Here J. Andrew Dearman considers the historical context of the prophetic figure of Hosea, his roots in the prophetic activity and covenant traditions of ancient Israel, and the poetic and metaphorical aspects of the prophecy. This historical and theological commentary is a welcome addition to the NICOT series.
I have really enjoyed the New International Commentary of the Old Testament, but this book was not my favorite. The author spends a lot of time discussing debatable words and translation challenges, but little to no time actually commenting on the book, very little application in this commentary but lots of Hebrew word discussion. There were little nuggets here and there, but overall a disappointment, at least for what I was looking for in a commentary.
Helpful and thorough. Dearman is more comfortable than I would be with adopting conjectural emendations to the admittedly difficult Hebrew text of Hosea.
This is, like most NICOT commentaries a high quality edition worth spending time with. Dearman offers his own translation as well as insightful commentary. He does not discuss all other opinions but does offer some comparisons. Unique to this series (at least to the ones I have read) he has ten short appendix chapters that are somewhat similar to the excursus sections (these are also present). The appendices often look at more big picture topics, such as Psalm 106 and Hosea or Sexual Infidelity in Hosea. It is nice to see he focuses on what the text meant originally and is willing to say certain references cannot be known today. Obviously I highly recommend.
9/10 (excellent): An excellent commentary on Hosea, head and shoulders above anything else I read. I highly recommend it to those who are preaching through this minor prophet. It's scholarly, without being overly technical or critical, and has a rare blend of common-sense interpretation with genuine insight.