Afrikaans: Die doel van die ondersoek was om die verband tussen die
profetiese uitsprake in die boek Hosea na te gaan en te
bepaal of daar enige ontwikkeling is ten opsigte van die
inhoud. Om die doel te bereik, is 'n noukeurige eksegese
van die hele boek 'n voorvereiste. Dit is dan ook
primer 'n eksegetiese studie.
Die uitgangspunt was dat die betekenis van die profetiese
uitsprake alleen bepaal kan word deur 'n sinkroniese metode van ondersoek wat gerig is op teks-immanente eksegese. Die metode wat gevolg is, is kortliks die
volgende: Na die voorlopige afgrensing van 'n perikoop
en die verwerking van tekskritiese gegewens, word aandag
gegee aan die po~tiese vorm. Daarna word die struktuur
van die perikoop bepaal op grond van formele kriteria.
In 'n struktuurontleding word die verbande tussen die
verskillende boustene van,die perikoop aangetoon. Aangesien die boek met die uitsondering van enkele verse uit
poesie bestaan, is uitgegaan van die stige en in bepaalde gevalle van die hemistige as kleinste bousteen in
die struktuur. Hierna word die betekenis met die
struktuurontleding as riglyn bepaal.
Die resultate van die ondersoek is die volgende: In
gevalle waar daar op die oog af geen logiese opbou is
nie, is die perikope meestal sorgvuldig saamgestelde eenhede wat getuig van groot vernuf aan die kant van die
outeur. Daar is verskillende voorbeelde van eenhede wat
'n chiastiese dieptestruktuur vertoon. Daar is ook verband tussen die verskillende perikope wat byvoorbeeld 'n
vraagteken plaas oor die algemeen aanvaarde standpunt dat
hoofstuk 4 tot 11 en hoofstuk 12 tot 14 oorspronklik
selfstandige oorleweringseenhede was.
Die volgende ontwikkeling was in die profetiese uitsprake
waarneembaar: In die eerste hoofstukke word gestel dat
die verbondsverhouding tussen JHWH en Israel verbreek is.
Die owerheid wat bestaan uit die politieke en kultiese
leiers word primer verantwoordelik gehou vir die verbreking van die verbond. Die toekomstige herstel van die
gebroke verhouding en 'n nuwe toekoms vir die volk word
tog ook verwag. Die monargale staatstelsel en die vrugbaarheidsgodsdiens sou egter eers moes verdwyn voordat
die heilryke toekoms 'n werklikheid sou word. Na die
aanvanklike konsentrasie van die doemprofesiee op die
politieke en kultiese leiers, word die bree bevolking al
meer in die oord~el betrek en word hulle algaande krasser
veroordeel totdat 'n totale vernietiging van die uitverkore volk deur middel van 'n vyandelike inval en wegvoering in permanente ballingskap, as onvermydelik voorgehou word. Daar kom egter 'n wending: JHWH sou uit
liefde tog nie sy volk vernietig nie, maar na die katastrofe weer 'n volk byeenroep deur die profetiese verkondiging. Die gedagte dat die vernietiging van die staat
Israel onafwendbaar was, maar dat JHWH tog sy volk na
die katastrofe sou herstel, is oorheersend in die laaste
perikoop.
Verder is aangetoon dat die profesiee in bree trekke
kronologies gerangskik is en waarskynlik georden is deur
'n outeur uit die wysheidskringe van die noordelike ryk.
Redaksionele ingryping in die boek deur Judese redaktore
is van geringe omvang en bestaan uit enkele pogings om
die profesiee vir Judese lesers te aktualiseer.
English: The object of this investigation was to trace the connection between the prophetic utterances in the book Hosea
and to determine whether there is any development with
regard to the content. An accurate exegesis of this
book is a prerequisite to attain this end. It is therefore primarily an exegetic study.
The point of departure was that the meaning of prophetic
utterances can only be determined by means of a
synchronic method of investigation with text-immanent
exegesis in view. The method adopted is shortly the
following: After preliminary demarcation of a pericope
and the treatment of problems concerning textual criticism,
attention is given to the poetic form. Hereafter the
structure of the pericope is determined on the grounds
of formal criteria. In a structural analysis the connections among the various constituents of a pericope are
pointed out. Since the book, with the exception of a
few verses, consists of poetry, the stichos and in certain
cases the hemistichos as smallest constituent in the
structure, was taken as point of departure. Consequently the meaning is determined with structural analysis as
directing principle.
The results of the investigation are the following: In
cases where it appears on the surface that there is no logical advancement in thought, the pericope usually
consists of carefully composed units which bear evidence
of great ingenuity on the part of the author. There are
various examples of units which reveal a chiastic deep
structure. There is also a connection between the
different pericopes, which for example, questions the
generally accepted view that chapters 4-11 and 12-14
were originally autonomous tradition units.
The following development was perceptible in the prophetic
utterances. The first chapters disclose the disrupted
covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel. The
authorities which consist of the political and cultic
leaders are held primarily responsible for disrupting
the covenant. The future restoration of the violated
relationship and a new future for the people is also
anticipated. The monarchic structure of state and forms
of fertility religion would, however, first have to disappear before the beneficial future could become a reality.
After the initial concentration of the prophecies of doom
on the political and cultic leaders, the members of the
population in general become involved in judgment and
the judgment against them (and their condemnation)
gradually grows stronger until total destruction of the
chosen people becomes inevitable through a hostile invasion and abduction into permanent exile. A favourable
turn is however revealed in chapter 11. Yahweh, for
love of His people, will not destroy them, but will call
them together after the catastrophe through prophetic
proclamation. This line of thought is pre-dominant in
the last pericopes.
I furthermore indicated that the prophecies in broad
outline follow one another chronologically and were
probably arranged by an author from the wisdom circles
of the northern kingdom. Editorial intervention in the
book by Judean editors is of minor importance and consists of a few attempts to actualise the prophecies for
Judean readers.
