HOSEA (ho-ze'a), (Heb. 1";;71, ho-shay'ah, de liverer).
(1) Place of Hosea in the Versions. Hosea is the first in order of the minor prophets in the common editions of the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as of the Alexandrian and Vulgate transla tions. The arrangement of thc other writers in the Greek versions differs considerably from that of the Hebrew copies. Both, however, place Hosea first in the catalogue ; yet the reasons often assigned for the priority of place which this prophet enjoys are by no means satisfactory.
By the best computation he seems to have been preceded by Joel, Amos and Jonah. The prophets are thus arranged by De \Vette (Einlcitung, sec. 225) : The table given by Rosentniiller (Scholia in Proph., p. 7) differs from this only in placing Jonah before Joel in chronological order. Compare Newcome (Preface to Minor Prophets, P. 45)• The probable causes of this location of Hosea may bc the thoroughly national character of his oracles, their length, their earnest tone and vivid representations; because he discharged the duties of his office for a longer period than any of his prophetic associates, is the less natural con jecture which has bccn hazarded by Rosenmiiller. , Thc contour of Hosea's book has a closer resem blance to thc greater prophets than any of the eleven productions by which it is succeeded.
(2) Name and Family. 'The name of this propktet has been variously interpretcd. Jerome erroneously renders it 'Salvator.' ft may be either the infinitive absolute, 'Salvando,' or the imperative, 'Salvo' (0 Deus). It is ordinarily written in Greek,'flaiii, and once with the initial aspirate, %Tani (Rom. ix:25). The figments of Jewish writcrs regarding Hosca's parentage need scarcely bc mentioned. His father has been con founded with a prince of the Reubenites (1 Chron. v :6). So, too, Bceri has been reckoned a prophet himself, according to the rabbinical notion that the mention of a prophct's father in the introduc tion to his prophecies is a proof that sire as well as son was endowed with the oracular spirit.
(3) Nationality. Whether Hosea was a citi zen of Israel or Judah has been disputed. The pseudo-Epiphanius and Dorotheus of Tyre speak of him as being born at Belemoth, in the tribe of Issachar (Epiphan. De Vitis Prophet. cap. xi ; Doroth. De Proph. cap. i), Drusius (Critici Sacri. in loc. tom. v) prefers thc reading 'Beth-semes,' and quotes Jerome, who says, 'Osee de tribu Is sachar fuit ortus in Beth-semes.' But Maurer contends strenuously that he belonged to the kingdom of Judah (Continent. Theol., ed. Rosen rmiller, vol. ii. p. 3or) ; while Jahn supposes that he exercised his office, not, as Amos did, in Israel, but in the principality of Judah. Maurer appeals to the superscription in Amos as a proof that prophets of Jewish origin were sometimes com missioned to labor in the kingdom of Israel (against the appeal to Amos, vide Credner, Joel, p. 66, and Hitzig, Handb. Kurzge. exeget zum A. T., p. 72). But with the exception of the case recorded in r Kings xiii:r (a case altogether too singular and mysterious to serve as an argu ment), the instance of Amos is a solitary one, and seems to have been regarded as anomalous by his contemporaries (Amos vii :r2). Neither can we assent to the other hypothesis of Maurer that the mention of the Jewish kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, by Hosea, in his superscrip tion, is a proof that the seer regarded them as his rightful sovereigns. as monarchs of that territory which gave him birth. Hengstenberg has well replied that Maurer forgets 'the relation in which the pious in Israel generally, and the prophets in particular, stood to the kingdom of Judah. They
considered the whole separation, not only the religious, but also the civil, as an apostasy from God. The dominion of the theocracy was prom ised to be the throne of David.' The lofty Elijah, on a memorable occasion, when a direct and sol emn appeal was made to the head of the theoc racy, took twelve stones, one for each tribe— a proof that he regarded the nation as one in re ligious confederation. It was also necessary for correct chronology that the kings of both na tions should be noted. Jeroboam of Israel is mentioned as a means of ascertaining at what period in the long reign of Uzziah Hosea began to prophesy, and Uzziah's successors are named in particular, because the confusion and anarchy of the several interregna in the kingdom of Israel rendered computation by the names of Jeroboam's successors very awkward, difficult and uncertain. The other argument of Maurer for Hosea's being a Jew, viz., because his own people are so severely threatened in his reproofs and denunciations, im plies a predoininance of national prepossession or antipathy in the inspired breast which is incon sistent with our notions of the piety and patriot ism of the prophetic commission (Knobel, Der Prophetisinus der flebriter, vol. i, p. 2o3). So that we can accede to the opinion of De Wette, Rosenmiiller, Hengstenberg, Eichhorn, Manger, Uhland and Kuinoel, that Hosea was an Israel ite, a native of that kingdoin with whose sins and fates his book is specially and primarily occu pied.
(4) Personal and National Relations. The years of Hosea's life were melancholy and tragic. The vials of the wrath of heaven were poured out on his apostate people. The nation suffered under the evils of that schism, which was effected by the craft of him who has been branded with the indelible stigma—Ueroboam, who made Israel to sin.' The obligati,ons of law had been relaxed, and the claims of religion disregarded ; Baal be came the rival of Jehovah, and in the dark re cesses of the groves were practiced the impure and murderous rites of heathen deities; peace and prosperity fled the land, which was harassed by foreign invasion and domestic broils ; might and murder became the twin sentinels of the throne ; alliances were formed with other nations, which brought with them seductions to paganism ; cap tivity and insult were heaped upon Israel by the uncircumcised; the nation was thoroughly de based, and but a fraction of its population main tained its spiritual allegiance (2 Kings xix:18). The death of Jeroboam II was followed by an in terregnum of ten years. At the expiration of this period his son Zechariah assumed the sovereignty, and was slain by Shallum after the short space of six months (2 Kings xv :to). In four weeks Shall= was assassinated by Menahem. The as sassin, during a disturbed reign of ten years, became tributary to the Assyrian Pul. His suc cessor, Pekahiah, wore the crown but two years, when he was murdered by Pekah. Pekah. after swaying his bloody scepter for twenty years, met a similar fate in the conspiracy of Hoshea; Hoshea, the last of the usurpers, after another interreg num of eight years, ascended the throne, and his administration of nine years ended in the over throw of his kingdom and the expatriation of his people. 'The Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. So was Israel carried out of their own land to Assyria unto this day' (2 Kings xvii:t8, 23).