Abstract
A handbook like this is to be welcomed. As the author points out in the Introduction, ‘[t]he book of Hosea is known for its difficult language’ (p. 1). I guess that everyone who has studied Hosea would agree. This prophetic book is replete with obscurities, ambiguities, and irregularities. At times, as noted by Tully, ‘entire verses defy a straightforward meaning’ (p. 15). In several cases, on the assumption that the standard Hebrew text (the Masoretic text, abbreviated MT) is corrupt, due to scribal errors, scholars have suggested various ways of correcting it. By contrast, Tully’s approach is cautious and conservative, with a ‘primary focus … on the MT’ (p. 16).
The relatively short Introduction is followed by a commentary of sorts, containing detailed semantic and syntactic analysis of each part of the text; verse by verse, and almost word by word. Those who are beginners in Hebrew will probably appreciate that the author provides parsing of every verbal form. Much of this information can be obtained from dictionaries and digital resources, but many students will probably find a handbook like this more convenient. Advanced students and scholars can also benefit from Tully’s book. Although I am an experienced Hosea scholar myself, I admit that I found the thorough and systematic syntactical analysis very helpful. It is based on the work of Robert Holmstedt (as explained on pp. 5–12). With meticulous attention to all details, including the Masoretic accents, Tully shows how each clause is constructed, and how it relates to the preceding and succeeding clauses.
As a rule, Tully manages to demonstrate that the Hebrew text, correctly interpreted, makes sense, and that emendations are unnecessary. In some cases, though, he advocates a different vocalization of the Masoretic consonantal text (see, e.g., the discussion of Hos. 4:4 on pp. 84–85). Occasionally, the author even contemplates the possibility that the Septuagint attests to ‘the better, original reading’ (p. 73). At times, however, one gets the impression that the problems involved in the MT are downplayed. The treatment of the notoriously difficult text of Hos. 11:7 (pp. 278–279) is a case in point.
Due to the somewhat limited scope of Tully’s handbook, I would not recommend a student to use it as his or her only resource for the study of Hosea. It does not cover certain important areas within Hosea studies, such as the history of research and the history of interpretation. Moreover, issues pertaining to this prophetic book’s history of composition and redaction are bracketed. Because of Tully’s consistent focus on textual details, one needs to consult other commentaries in order to find substantial discussions of the rhetorical and literary function of larger textual units. However, I do recommend this handbook to all students of Hosea. It is an indispensable tool for everyone who wishes to reach a better understanding of the Hebrew text of this difficult but fascinating biblical book.