Hosea

Overall, then, this is an excellent commentary for those looking for an analysis of the text and theology of the book of Hosea. It is contemporary, mostly up to date on the scholarship (I would have liked some engagement with Moon’s AOTC volume, given Moon and Hwang both produce their own translations for their respective commentaries), and very readable. For those with better Hebrew than I, it will be of more utility, too. I think this will be a particularly useful tool for preachers – digging into the depths of the text and theology of Hosea, and drawing out more than the basic plot, or surface-level observations. Close to the end of his commentary, Hwang writes: “The stories we tell about the past also reveal for the present whether God has been a minor character in our quest for self-actualizaion or whether we are actors in his larger drama of redemption as recorded in Scripture” (p. 308). This commentary helped me to read and appreciate the book of Hosea afresh – seeing beyond my half-remembered reading of other books, and listening to other sermons, to the text and theology of this complex prophet. [Full Review]

Hwang’s Hosea is one of the strongest recent evangelical commentaries on the book. He integrates Hebrew discourse analysis, ancient Near Eastern background, the theology of covenant and kingship, creation imagery and the position of Hosea within the Twelve with unusual breadth. Particularly helpful is the way historical and cultural material is allowed to clarify Hosea’s theology rather than merely decorate it, and his attention to repeated words and discourse relationships often produces fresh observations. I do not follow every contemporary ethical application, especially where the discussion of violence moves beyond what the text itself establishes, but this does not detract significantly from the exegesis. Andersen–Freedman and Macintosh remain indispensable technical predecessors; Hwang is their best recent evangelical complement.