Laurie J. Braaten                                                                              SBL Annual Meeting, Nashville, Nov. 19, 2000

God Sows the Land: Hosea’s Place in the Book of the Twelve

 

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF PAPER

Thematic approach to & synchronic reading of (MT) Book of the Twelve (limited to Hosea, Joel, & Malachi).

      What literary clues commend Hosea (esp. 1-3) as the introduction to the Book of the Twelve?

      What is the Book of the Twelve, and for what was it used?  (purpose and setting).

BLOCK 1: HOSEA 1-3

A. Literary Frames: Hosea 1-2 with Mal 3[4]

      1. Land Inclusio (Hos 1.2 « Mal 3.24[4.6])

      2. Elijah (/Elisha) Traditions ([Jezreel-Jehu in] Hos 1.4 « Mal 3.23[4.5])

      3. Parent-Child ([YHWH & Land - Israel in] Hos 1-2, etc. « Mal 1.6; 3.17 cf. 4.5[6] LXX)

      Also: Marriage, Day(s) of intervention, call to repent, etc; Malachi « Joshua (see conclusion)

B. Thematic Material (and issues) as Introduction to Hosea and the Book of the Twelve

      1. Whoredom and Bloodshed accusations (false worship & violence ® land pollution)

      2. Jezreel, “God Sows/Inseminates” -/+ significance (Hos 1.4-5; 2.2 [1.11]; 24-25 [22-23])

      3. Disownment and restoration of people (Hos 1.6-7, 1.9-2.1[1.10]; 2.3 [1], 6[4]; 2.25[23])

      4. Judgment threatened, appeal, restoration of bride/mother land (Hos 1.2b; 2.4-25[2-23])

      5. Judgment and Post-exilic return with Davidic hope (Hos 3)

BLOCK 2: HOSEA 4:1-5:7

A. Hos 4:1-3  Second Introduction: Lawsuit against people, Land Mourns (Katherine Hayes)

  “Mourning” imposed in Hos 2 (cf. Nah 3.1-7), *Land/Earth as example for unrepentant people

B. Hos 4:1-5:7  Indictments for bloodshed, lack knowledge of God, whoredom, Israel bear sons of strangers

*BLOCK 3: HOSEA 5:8-7:16

Assembly: Shophar & cry (5.8) coming “day of punishment” (5.9), God awaits confession (5.15)

Presumptuous and false efforts at repentance (6.1-6; 7.10, 13-16); bloodshed & whoredom (6.7-11)

*BLOCK 4: HOSEA 8:1-9:9

Assembly: Shophar & (false) cries (8.1, 2; 9.7), festival day of visitation // recompense inescapable (9.5-7, Irvine)

Israel continues in idolatry (8.3ff.) whoredom, defilement, will lose land and crops (9.1-4)

  {Blocks 3-4 may be Joel’s model for repentance assembly called by shophar and cry, Day of YHWH}

BLOCK 5: HOSEA 9:10-10:15

Increased threats: plant imagery applied to Ephraim, bereavement, woe oracles, disownment (9.10-17)

Harvest imagery: YHWH’s punishment is Ephraim reaping what sown; appeal to seek YHWH (10:1-15)

BLOCK 6: HOSEA 11:1-14:10[9]

Threat: Israel punished as rebellious adopted son; YHWH will spare! (11.1-11), threats & appeals (12.1-13.11)

Land in travail with Ephraim, unwise son, decision to redeem; Threat: warfare for Samaria  (13:12-14.1[13.16])

Conclusion: Appeal for Israel to repent, offer to heal if orphan accepts mercy, fertility imagery (14.2-10[1-9])

 

JOEL  (Survey of Selected Passages)

JOEL 1:1  “Word of YHWH which was to…(cf. 1 Kgs 17.2, 8; 18.1; 21.17; cf. Hos 1.1)…Joel” (“YHWH is God,” inverse of Elijah).

JOEL 1:2-20

1.2-4 Devastation announced by Hosea here, repentance commanded in Hosea due (Nogalski)

1.4-20 Commands: lament, mourn demise of land, sanctify a fast, Day of YHWH is near (1.4-17)

      Response: Ground mourns (1.10), domestic and wild animals lament (1.18-20; cf. Jon 3.5-10; 4.11)

JOEL 2:1-3.5 [2.32]

Commands: Shophar & Cry, assembly; Day of YHWH (2.1, 15; cf. Blocks 3-4), Appeal for true repentance (2.12-14) & Priestly intercession based on mercy of God (2.12-17). Responses:

   Conditional oracle of salvation: YHWH zealous for land, mercy on people, agriculture restored (2.19-20)

  “Do not fear” to soil (2.21) wild animals (2.22); “Rejoice sons of Zion”(2.23) - vegetational restoration.

   Spirit will be poured out on all flesh, nonprophets prophesy, dream dreams, see visions (3.1-2[2.28-29]).

      1) Reversal of negative ruah language in Hosea (of whoredom, Israel sowing wind, winds of judgment),

      2) fulfillment of Mosaic ideal (Num 11.29);

      3) legitimizes prophetic words and visions of nonprophet Amos

        {Everyone who calls on YHWH will be saved (like people and animals who mourn/repent in Jonah 3-4?)} 

JOEL 4[3]:19-20

Egypt and Edom a desolate wilderness due to bloodshed in land of Judah, Judah inhabited forever.

MALACHI – Survey and Conclusions

MALACHI 1-3

Themes linking with Hosea: YHWH as father, false worship, false repentance, “seed of God” not produced, community faithlessness, threats and appeals, etc.

CONCLUSION OF MALACHI and THE SCROLL OF THE TWELVE

1) Call to repent (3.6-7), disobedience and resistance to Mourning/repentance rituals (3.14-15, cf. Zech 1.2-6)

2) Response: YHWH notes those who fear, “scroll of remembrance” written, God spares as father (3.16-18)

   Content: Link with “Remember the Torah of my servant Moses” (3.22[4.4])= Scroll of the Twelve? (Nogalski)

Role of prophets: proclaim torah of Moses, words often written on scroll & read at assemblies of repentance to restore people, land, vegetation (Jer 36.4-8 [Hos 8.12 & Hab 2.2-3?]; Zech 7.1-14 [cf. 1.3-6]; 2 Kgs 17.13-18; 2 Chron 7.12-14; Ezra 9.5-10.1; Neh 9.1-37; Dan 9.3-19; cf. Ezek 2.10).

3) Final warning concerning Day (MT): Elijah to restore intergenerational respect needed for long life on the land (Mal 3.23-24[4.5-6], for MT context of torah recited in cult & taught in home see Deut 32:44-47, cf. 5.16).

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

“Land,” with “Scroll, Torah of Moses my Servant, & Remember,” link the end of Malachi 3 and the Book of the Twelve with Joshua 1, forming an inclusio with the beginning and end of the Nebi’im.

 

© 2000 Laurie J. Braaten                                    For questions or comments contact: [email protected]

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