Tom has an MDiv from Talbot School of Theology, and an MA and PhD from UCLA in Near Eastern Languages. He retired in 2016 (Professor Emeritus) after teaching Old Testament and Hebrew language for forty years at Talbot. Lately he has been giving some informal assistance to three people with Wycliffe/SIL who are involved in Bible translation.
Who's Speaking Now? Determining the Various Speakers in the Book of Hosea
Abstract
In the book of Hosea, it is often difficult to determine who is speaking. For example, at Hosea 2:2 (Hebrew 2:4), is it the Lord or Hosea who is speaking to the children? Or at 4:4a, is it Hosea, the Lord, or a priest who raises the objection? Then there is 5:1-7, where “[t]he changes in the use of the pronouns … seem bewildering” (Andersen and Freedman, Hosea, AB 24). This issue is not limited to Hosea but can be found throughout the Old Testament, especially the Psalms and the prophets.
Some languages require that whenever someone speaks, the speaker must be identified. For example, Gumawana “requires a quote introduction (or quote margin) to keep track of who is speaking” (email from Clif Olson). After making a copy of the Hebrew text and color-codeing it for each different speaker, I will look for possible linguistic or cultural patterns that could be applicable to other Old Testament texts. The color-coding will depend on linguistic, contextual, cultural, and even theological factors. One obvious factor is that the prophet was expected to speak on behalf of God. So whatever he or she says is also what God says. Still, there are some things that can be stated to differentiate the speaker as either God or the prophet.