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INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA THE PROPHET

Hosea was a contemporary of Amos in Israel, and of Isaiah and Micah in Judah, and his ministry continued after the first, or Assyrian, captivity of the northern kingdom (2 Kings 15:29).

His style is abrupt, metaphorical, and figurative.

Israel is Jehovah's adulterous wife, repudiated, but ultimately to be purified and restored. This is Hosea's distinctive message, which may be summed up in his two words, Lo-ammi, "not my people," and Ammi, "my people."

Israel is not merely apostate and sinful — that is said also; but her sin takes its character from the exalted relationship into which she has been brought.

The book is in three parts:

I. The dishonored wife, Hosea 1:1-3:5.

II. The sinful people, Hosea 4:1-13:8.

III. The ultimate blessing and glory of Israel, Hosea 13:9-14:9.

The events recorded in Hosea cover a period of 60 years (Ussher).

B.C. 785.

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Commentary Critical and Explanatory
on the Whole Bible

INTRODUCTION TO THE TEXT

THE first of the twelve minor prophets in the order of the canon (called "minor," not as less in point of inspired authority, but simply in point of size). The twelve are first mentioned by Jesus, the son of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus 49:10). St. Stephen, in Acts 7:42 (in referring to Amos 5:27 collective body of writings, "the book of the prophets."

So JEROME and MELITO, the first Greek father who has left us a catalogue of these books. The collection of the sacred books is by Jewish tradition attributed to the great synagogue of learned scribes formed by Ezra. Many think Nehemiah completed this collection by adding to the books already in the canon those of his own times. Malachi, the last in the series, probably aided him in determining with infallible authority what books were entitled to be ranked in the inspired canon. The chronological order differs from the canonical.

Joel, about 810 B.C.; Jonah, about 810 B.C., or, as others, first, 862 B.C.; Amos, about 790 B.C.; Hosea, about 784 B.C. Hosea, the contemporary of Isaiah, Micah, and Amos, seems to have entered on his prophetical office in the last years of Jeroboam (contemporary in part with Uzziah), and to have ended it in the beginning of Hezekiah's reign, 722 B.C., that is, about sixty years in all, from 784 B.C. to 722 B.C.

The prophets, however, were not uninterruptedly engaged in prophesying. Considerable intervals elapsed, though their office as divinely commissioned public teachers was never wholly laid aside.

The Book of Hosea which we have constitutes only that portion of his public teachings which the Holy Spirit saw fit to preserve for the benefit of the Church. The cause of his being placed first of the twelve was, probably, the length, the vivid earnestness, and patriotism of his prophecies, as well as their closer resemblance to those of the greater prophets. His style is abrupt, sententious, and unrounded; the connecting particles are few; there are changes of person, and anomalies of gender, number, and construction.

His name means Salvation. He was son of Beeri, of the tribe of Issachar, born in Beth-shemesh [JEROME]. His mention, in the inscription, of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, is no proof that he belonged to Judah: for the prophets in Israel regarded its separation from Judah, civil as well as religious, as an apostasy from God, who promised the dominion of the theocracy to the line of David. Hence Elijah in Israel took twelve stones to represent Judah, as well as Israel (1 Kings 18:31 from Jeroboam of Israel, though he belonged to Israel, with whose sins and fate his book is chiefly occupied. He, however, makes incidental references to Judah.

His first prophecy foretells the overthrow of Jehu's house, fulfilled on the death of Jeroboam, Jehu's great-grandson (2 Kings 15:12 Jehu, conspired against by Shallum. This first prediction was doubtless in Jeroboam's life, as Zachariah, his son, was only suffered to reign six months; thus the inscription is verified that "the word of the Lord came unto him in the days of Jeroboam" (Hosea 1:1 Hosea 10:14 as past, that is, the first inroad against King Hoshea, who began to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz; so that as Ahaz' whole reign was sixteen years, the prophecy seems to have been given about the beginning of Hezekiah's reign. Thus the inscription is confirmed that the exercise of his prophetical functions was of such a protracted duration.

Hosea (Hosea 11:1 Matthew 9:13; 12:7 23; 1 Corinthians 15:55 Hosea 1:9,10; 2:23 predictions of the future conversion of Israel to the Lord their God, and David their king, and of the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham that his spiritual seed should be as the sand of the sea (Hosea 1:10; 3:5

The first and third chapters are in prose, the rest of the book is rhythmical.

~ Jamieson, Fausset, Brown

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CLARKE'S COMMENTARY - Hosea

Additional Resources

• Burton Coffman
• Geniva Bible Commentary
• The New John Gill Exposition
• Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
• Matthew Henry Complete
• Matthew Henry Concise
• Treasury of Scripture
• John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Adam Clarke Commentary for this Chapter ^
Bibliography Information
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Hosea 01". "The Adam Clarke Commentary". 1832.
TOP of Page ^

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921_a Hosea 1:2, for the land hath committed great whoredom

Deuteronomy 31:16; Psalm 73:27; Jeremiah 2:13; Ezekiel 23:3.

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921_b Hosea 1:4, I will avenge the blood of Jereel

2 Kings 10:1-14.

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921_c Hosea 1:6, Call her name Lo-ruha-mah

i.e. unpitied.

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921_d Hosea 1:7, But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah

2 Kings 19:35.

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921_3 Hosea 1:9, Call his name Lo-ammi

i.e., not my people.

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921_f Hosea 1:10, Ye are not my people

Romans 9:25, 26.

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921_1 Hosea 1:9, for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God

My People.

"My people" is an expression used in the Old Testament exclusively of Israel the nation. It is never used of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

See Matthew 2:6.

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921_2 Hosea 1:10, the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand

Israel means "Ten Tribes".

"Israel" in Hosea means the ten tribes forming the northern kingdom as distinguished from "Judah" (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) forming the southern kingdom which adhered to the Davidic family. (See 1 Kings 12:1-21.) The promise of verse 10 awaits fulfilment. See "Israel" (Genesis 12:2, 3; Romans 11:26).

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