The “prophetic judgment speech” and the more specific “covenant lawsuit” (רִיב) are literary forms in the Book of Hosea with definite characteristics. Based on the prophet Hosea’s commission to serve as God’s covenant enforcement mediator,5 the Book of Hosea reflects a literary genre best dubbed a “covenant enforcement document.”6 As a result of Israel’s violation of God’s covenant mandates, as recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, God’s