The Book of Hosea (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament | NICOT)

by J. Andrew Dearman

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2010

Overview

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.

Key Features

• Verse-by-verse commentary
• In-depth discussion of textual and critical matters
• Introduction to the authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology of Hosea

Contents

Top Highlights

“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)

Endorsements

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

Product Details

• Title: The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Hosea
• Author: J. Andrew Dearman
• Series: New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT)
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 428

About J. Andrew Dearman

John Andrew (Andy) Dearman is director and associate dean for Fuller Texas and professor of Old Testament. Dr. Dearman joined Fuller’s faculty in 2009 after several years of connection to the seminary, including teaching as an adjunct professor at two regional campuses. Before coming to Fuller, he taught Old Testament at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary for 27 years, serving as its academic dean from 1997 to 2003. Additionally, Dearman spent time on faculty at Louisiana State University and has served as a visiting professor at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany; Stellenbosch University, South Africa; the University of South Africa; and Justo Mwale Theological College, Zambia. A respected archaeological researcher, he has held staff positions on archaeological surveys and excavations in Israel and Jordan. Dearman has written several books, including Jeremiah and Lamentations (NIV Application Commentary series, 2002), The Land that I Will Show You: Essays on the History and Archaeology of the Near East in Honor of J. Maxwell Miller (editor and contributor, 2001), Religion and Culture in Ancient Israel (1992), Harper’s Bible Pronunciation Guide (editor and contributor, 1989), Studies of the Mesha Inscription and Moab (editor and contributor, 1989), and Property Rights in the Eighth-Century Prophets: The Conflict and Its Background (1988). Dearman serves on the editorial board of the NIV Application Commentary series by Zondervan, and is currently writing a commentary on Hosea for the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series. Additionally, he is a part of two ongoing Bible translation projects, contributing to translation for The Voice (Thomas Nelson) and serving as a translation editor for the Common English Bible (Abingdon). Dearman, who also holds an honorary ThD from the Reformed Theological Academy of Debrecen in Hungary, is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Schools of Oriental Research, and is an honorary member of the Old Testament Society of Southern Africa. He is ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA).