Hoseaהושע
Description
In the Hebrew Bible, Hosea, also known as Osee, son of Beeri, was an 8th-century BC prophet in Israel and the nominal primary author of the Book of Hosea. He is the first of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose collective writings were aggregated and organized into a single book in the Jewish Tanakh by the Second Temple period but which are distinguished as individual books in Christianity. Hosea is often seen as a "prophet of doom", but underneath his message of destruction is a promise of restoration. The Talmud claims that he was the greatest prophet of his generation. The period of Hosea's ministry extended to some sixty years, and he was the only prophet of Israel of his time who left any written prophecy.
Facts
| Venerated in | Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Rastafari |
| Major shrine | Safed, Israel |
| Feast | October 17 (Orthodox Christianity) |
| Attributes | raising his hand in benediction, holding a scroll with the words Ex Aegypto vocavi filium meum |
| Major works | Book of Hosea |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | The name Hosea seems to have been common, and is derived from a related verb meaning 'salvation'. |
| Location | Although it is not expressly stated in the Book of Hosea, it is apparent from the level of detail and familiarity focused on north-east geography, that Hosea conducted his prophetic ministries in the northern Kingdom of Israel, of which he was a native. |
| Family | Little is known about the life or social status of Hosea. |
| Rabbinic literature | The reign of Uzziah, who for a while occupied the throne during his father Amaziah's lifetime, is notable particularly because it marks the beginning of the activity of three of the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah. |
| Christian thought | One of the early writing prophets, Hosea used his own experience as a symbolic representation of God and Israel. |
| In Islam | In Islam, Ḥushayā ibn Bīrī (Arabic: حشايا بن بيري) is considered to be an Israʼiliyyat prophet sent to guide Bani-Israel after they turned away from God. |
| Observances | He is commemorated with the other Minor prophets in the Calendar of saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 31. |
| Tomb | Jewish tradition holds that the tomb of Hosea is a structure located in the Jewish cemetery of Safed; however, Emil G. |
| In popular culture | The character Hosea Matthews in the video game Red Dead Redemption 2 is named after the prophet. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Hosea, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| Jezreel — I will soon punish the house of Jehu | Hos 1:4 |
| Not pitied, not my people → I will have pity and say 'my people' | Hos 1:6-9; 2:23 |
| After two days he revives us; on the third he raises us up | Hos 6:2 |