| Title | : | Hosea |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 038500768X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780385007689 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 699 |
| Publication | : | First published August 5, 1980 |
Introduction - a review and rethinking of Hosea research that offers a fascinating interpretation of the prophet's life and work;
Translation - based on one of the oldest of prophetic writings, this new translation of "Hosea" is unique in so far as the literary integrity of the text is scrupulously adhered to;
Notes - for both scholar and general reader there is cultural and linguistic information which sets each passage within the sociohistoric context of eighth century B.C.E. (Hebrew vocabulary, syntax, and poetic language are examined in an effort to confront one of the most obscure sections of biblical literature); and,
Illustrations - eight pages of photographs will take the reader through the ancient days of the Middle Bronze Age into the wonders of the Iron Age in which Hosea lived.
Hosea Reviews
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An incredibly dense, verbose and thorough technical commentary on Hosea. No stone is left unturned. Andersen and Freedman do justice to the Masoretic Text, seldom opting to change it in favor of a suggested editorial emendation or a translational issue. Their interpretations are never without deep research and reason, though other commentators (see Harper, Tully and MacIntosh) offer alternatives worth consideration (and arguably in a more approachable format).
Two main critiques of this edition: all the Hebrew citations are transliteration rather than the text. This makes it absolutely necessary to have a BHS copy open for reference rather than relying on their book, unless one is adept at connecting transliteration to the Hebrew text. I am not, and I found it frustrating. Another issue is its formatting. Much of it is crammed together without much in the way of paragraph breaks, chapter divisions or divisions. This is not a critique of content, just of format. -
I do, in fact, recognize that you aren't supposed to read Bible commentaries straight through--they're reference books, meant to be used piecemeal as needed. However, I also realized this about encyclopedia volumes, joke dictionaries, and Choose Your Own Adventures, yet I read those cover to cover. I'm like that.
So this--this is fascinating, but thick. I have no idea about a lot of the scholarship being referenced in shorthand, and I have zero grasp of Hebrew. I fully intend on returning to this after I've spent some time building up both, because so much of this particular commentary relies on your understanding of why that case usage is significant in this scholar's reading of that historical background to Hosea's narrative. Really intricate and interesting stuff, but I need to go learn more background. I did make it pretty far before admitting defeat, though, and that's nothing to sneeze at. -
Not completely finished but thoroughly impressed by Andersen and Freedman's attention to detail. They cover every aspect of the text, lay out the different possibilities and present solid cases for their opinions. The best commentary on Hosea that I've read.
