Version: King James Version (public domain)
Hosea
God’s faithful love
Hosea uses his own marriage to an unfaithful wife as an image of God’s love for an unfaithful Israel, whom he keeps calling back.
Historical context
He is the only writing prophet from the northern kingdom, active shortly before the fall of Samaria (722 BC).
Explanation
Best-known passages
- The prophet’s marriage (ch. 1–3)
- “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice” (ch. 6)
- “When Israel was a child, then I loved him” (ch. 11)