Digital Logos Edition
In this solid theological commentary on the book of Hosea, J. Andrew Dearman considers the prophetic figure’s historical roots in the covenant traditions of ancient Israel, includes his own translation of the biblical text, and masterfully unpacks Hosea’s poetic, metaphorical message of betrayal, judgment, and reconciliation.
“whether repentance is inadequately expressed or offered as advice to Israel, the people failed the loyalty test.” (Page 191)
“When read together, chs. 1–3 have a basic theme: God’s judgment in the historical process will come against a faithless Israel, sometime after which God will initiate a period of restoration.” (Page 80)
“Three prominent features of the book are reasons for its uniqueness: the use of metaphors (including similes), paronomasia or wordplays, and allusions to prior national history. In terms of frequency of use, the book exceeds all other prophetic books in these three areas. Hosea has the distinction of being the prophetic book most poetic in the employment of metaphor and wordplay, and most historical with respect to allusions to prior national traditions.” (Page 10)
“The received texts of Hosea (Hebrew or MT; Greek versions) are among the most difficult in the OT. ‘With the possible exception of Job, the book of Hosea has the dubious distinction of having the most obscure passages of the entire Hebrew Bible.… The text is traditionally regarded as the most corrupt and poorly preserved of the Hebrew Bible.’” (Page 9)
“But in the reversal of Israel’s state of judgment in 2:14, the wilderness plays yet another role. It is the area where Moses mediated God’s covenant to Israel and where God sustained Israel for years before bringing them to the land of promise.” (Page 121)
This is a welcome addition to the NICOT series on one of the most important prophets of ancient Israel. The introduction is especially helpful on Hosea’s use of metaphors and similes, and readers will not be disappointed by Dearman’s thorough and penetrating exegesis.
—Bill T. Arnold, Paul S. Amos Professor of Old Testament Interpretation, Asbury Theological Seminary
Hosea’s complexities begin with translation and extend to its rich use of imagery. Andrew Dearman brings his considerable skills as a Hebraist and historian as well as his expert literary and theological sensitivities to bear on the interpretation of this important book. Serious engagement with the book of Hosea now starts with Dearman’s commentary.
—Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College
Dearman’s commentary provides the most recent deep engagement with the ancient text of Hosea the prophet. Dialoguing with the best of scholarship, the commentary offers both detailed exegesis of the text with accompanying translation from the original Hebrew, as well as general overviews at key literary junctures to orient the reader to the progressive development of the book as a whole. Particularly helpful is Dearman’s sensitivity to the social context of ancient Israelite households. He restores the vivid metaphorical colors of the book of Hosea long faded by history. This is a welcome addition to the NICOT series.
—Mark J. Boda, professor of Old Testament, McMaster Divinity College, McMaster University
The book of Hosea is pound for pound as difficult a prophetic book as one can find in the Bible, so we appreciate the work of J. Andrew Dearman in this extraordinary commentary. Dearman captures well the metaphorical theology of Hosea, and his thoughtful reflection on the text attends to the various issues of every passage in the book. In his appendices he guides the reader through ten topics that dominate Hosea scholarship. Readers will consistently appreciate Dearman’s clear and succinct writing style. Reading this commentary is a treat.
—Stephen Reid, professor of Christian Scriptures, Baylor University
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