Hosea, << hoh ZEE uh or hoh ZAY uh, >> Book of, is a book of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, named for an Israelite prophet. It deals with the prophet Hosea’s ministry in the northern kingdom of Israel from about 745 to the 730’s or 720’s B.C., a period of great turmoil and uncertainty. Hosea witnessed the repeated killings and successions of kings. Many people worshiped pagan gods. Hosea regarded such worship as unfaithfulness to God and warned that evil would result.
Many scholars divide the Book of Hosea into two parts. The first describes Hosea’s marriage as a symbol of God’s relation with Israel. The second part tells the details and consequences of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, and promises God’s love and blessings if it repents. Although Hosea shares many themes and ideas with other prophets, his use of symbolic names and the theme of marriage is unusual. His prophecy is also remarkable for its description of God as a loving father.
