undeniably important to include how the theology of the work of
Prophet Hosea has affected me. As a student of Theology, it is very important to consider the real
intended meaning of the work of Prophet Hosea. However, access to understanding its true
meaning might be difficult to achieve. Nevertheless, many scholars have gone ahead of us and
studied it thoroughly, so through careful investigation and research, we can gain access to the
closest intended meaning of the theology of the work of Prophet Hosea, taking into account
factors such as its place of origin, the author's language, culture, the historical context, and the
author's writing style.
The reality evident in Sacred Scripture, starting from the book of Genesis, reveals a
recurring theme: Israel often turned its back on God when experiencing prosperity. Despite this,
God, in His loving initiative, chose Israel as His own and established a Covenant with them. The
act of defiance by Israel serves as a strong reminder that even in the face of sin and disobedience,
God's love and mercy persist. He consistently offers the opportunity for repentance and
redemption. The theology embedded in the text of Hosea underscores the significance of
faithfulness and obedience to God, the consequences of turning away from Him, and the
enduring love and faithfulness that God extends to His people, even in the midst of their
unfaithfulness.

11
The Navarre Bible: Minor Prophets – Hosea, 82.