Amos

1
Amos Hosea

• HUMA 3810

2
Amos 1

• first of literary prophets
• minor only re length of book!
• appears at time of complacency and great wealth
• passionate advocate of justice social equity
• Amos 13-216
• inversion of traditional oracle against foreign
  nation
• see Balaam in Num 22-24 (to curse enemies)
• list of enemies of Israel
• Aram-Damascus, Philistines, Tyre, Edom,
  Ammon, Moab, Judah ( 7)
• but doesnt stop there ? 7 1 gt shocking to
  ancient audience
• Amos 26 ff.

3
Amos 2

• Amos 33-8 series of rhetorical questions
• lion imagery (cf. 12)
• Amos 521-24 ritual w/o devotion/meaning
  (kavanah)
• not against ritual per se, but hypocrisy
• for Amos, cultic law ethical law part of same
  continuum
• Amos 710-17 personal info?
• Amos Amaziah at Bethel
• no criticism of calf/bull imagery!
• Amos self-understanding (rancher)
• Amos 97-8 calls into question Israels special
  relationship to God
• inversion of Israels special relationship w/ God
• does hope belong to message at end?

4
Hosea 1

• northern ( Israel) prophet
• younger contemporary (?) of Amos
• prophesied ca. 745-725 BCE (contrary to heading?)
• end of Israels national existence (721 BCE)
• period of anarchy (many kings, many
  assassinations)
• message resurgent struggle against Baalism ?
  marriage imagery
• breach of covenant/faith ? bold new image
• God Israel as lovers/man wife
• continued in other prophetic works, esp. Ezekiel
• medium as message?
• what was relationship btwn. his personal life
  prophecy
• 12-9 Gomer three children (3rd person)
• 31-5 unfaithful woman (1st person)
• 24-19 21-25 poetic account of relationship
  restoration

5
Hosea 2

• covenant lawsuit
• 41-3 breach of covenant tried in court of law
• 83-6 rejection of cult of north
• one reason why Hosea viewed as true prophet?
• 99 allusion to Judg 19 episode
• parental love
• 111-9 historical survey ending w/ Gods
  compassion