<p><strong>An adulterous woman repeatedly spurns the love of her youth, while her betrayed husband offers forgiveness and seeks to win her back.</strong> With this bold and uncomfortable imagery, Hosea tells the story of God and his people. </p><p>God calls the prophet to embody this divine suffering and redeeming forgiveness in his own marriage, thereby setting the stage for his message of God's faithful and enduring love, his righteous judgment, and his continuing offer of reconciliation and restoration. This Tyndale commentary from Robin Routledge explores the historical, cultural, literary, and theological dimensions of the book of Hosea.</p><p>The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The <em>Introduction</em> to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural <em>Analysis</em>, the <em>Commentary</em> takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. <em>Additional Notes</em> provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. </p><p>In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary oneach section of the text is structured under three headings: <em>Context</em>, <em>Comment</em>, and <em>Meaning</em>. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.</p>
<p>Robin Routledge was formerly senior lecturer in Old Testament, director of research, and academic dean at Mattersey Hall, England. He is the author of <em>Old Testament Introduction</em> and <em>Old Testament Theology</em>, and coeditor of <em>AsLong as the Earth Endures</em> and <em>Bible and Mission</em>.</p>
<p>Tremper Longman III (PhD, Yale University) is Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author or coauthor of over thirty books, including <em>How to Read the Psalms</em>, <em>How to Read Proverbs</em>, <em>Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation</em>, and <em>Old Testament Essentials</em>.</p>
<p>David G. Firth is tutor in Old Testament at Trinity College, Bristol. He is the author of <em>1 and 2 Samuel</em> (Apollos Old Testament Commentary), <em>The Message of Joshua</em>, and <em>Including the Stranger</em>, and the coeditor of <em>Interpreting the Psalms</em>, <em>Interpreting Isaiah</em>, <em>Words and the Word</em>, and <em>Presence, Power and Promise</em>.</p>
