Dearman, Hosea (NICOT)

The Book of Hosea, written by Andrew Dearman for the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series, has been released. Dearman is Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary’s Houston extension. Some of the endorsements for Dearman’s volume include:

Dearman’s commentary provides the most recent deep engagement with the ancient text of Hosea the prophet. Dialoguing with the best of scholarship, the commentary offers both detailed exegesis of the text with accompanying translation from the original Hebrew, as well as general overviews at key literary junctures to orient the reader to the progressive development of the book as a whole. Particularly helpful is Dearman’s sensitivity to the social context of ancient Israelite households. He restores the vivid metaphorical colors of the book of Hosea long faded by history. This is a welcome addition to the NICOT series. – Mark J. Boda, McMaster Divinity College

Hosea’s complexities begin with translation and extend to its rich use of imagery. Andrew Dearman brings his considerable skills as a Hebraist and historian as well as his expert literary and theological sensitivities to bear on the interpretation of this important book. Serious engagement with the book of Hosea now starts with Dearman’s commentary. – Tremper Longman III

This is a welcome addition to the NICOT series on one of the most important prophets of ancient Israel. The introduction is especially helpful on Hosea’s use of metaphors and similes, and readers will not be disappointed by Dearman’s thorough and penetrating exegesis. – Bill T. Arnold

The book of Hosea is pound for pound as difficult a prophetic book as one can find in the Bible so we appreciate the work of J. Andrew Dearman in this commentary. Dearman gives today’s reader an extraordinary guide to that difficult and confusing book. He provides a clear introduction to the book that helps the reader construct the historical context of the book and a portrait of the prophetic figure of Hosea. He captures well the metaphorical theology of Hosea. His thoughtful reflection on the text attends to the various issues of every passage in the book. He guides the reader through ten topics that dominate Hosea scholarship through appendices. The reader will consistently appreciate Dearman’s clear and succinct writing style. Reading this commentary will be a treat. – Stephen Reid