Divided kingdom · around 755–715 BC
Hosea in the Bible
The Prophet of Faithful Love. Name meaning: “Salvation” (the usual meaning of the Hebrew Hoshea); not to be confused with Hoshea son of Elah, the last king of Israel
The son of Beeri, Hosea receives the word of the LORD in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash in Israel and of four kings of Judah. God tells him to take Gomer as his wife and to give their three children names that are messages in themselves: Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi. His family life sheds light on Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s stubborn love: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him” (Hos 11:1).
Key moments
- God commands him to take Gomer as his wife Hosea 1:2–3
- His children are named Lo-Ruhamah and Lo-Ammi Hosea 1:6–9
- He buys an adulterous woman for fifteen shekels of silver Hosea 3:2
- The LORD brings a case against the inhabitants of the land Hosea 4:1
- “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice” Hosea 6:6
- “When Israel was a child, then I loved him” Hosea 11:1
- “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God” Hosea 14:1
- Paul quotes his promise to the Gentiles Romans 9:25
Strengths
- Obedience
- Faithfulness
- Candor
- Compassion
Weaknesses
The Bible notes no personal failing in Hosea. His difficulty is his mission: marrying a wife of whoredoms (1:2), then loving yet again a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress (3:1), even to the point of buying her. In his own home, he has to live out the LORD’s grief over Israel’s unfaithfulness.
Lessons for today
- The LORD loves with a faithful love even when his people stray: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hos 14:4).
- God looks for a heart, not just rituals: “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6; Matt 9:13).
- Idols and human alliances cannot save: those who sow the wind reap the whirlwind (Hos 8:7; 7:11).
- Those who were “not my people” become “the sons of the living God” by God’s grace (Hos 1:9-10; Rom 9:25-26).
Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
People around Hosea
- Beeri — Hosea’s father, named in the opening line of his book (Hos 1:1)
- Gomer — Wife, daughter of Diblaim
- Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi — His three children, with message-names
- Amos — A prophet of the same era, in the reign of Jeroboam (Amos 1:1)
- Micah — A prophet of Judah, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Mic 1:1)
- Isaiah — A prophet of Judah, under the same four kings of Judah (Isa 1:1)
Stories with Hosea
Quiz: how well do you know Hosea?
What was the name of the prophet Hosea’s father?
The book opens with “the word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri.” Elah was the father of King Hoshea, Nun of Joshua, and Joash of Jeroboam. Hosea 1:1
What was the name of the woman Hosea took at the LORD’s command?
“So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim.” The other three names belong to mothers of kings of Judah. Hosea 1:3
What name did the LORD tell Hosea to give his first child, a son?
“Call his name Jezreel”: God would avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu. Lo-Ruhamah was the daughter, Lo-Ammi the youngest son. Hosea 1:3–4
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