Hosea

AI summary: This Hosea matters because the cross references present him as a prophet whose marriage and children are woven directly into his message. He speaks into the northern kingdom's unfaithfulness with a mix of searing judgment and extraordinary covenant tenderness, and later Scripture continues to draw on his language. Taken together, the material presents Hosea as a prophet whose life and message together proclaim both judgment and steadfast love.¹

Salvation, the son of Beeri, and author of the book of prophecies bearing his name. He belonged to the kingdom of Israel. “His Israelitish origin is attested by the peculiar, rough, Aramaizing diction, pointing to the northern part of Palestine; by the intimate acquaintance he evinces with the localities of Ephraim (5:1; 6:8, 9; 12:12; 14:6, etc.); by passages like 1:2, where the kingdom is styled ‘the land’, and 7:5, where the Israelitish king is designated as ‘our’ king.” The period of his ministry (extending to some sixty years) is indicated in the superscription (Hos. 1:1, 2). He is the only prophet of Israel who has left any written prophecy. ³