The Book of Hosea
Hosea dramatizes God's faithful love for an unfaithful people through the prophet's own marriage to a faithless wife — a portrait of relentless mercy.
- Testament
- Old (14 chapters)
- Type
- Minor Prophet
- Date
- Active in the northern kingdom roughly 750-720 BC, before its fall to Assyria.
God's love as costly faithfulness
God instructs Hosea to marry Gomer, who proves unfaithful, then to take her back. The metaphor is searing: Israel is the unfaithful wife; God is the husband who keeps loving. Few books are this painful or this tender.
Knowing God
Hosea calls for not just sacrifice but covenant loyalty — 'I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings' (6:6). Jesus quotes this twice (Matthew 9:13, 12:7).
Key verses (KJV)
“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.” — Hosea 14:4 (KJV)
“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” — Hosea 6:6 (KJV)
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground.” — Hosea 10:12 (KJV)
How to read Hosea
Read chapters 1-3 (Hosea's marriage), 6 (return to the LORD), 11 (God's heart toward Israel), and 14 (the closing call to return). The book is dense; these chapters give the spine.
Read Hosea on your iPhone
Read the full book of Hosea in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
Read Hosea free on iPhone.
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From the blog
Frequently asked questions
What is the Book of Hosea about?
Hosea is a book of Minor Prophet, running to 14 chapters. Its main threads: God's love as costly faithfulness; Knowing God.
Who wrote the Book of Hosea?
Hosea son of Beeri.
Where does Hosea come in the Bible?
Hosea is one of the 39 books of the Old Testament in the Protestant canon, grouped with the Minor Prophet books. You can walk the canon in order using the previous and next links on this page.