Hosea, along with Amos, opens the period of the "Writing Prophets." He is the only man called to the office of prophet who both lived and prophesied in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This volume, no available in a new casebound edition, offers a verse-by-verse commentary on the book of Hosea. James Luther Mays gives the background to the book of Hosea: Hosea, the man; the time; the sayings; the message; and the contents of the book. The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative reatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.