Commentary on the Book of Hosea
Father Tadros Y. Malaty

“Hosea” is a Hebrew word meaning (Jehovah saves), from which the name “Joshua” or “Jesus” was derived. “Hosea” was one of the prophets before the captivity who witnessed the captivation of Israel or the fall of Samaria by Assyria in the year 722 B.C. He was also a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah (See Hosea 1: 1; Isaiah 1: 1), Micah in Judah; and Amos in Israel.

Mentioning ‘Ephraim’, does not refer to the tribe of Ephraim alone, but to the northern kingdom of Israel as a whole. Yet mentioning it 36 times, would probably hint that he was a citizen of Mount Ephraim.

Hosea is considered a prophet of Israel. The fact that his prophecies sometimes include Judah is explicable as it is claimed that he lived his last days in Judah and prophesied there.

Father Tadros Y. Malaty