Online Journal Article: "THE BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF STRIPPING THE ADULTERESS IN HOSEA 2"

https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/60/60-1/JETS_60-1_89-103_Hanley.pdf

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https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/60/60-1/JETS_60-1_89-103_Hanley.pdf

From the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS)

Abstract: In Hosea 2, YHWH threatens to strip naked his metaphorical wife as punishment for her illicit relationship with her “lovers.” The biblical text commands the death penalty for adultery, so what manner of punishment is this threat to strip her naked and expose her publicly? Many commentators have suggested that ancient Near Eastern laws and practices for
adultery or divorce best explain the context for this unusual threat. This article examines the
relevant texts and proposals for an ancient Near Eastern background and suggests that the evidence for a clear connection to Hosea 2 is lacking. Rather, by analyzing the textual and thematic material in Hosea, the article argues that Deuteronomy 28 provides a better background for the pericope. There, the covenant curses contain the same or similar words used in Hosea 2,
and Hosea pictures this metaphorical relationship in explicitly covenantal terms.
Key Words: Hosea, nakedness, adultery, divorce, ancient Near East, covenant curses, allusion