Footnote 1 – How Hosea Transformed the Lord of the Realm into a Temperamental Spouse

Israel’s view of God’s covenant seems to parallel features of suzerainty treaties between kings and vassals known from the ancient Near East, in which the great king’s kindness to an underling is the stated basis for expecting obedience and absolute loyalty. Similarly, God’s kind treatment of Israel is stated as the basis for expecting obedience, especially unswerving faithfulness, as in the beginning of the Ten Commandments: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt …; you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2–3). The ancient Near Eastern treaties feature blessings and curses that will come upon disobedient vassals; in Deuteronomy 28 we read of the blessing or curses that will befall Israel according to whether the convenant is kept faithfully or not. Of course numerous psalms, especially Psalms 96–99, speak of God as King.