Editing Book of Hosea (section)

==Theological contribution ==
Hosea is a prophet whom God uses to portray a message of repentance to God's people. Through Hosea's marriage to Gomer, God shows his [[love of God|great love]] for his great people, comparing himself to a husband whose wife has committed adultery, using this image as a metaphor for the covenant between God and Israel. God's love was "misunderstood" by his people.<ref name=jbintro /> Hosea influenced latter prophets such as [[Jeremiah]]. He is among the first writing prophets, and the [[Hosea 14|final chapter of Hosea]] has a format similar to [[wisdom literature]].{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

Like [[Amos (prophet)|Amos]], Hosea elevated the religion of Israel to the altitude of ethical monotheism, being the first to emphasize the moral side of God's nature. Israel's faithlessness, which resisted all warnings, compelled him to punish the people because of his own holiness. Hosea considers infidelity as the chief sin, of which Israel, the adulterous wife, has been guilty against her loving husband, God. Against this he sets the unquenchable love of God, who, in spite of this infidelity, does not cast Israel away forever, but will draw his people to himself again after the judgment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7895-hosea-book-of|title=HOSEA, BOOK OF - JewishEncyclopedia.com|website=www.jewishencyclopedia.com}}</ref>