Hosea: A Textual Commentary

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Mayer I. Gruber provides a new commentary on and translation of Hosea. Building upon his work that debunked the myth of sacred prostitution, Gruber now goes on to show that the book of Hosea repeatedly advocates a single standard of marital fidelity for men and women and teaches cheated women to fight back. Gruber employs the latest and most precise findings of lexicography and poetics to solve the difficulties of the text and to determine both how Hosea can be read and what this means. The translation differs from classical and recent renderings in eliminating forms and expressions, which are neither modern English nor ancient Hebrew. Referring to places, events, and material reality of the 9th and 8th centuries BCE, Gruber uncovers the abiding messages of the heretofore obscure book of Hosea. As in previous studies, Gruber employs the insights of behavioral sciences to uncover forgotten meanings of numerous allusions, idioms, similes, and metaphors. Judicious use is made also of textual history, reception history, and personal voice criticism. One of the least biblical books now speaks more clearly to present and future audiences than it did to many previous audiences.

Reviews

I would recommend Grubers commentary. His use of the ancient versions and Targum Jonathan are judicious, and I found his philological arguments lucid and helpful. * Biblical Theology Bulletin *
An extremely rich and mature work that has grown over a long period of time and will be a valuable advancement to Hosea studies Provides a valuable basis for further examination of the challenging message of the Hosea. * Biblische Notizen *

Author Bio

Mayer I. Gruber is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Bible Archaeology and Ancient Near East, at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.