Reviewed Book: Stuart, Douglas K. Hosea - Jonah. Waco, Tex: Word Books, 1987. Word biblical commentary; 31

Teigen, Ragnar C.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 15Issue 2 Theology of the Cross: Theory and Practice Article 1511-1-1989Hosea - JonahRagnar C. TeigenFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationTeigen, Ragnar C. (1989) "Hosea - Jonah," Consensus: Vol. 15 : Iss. 2 , Article 15.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol15/iss2/15Book Reviews 129comprehensible and easily understood by someone with little or no back-ground in this field. A glossary further enhances the discussion’s clarity.Add to this fine work the sympathy and fairness of presentation mentionedabove, as well as the need for such an introductory book, and the resultis a text which ought to be used in the classroom extensively. There isalways the possibility, of course, that it could fall between the cracks ofgeneral New Testament introductory and advanced work on the gospels. Ifthis happens, it will be a tragedy, especially for the student, who stands tolearn a great deal from this book.William ArnalToronto, OntarioWord Biblical Commentary: Hosea-JonahDouglas StuartWaco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1987xlv + 537 pp, $36.20“There are all sorts of biblical commentaries” (preface). In the longodyssey of biblical exegesis a variety of commentaries has been writtenranging from highly technical works to more broadly oriented theologicalcompositions. The Word Biblical Commentary represents another contribu-tion in this discipline. When completed it will be comprised of 52 volumescovering the canonical books of the Old and New Testament. Twenty-fourvolumes are complete while two are being printed. The work under re-view, no. 31, is a comprehensive study of 5 prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos,Obadiah, and Jonah.More than 8 pages of abbreviations for periodicals and reference worksoccur at the beginning of the volume after the Table of Contents, followed bya listing of biblical and apocryphal books consulted. A general bibliographyand introduction bring us to the prophets each of which are headed by theirown bibliographies and introductions. The latter includes such features asmessage, form, structure, style, historical setting, provenance, and date ofcomposition. Of these form, structure, setting plus translation, appear forthe respective pericopes analyzed. The exegesis, carefully done based ona keen study of the Hebrew, fills out the format for each prophetic bookallowing for variations found in the writings themselves.While theological content is interwoven in the commentary (as it ap-pears to this reviewer) Stuart hcis a section entitled “Explanation” as afinale to a given lesson in which he develops the theological aspects further.The reviewer could have wished for more in the “Explanations” but as Stu-art notes there is a limitation allowed for space and selectivity governed by130 Consensusvast backgrounds in fields related to biblical studies. This leaves a scholar“to choose what should be said from what could be said” (preface).This volume has several features in its favour. The bibliographies at thefront of the book and each prophetic treatment are handy references. So arethe abbreviations for periodicals and references. One need not flip pagesfor a quick look at sources which are generous and rich in their quantity.The reader is left to select, but the lists are there for the choosing.The commentary gives space and content for each verse and pericope.One cannot say this is a “skin and bones” treatment as one finds in somecommentaries of past times. Preachers require some “beef-steak” in theworks they consult for sermons since busy parishes scarcely allow a luxury oftime for such preparation. Hebrew occurs in the exegesis but not to a pointof hindrance to English readers. It is done carefully and conscientiouslywith attention to theological values emanating from the respective texts.Some of Stuart’s interpretations disagree with usual understandings.E.g. in Hosea 1:2 he proposes that Corner was not a prostitute. The He-brew in translation “woman/wife of prostitution” or “prostituting woman”is in Stuart’s statement, “idiomatic syntactically and sufficiently pejorativewithout firmly conveying the idea, contrary to fact, that Yahweh com-manded Hosea to marry a professional prostitute.” The point is fine line.One can as easily accept the traditional viewpoint as Stuart’s explanation.The Hebrew, for this reviewer, contains an ambivalence here. Why denythe difficulty? Perhaps Hosea is meeting Canaanite fertility tradition withlove language and filling it with Yahwistic content. The prophet is a boldinterpreter with a profound mind—as Stuart is aware.About Jonah: Stuart accepts this rather unusual prophet as historicaland finds the three-day’s journey more as a third day time-point in whichto speak his message. If Jonah is taken historically, i.e. when Assyriawas an Empire the situation seems incredible. Jonah is a series of storiespost-factum to actual pre-exilic history. As for Chapter 2, the prayer ofthanksgiving, the reviewer agrees with Bernard Anderson’s appraisal thatthe psalm Chapter 2 is “out of place in its present context” (cf. Stuart,472; Anderson, Out of the Depths^ 84). The rapid change in images fromthe fish of Chapter 1 to the She’ol depths Chapter 2 suggests that thepsalm has been combined with the anecdotes of Chapters 1-3 and 4 as anintensification of Jonah’s predicament.These debatable areas must not be allowed to detract from the acutearguments Stuart advances on the bases of the original language and wideresearch and the volume as a whole.The Word Biblical Commentary Series ought to be a part of univer-sity and theological seminary libraries. I would commend the commentaryunder review for student appraisals and will add it to the listing of classbibliographies.Ragnar C. TeigenWaterloo Lutheran Seminary

Hosea - Jonah

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 15
Issue 2 Theology of the Cross: Theory and Practice Article 15
11-1-1989
Hosea - Jonah
Ragnar C. Teigen
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Teigen, Ragnar C. (1989) "Hosea - Jonah," Consensus: Vol. 15 : Iss. 2 , Article 15.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol15/iss2/15
Book Reviews 129
comprehensible and easily understood by someone with little or no back-
ground in this field. A glossary further enhances the discussion’s clarity.
Add to this fine work the sympathy and fairness of presentation mentioned
above, as well as the need for such an introductory book, and the result
is a text which ought to be used in the classroom extensively. There is
always the possibility, of course, that it could fall between the cracks of
general New Testament introductory and advanced work on the gospels. If
this happens, it will be a tragedy, especially for the student, who stands to
learn a great deal from this book.
William Arnal
Toronto, Ontario
Word Biblical Commentary: Hosea-Jonah
Douglas Stuart
Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1987
xlv + 537 pp, $36.20
“There are all sorts of biblical commentaries” (preface). In the long
odyssey of biblical exegesis a variety of commentaries has been written
ranging from highly technical works to more broadly oriented theological
compositions. The Word Biblical Commentary represents another contribu-
tion in this discipline. When completed it will be comprised of 52 volumes
covering the canonical books of the Old and New Testament. Twenty-four
volumes are complete while two are being printed. The work under re-
view, no. 31, is a comprehensive study of 5 prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos,
Obadiah, and Jonah.
More than 8 pages of abbreviations for periodicals and reference works
occur at the beginning of the volume after the Table of Contents, followed by
a listing of biblical and apocryphal books consulted. A general bibliography
and introduction bring us to the prophets each of which are headed by their
own bibliographies and introductions. The latter includes such features as
message, form, structure, style, historical setting, provenance, and date of
composition. Of these form, structure, setting plus translation, appear for
the respective pericopes analyzed. The exegesis, carefully done based on
a keen study of the Hebrew, fills out the format for each prophetic book
allowing for variations found in the writings themselves.
While theological content is interwoven in the commentary (as it ap-
pears to this reviewer) Stuart hcis a section entitled “Explanation” as a
finale to a given lesson in which he develops the theological aspects further.
The reviewer could have wished for more in the “Explanations” but as Stu-
art notes there is a limitation allowed for space and selectivity governed by
130 Consensus
vast backgrounds in fields related to biblical studies. This leaves a scholar
“to choose what should be said from what could be said” (preface).
This volume has several features in its favour. The bibliographies at the
front of the book and each prophetic treatment are handy references. So are
the abbreviations for periodicals and references. One need not flip pages
for a quick look at sources which are generous and rich in their quantity.
The reader is left to select, but the lists are there for the choosing.
The commentary gives space and content for each verse and pericope.
One cannot say this is a “skin and bones” treatment as one finds in some
commentaries of past times. Preachers require some “beef-steak” in the
works they consult for sermons since busy parishes scarcely allow a luxury of
time for such preparation. Hebrew occurs in the exegesis but not to a point
of hindrance to English readers. It is done carefully and conscientiously
with attention to theological values emanating from the respective texts.
Some of Stuart’s interpretations disagree with usual understandings.
E.g. in Hosea 1:2 he proposes that Corner was not a prostitute. The He-
brew in translation “woman/wife of prostitution” or “prostituting woman”
is in Stuart’s statement, “idiomatic syntactically and sufficiently pejorative
without firmly conveying the idea, contrary to fact, that Yahweh com-
manded Hosea to marry a professional prostitute.” The point is fine line.
One can as easily accept the traditional viewpoint as Stuart’s explanation.
The Hebrew, for this reviewer, contains an ambivalence here. Why deny
the difficulty? Perhaps Hosea is meeting Canaanite fertility tradition with
love language and filling it with Yahwistic content. The prophet is a bold
interpreter with a profound mind—as Stuart is aware.
About Jonah: Stuart accepts this rather unusual prophet as historical
and finds the three-day’s journey more as a third day time-point in which
to speak his message. If Jonah is taken historically, i.e. when Assyria
was an Empire the situation seems incredible. Jonah is a series of stories
post-factum to actual pre-exilic history. As for Chapter 2, the prayer of
thanksgiving, the reviewer agrees with Bernard Anderson’s appraisal that
the psalm Chapter 2 is “out of place in its present context” (cf. Stuart,
472; Anderson, Out of the Depths^ 84). The rapid change in images from
the fish of Chapter 1 to the She’ol depths Chapter 2 suggests that the
psalm has been combined with the anecdotes of Chapters 1-3 and 4 as an
intensification of Jonah’s predicament.
These debatable areas must not be allowed to detract from the acute
arguments Stuart advances on the bases of the original language and wide
research and the volume as a whole.
The Word Biblical Commentary Series ought to be a part of univer-
sity and theological seminary libraries. I would commend the commentary
under review for student appraisals and will add it to the listing of class
bibliographies.
Ragnar C. Teigen
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary


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