We roughly know Hosea’s dates; we are told his father’s name, that he married and had three children, and that his “accent” (like Peter’s) tells us he is a northerner. Beyond this we rely only on guesswork based upon the material in Hosea’s own preaching; and as this comes to us through the most confused Hebrew text in the OT, the guessing can be hazardous. The prophet’s use of imagery and metaphor have prompted some to compare him with Jesus. The names Hosea and Jesus come from the