Read the Book of Hosea online. Scripture chapters verses with full summary, commentary meaning, and concordances for Bible study. Summary: Hosea depicts God’s unwavering love and faithfulness despite Israel’s persistent unfaithfulness and idolatry.

Understanding the Context

Through the prophet’s marriage to his unfaithful wife Gomer, God illustrates His enduring commitment to His people. In the Hebrew Bible, Hosea (/ hoʊˈziːə / hoh-ZEE-ə or / hoʊˈzeɪə / hoh-ZAY-ə; Hebrew: הוֹשֵׁעַ, romanized: Hōšēaʿ, lit. 'Salvation'), also known as Osee[1] (Ancient Greek: Ὡσηέ, romanized: Hōsēé), son of Beeri, was an 8th-century BC prophet in Israel and the nominal primary author of the Book of Hosea. 4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

Key Insights

5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” HOSEA 1 NIV - The word of the LORD that came to Hosea - Bible Gateway Instructed by God to minister to a confused and unfaithful people in a state of moral decline, Hosea was also told to marry a prostitute and remain faithful to her in marriage even while she... Hosea lived in the northern kingdom of Israel about 200 years after it broke off from southern Judah (1 Kgs. 12). He was called to speak on God’s behalf to the people of Israel (who he also called “Ephraim” or “Jacob”) during the reign of one of Israel’s worst kings, Jeroboam II. Hosea was a prophet of God in the Bible.

Final Thoughts

His book is the first of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. As a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, Hosea ministered primarily to the northern kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BC, during the reigns of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah of Judah, and Jeroboam II of Israel (Hosea 1:1).