The Expositor's Bible: The Book of the Twelve Prophets, Vol. 1: Commonly Called the MinorSmith, George Adam
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of the Twelve Prophets, Vol. 1: Commonly Called the Minor
Smith, George Adam
Bible. Minor Prophets -- Commentaries
This broken description reflects--and all the more faithfully because
of its brokenness--the ten years which followed on the death of
Jeroboam II. about 743.[415] His son Zechariah, who succeeded him,
was in six months assassinated by Shallum ben Jabesh, who within a
month more was himself cut down by Menahem ben Gadi.[416] Menahem
held the throne for six or seven years, but only by sending to
the King of Assyria an enormous tribute which he exacted from the
wealthy magnates of Israel.[417] Discontent must have followed these
measures, such discontent with their rulers as Hosea describes.
Pekahiah ben Menahem kept the throne for little over a year after his
father's death, and was assassinated by his captain,[418] Pekah ben
Remaliah, with fifty Gileadites, and Pekah took the throne about 736.
This second and bloody usurpation may be one of those on which Hosea
dwells; but if so it is the last historical allusion in his book.
There is no reference to the war of Pekah and Rezin against Ahaz
of Judah which Isaiah describes,[419] and to which Hosea must have
alluded had he been still prophesying.[420] There is no allusion to
its consequence in Tiglath-Pileser's conquest of Gilead and Galilee
in 734-733. On the contrary, these provinces are still regarded as
part of the body politic of Israel.[421] Nor is there any sign that
Israel have broken with Assyria; to the last the book represents them
as fawning on the Northern Power.[422]
In all probability, then, the Book of Hosea was closed before 734
B.C. The Second Section dates from the years behind that and back to
the death of Jeroboam II. about 743, while the First Section, as we
saw, reflects the period immediately before the latter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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