The prophet Hosea was a native of Israel. He began his prophecies a few years after the older Amos at a time when the disasters have already begun. Hosea speaks in the Book of Hosea as a daily observer of the unfaithfulness and corruption of Israel. This was in the time of Jeroboam II, primarily in the last years of the kingdom. Hosea's book of prophecies was the first among the Minor Prophets. The first three chapters concern the relationship between God and Israel, while the remaining 11 chapters concern the prophecy rebuking Israel followed by promises of consolation and salvation. Hosea's relationship with his wife, Gomer, is seen as a reflection of the relationship between God and Israel at that time.
In Hebrew the name is Hoshe'a. The era in which Hosea lived was one of economic prosperity and political stability. However, there are some allusions in the book to war or political anarchy which might suggest that Hosea continued to prophesy until the fall of Samaria in 722, which fits well with the superscription's list of the Judahite kings during show reign Hosea prophesied. The emphasis Hosea places in his prophecies is mainly on domestic affairs, especially the cultic situation. The information provided on Hosea's background is not extensive, but one episode is seen of particular importance. God commanded Hosea to marry a harlot, Gomer, daughter of Diblaim. She bore him two sons and one daughter. This marriage and its consequences are interpreted in religio-theological terms in the first three chapters of the Book of Hosea. The first account is in Chapter 1 and is given in the third person, while the second account in Chapter 3 is given directly by Hosea. The significance of this marriage and of the text's repetition of the story have been major issues in research on this book. God's admonition to "go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry" (1:2) could be read literally, or it could ...