Digital Verbum Edition
Hans Walter Wolff’s fascinating commentary on the book of Hosea is an insightful and essential study of one of the most difficult Old Testament prophets.
“the prominence of parallelismus membrorum; he shows a preference for synonymous parallelism” (Page xxiv)
“Then ‘wife of whoredom’ (אשׁת זנונים) refers to any young woman ready for marriage (as in 4:13f*) who had submitted to the bridal rites of initiation then current in Israel. The cultic symbols made her easily recognizable as an average, ‘modern’ Israelite woman. She whom Hosea is to marry is therefore not an especially wicked exception; she is simply representative of her contemporaries in Israel.” (Page 15)
“Hence the latest group of texts which we can date with a fair amount of certainty has its origin around 725–24, immediately preceding or at the beginning of the siege of Samaria.” (Page xxi)
“Hosea’s public orations were most likely delivered in Samaria22 or in the area of Bethel and Gilgal” (Page xxii)
“In this verse we found three explanatory supplements to v 11* which the traditionists drew from a store of prophetic traditions.88 ‘They will follow after Yahweh’ elucidates the elliptic expression ‘trembling from’ in v 11a*. The triumphs of Yahweh’s holy love will be met (cf. 2:9*) by the discipleship of those who now look to the Baals (vv 2*, 7*; cf. 2:7*, 15*) and to foreign powers for help (v 5*; cf. 5:11*, 13*; 7:11*). Israel’s return to the homeland brings salvation only if it is accompanied by following Yahweh. The ‘turn’ within Yahweh (v 8b*) effects Israel’s return to Yahweh.” (Page 203)
Hans Walter Wolff is emeritus professor of Old Testament at the University of Heidelberg. His books include the commentaries on Obadiah and Jonah, Micah, and Haggai in the Continental Commentary Series and the commentary on Joel and Amos from the Hermeneia series.