Prophesying the Past

The Use of Israel’s History in the Book of Hosea

Else Kragelund Holt

Journal for the study of the Old Testament

Supplement Series 194

Til mor og far

Copyright © 1995 Sheffield Academic Press

Published by

Sheffield Academic Press Ltd

Mansion House

19 Kingfield Road

Sheffield, S11 9AS

England

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 1-85075-540-X

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Chapter 1

Introduction

Part I

Exegesis

Chapter 2

Hosea’s Jacob

Chapter 3

Israel—Yahwehs’s Rebellious People

Part II

Prophetic Tradition

Chapter 4

Election Theology until Hosea—An Experiment

Chapter 5

Tradition and Prophecy—An Overview

Chapter 6

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index of Biblical References

Index of Authors

Preface

The present book is a revised edition of my PhD thesis, presented in June 1990 and defended in February 1991 at the Department of Old Testament studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Aarhus.

While the revision and translation has taken place I have been occupied with teaching and with administrative efforts at the same Department. Therefore I have not had the opportunity to work seriously on new literature. Accordingly, only a few titles from the years 1988–94 have been added to the original manuscript.

Working with the traditio-historical questions of the book of Hosea has made me recognize the deep traditio-historical as well as literary interdependencies between the books of the Old Testament. And although the present study is rather limited in its interests (the so-called historical traditions in the book of Hosea), working on it has carried me through at least 300 years of the history of Ancient Israel. The book of Hosea clearly points towards the most productive era in the history of the Old Testament, the late exilic period.

Writing and re-writing an academic work incurs debts to many people. Without the help and encouragement from my colleagues (and friends) at the Old Testament Department I would never have started working seriously with the books of the Old Testament. First and foremost I owe gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Dr Theol. Knud Jeppesen, who in his never failing enthusiasm and love for the Old Testament has partly tempted me, partly driven me forwards. I am also indebted to the book’s translator, Revd Ray Carlton Jones, PhD, Kristrup, who has done much more to the manuscript than simply translating it. For the technical problems I have received a lot of help from Mrs Birgit Winther-Hansen and Mrs Gerd Askøe at the Department’s Secretariat. Aarhus University Research Foundation has supplied me with the necessary financial assistance. Finally I thank the editors of the JSOT Supplement Series for accepting the manuscript for this Series and for valuable help in the last stages of production.

The present work is not influenced by feminist theology. Nevertheless it has been made under a woman’s conditions. Taking care of my children, ...