An adulterous woman repeatedly spurns the love of her youth, while her betrayed husband offers forgiveness and seeks to win her back. With this bold and uncomfortable imagery, Hosea tells the story of God and his people. God calls the prophet to embody this divine suffering and redeeming forgiveness in his own marriage, thereby setting the stage for his message of God's faithful and enduring love, his righteous judgment, and his continuing offer of reconciliation and restoration. This Tyndale commentary from Robin Routledge explores the historical, cultural, literary, and theological dimensions of the book of Hosea. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.

There are several excellent Old Testament theologies available today, but they tend to be large and daunting for beginning students and others who are hard-pressed for time. Robin Routledge's Old Testament Theology is gauged to meet the needs of readers who want to dine on the meat of Old Testament theology but do not have time to linger over hors d'oeuvres and dessert. And his thematic approach makes it easy for selective readers to find what they need. Routledge provides a substantial overview of the central issues and themes in Old Testament theology. In a style that is clear, concise and nuanced, Routledge examines the theological significance of the various texts within their wider canonical context, noting unity and coherence while showing awareness of diversity. Readers looking for a substantial overview of the central issues and themes in Old Testament theology will find that in the main body of the text, and those with more specific interests will find more detailed discussion and references to further reading in the numerous and expansive footnotes.