The Metaphor of Illness and Healing in Hosea and Its Significance in the Socio-economic Context of Eighth-century Israel and Judah

Book excerpt: One of the central metaphors in the Book of Hosea is the metaphor of illness and healing, which is explicitly or implicitly mentioned with frequency throughout the text. This book focuses on the social connotations of the metaphor of illness and healing in Hosea 5:8-6:3 and 7:1-7. It incorporates a theoretical analysis of metaphor into a sociological discussion about the social reality of eighth-century Israel and Judah as well as a comparative study of the concept of illness and healing in the ancient Near East and traditional East Asia (Korea). This book breaks new ground by exploring the crucial significance of the metaphor in the socio-economic context of eighth-century Israel and Judah.