Yahweh and the gods in Hosea

This contribution investigates (i) the function of the polemics against the gods in the book of Hosea, (ii) the polemical terms used and (iii) the spectrum of religious worship attacked. It concludes that religious life in Hosea's day was practised on three levels: that of the family, region an...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kruger, P. A. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 1992
In: Journal for semitics
Year: 1992, Volume: 4, Issue: 1, Pages: 81-97
Further subjects:B View of Israel's early religious history
B Gods in the book of Hosea
B Religious worship
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:This contribution investigates (i) the function of the polemics against the gods in the book of Hosea, (ii) the polemical terms used and (iii) the spectrum of religious worship attacked. It concludes that religious life in Hosea's day was practised on three levels: that of the family, region and state, of which the second and third levels were heavily syncretized. To drive his message home in these circumstances, the prophet employs the following rhetorical strategy: (a) He presents a schematized view of Israel's early religious history in which the worship of the gods is relegated to their ""now"" existence in the land. Over against this sinful present he puts God's historical ""then"" - his salvation deeds. (b) In order to further stress the gravity and abusiveness of Israel's ""now"" existence, he engages in a severe polemics against the gods for which he coined various abusive designations.
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for semitics
Persistent identifiers:HDL: 10.10520/AJA10318471_227