A rhetorical reading of Gomer‟s Identity and Characterization in Hosea Chapter 1:2-2:20.

Abstract

The rare preaching from the Book of Hosea indicates the general perception in the scholarly world that the Book of Hosea is a problematic text with marriage narrative documented in (Hos 1-3) portraying Hosea‟s wife, Gomer as a harlot. This expresses the failure of Israel‟s obedience to the will of God which renders to unfaithfulness. Hosea married Gomer who the narrator describes as a wife of harlotry. She bore three children with Hosea that God uses to send Israel‟s message of judgment predicaments. Regardless of varying interpretations and common understanding, the marriage between Hosea and Gomer represents the relationship between God and Israel, a reality that attracts attention and criticism. An in-depth research on the Book of Hosea unearths the understanding of his message, linked to his marriage life of betrayal and mistrust. The cycles of repentance, redemption, and restoration in Hosea‟s prophecy reflects the societal life experiences of daily coexistence and interrelationships. This research explores the question on why God commanded His prophet to marry a harlot because prophets were expected to be people of moral uprightness and beyond questionable life standards. Their families were to serve as models and measuring yards beyond reproach. The aim is to understand the message of (Hos 1:2-2:20) through a rhetorical method. The working hypothesis is that Gomer was unfaithful. The research is organized into five chapters. Chapter one gives the preliminaries of the background to this research. Chapter two gives the literature review. Chapter three outlines the methodology. Chapter four articulates the exegesis. Chapter five is the presentation of data analysis and conclusions of this research.