Hebrew Bible: Amos and Hosea

Prophets:  Amos and Hosea

10/24/2011

Up to this point in the Israelite chronology,

prophecy was usually a profession composed of several groups

which often supported the king and rallied the people around positve predictions.

Amos

        prophesized in the Northern Kingdom during the 8th century BCE.

He was one of the first (if not the first) prophets to have written prophecies.  His main concerns were of social justice, making his words similar to wisdom literature.  Amos was from Tekoa, south of Jerusalem.

       Composition

• chapters 1-2:  oracles about neighboring nations
• 3-6:  oracles for/against the Northern Kingdom
• 7-9:  the encounter with the priest Amaziah

Amos 1-2 -- oracles against Damascus of Aram, Gaza of Philistine, Tyre, Ammonites, etc. 

Their condemnation was wrongdoing done against other nations (e.g. Damascus against Gilead).

The "for three...and for four" phrase is an idiom meaning "several."

Amos 4 -- worship at a high place (vs. 4-5; establishment of Jeroboam)

Amos argues that the people were doing "the right things at the wrong place," thereby arguing for centralization of worship.

Amos 6 -- condemnation on the extravagance at the cost of the poor (vs. 4)

Amos 7 -- encounter with Amaziah, priest at Bethel

Amaziah wanted Amos to return to Judah, his homeland, and prophesy there (vs. 12-13).

Amos replies, "I am no prophet."  His understanding of the prophets as a paparazzi of sorts was not his form of work; he was not a "professional," hired by the king to prophesy in his favor.

Amos 9 -- no consideration of the covenant (vs. 7)

Amos did not see Israel as being a special nation in the eyes of YHWH; rather, the whole earth was subject to Him.

Verse 11 demonstrates the work of an editor, since it references the fall of the "booth of David," which had not happened yet during the period Amos prophesized.

Hosea

       prophesized in the Northern Kingdom during the 8th century BCE.

His concerns were mainly the wickedness of Israel's idolatry, yet social justice is also addressed.  Unique in Hosea's prophecies is the use of symbolic/metaphoric action (like Zedekiah, mentioned in an earlier post; and like Isaiah when he was naked and barefoot, Isaiah 20).

Hosea 1 -- prophetic symbolic action

God commands Hosea to marry a "woman of promiscuity" and to have three children with her, whom he will prophetically name.

       Names

•  Jezreel -- the "summer home" of the kings, symbolizing their decadence and idolatry
• Lo-Ruhama -- meaning "not loved/pitied"
• Lo-Ammi -- meaning "not my people"