The best Hosea commentaries are listed below. There are exegetical commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, as well as commentaries that are easy to understand. The “Top 10” list is based on aggregate reviews.
This list of commentaries is intended to help the reader understand and apply the author’s message in the book of Hosea. They are not suggested as a replacement for prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the reader’s own diligent study of Scripture.
It is hoped that these books will aid the Christian pastor, preacher, teacher, student, as well as any Bible reader that wants to understand more about Hosea.
May each reader’s aim be to glorify God in Jesus Christ; to strengthen Christ’s bride, the Church; and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost.
After browsing the commentaries below, please see Best Bible Commentaries: Top 50. Based on aggregate reviews.
10 Best Hosea Commentaries
Please read: The “Top 10” list below is a starting point for learning about Hosea commentaries. It is not intended to be the “final word” because of its limitations.
Nevertheless, a list based on aggregate reviews is likely to point many people in the right direction to find the right resource for their purposes.
#1
The Message of Hosea
The Bible Speaks Today
by Derek Kidner
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: “combines scholarship, pastoral insight, and concern with a vital writing style”
• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Readable and solid exposition of Hosea’s message with insightful contemporary application.”
• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on Hosea, “a helpful introductory level commentary that should be of use to a wide variety of readers”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: The “the three distinctives of The Bible Speaks Today series are (1) “BST authors are committed to a serious study of the text in its own integrity,” (2) that “expositors should not be antiquarians, living only in the remote past” but suggest application for living, and (3) “each book is intended to be both readable in style and manageable in size.”
See more about the Bible Speaks Today commentary series.
Also see the best one-volume bible commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.
#2
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah
Word Biblical Commentary
by Douglas Stuart
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “one of the best recent commentaries on the Minor Prophets… a must-buy for everyone preaching on these books”
• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Concise introductory sections on the historical background, message, literary structure, and themes of Hosea’s book.”
• Keith Mathison: #1 ranked commentary on Hosea, “[Stuart] is especially helpful at tracing the curses and blessings proclaimed by the prophets back to their Mosaic origin. Very highly recommended.”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “WBC series delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation.
It emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology.”
See more about the Word Biblical Commentary series.
#3
Hosea
The Minor Prophets:
An Exegetical and Expositional Commentary
by Thomas Edward McComiskey, Ed.
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on The Minor Prophets
• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “this commentary is a must…an important commentary”
• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on Hosea, “The layout of the commentary is somewhat unusual… but the comments are well worth it”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “With their messages of doom and judgment, the Minor Prophets have not been popular subjects in the history of biblical interpretation.
Here noted evangelical scholars–such as Bruce Waltke, Tremper Longman III, F. F. Bruce, and J. Alec Motyer — remedy this neglect by offering an authoritative, evangelical treatment of the prophets.
In this edition, which now combines three volumes into one, the authors not only provide meticulous exegesis of the Hebrew text but also relate the message of the ancient prophets to contemporary life in practical and meaningful ways.”
#4
Hosea
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by David Allan Hubbard
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “compelling, well written, thoughtful… extremely readable”
• Keith Mathison: #3 ranked commentary on Hosea, “a very valuable introductory level commentary”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: This series is “designed to help readers understand what the Bible actually says and what it means… [each commentary] examines the text section by section, drawing out its main themes.
It also comments on individual verses and deals with problems of interpretation. The aim throughout is to get at the true meaning of the Bible and to make its message plain to readers today.”
See more about the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series.
#5
Hosea
Hermeneia
by Hans Walter Wolff
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “a benchmark study of both books”
• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on Hosea
Best for: students, pastors, teachers, professors, and scholars with training in Hebrew who can follow a technical commentary
Purpose: From the publisher: “The Hermeneia commentary series seeks to offer authoritative interpretation of the earliest texts of the biblical books…
The name Hermeneia, from the Greek, has a rich background in the history of biblical interpretation as a term for the detailed, systematic exposition of a scriptural work. Hermeneia is designed for the serious student of the Bible…
The editors of Hermeneia impose no systematic-theological perspective upon the series (directly, or indirectly by selection of authors).”
See more about the Hermeneia Bible commentary series.
#6
Hosea
The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries
by Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “one of the best of any book”
• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on Hosea, “from a slightly critical perspective, this work remains a necessary resource for those doing in-depth study of the book”
Best for: students, pastors, teachers, professors, and scholars with training in Hebrew who can follow a technical commentary
Purpose: From the publisher: “The Anchor Yale Bible Series, previously the Anchor Bible Series, is a renowned publishing program that for more than 50 years has produced books devoted to the latest scholarship on the Bible and biblical topics.”
The series “vigorously pursues the goal of bringing to a wide audience the most important new ideas, the latest research findings, and the clearest possible analysis of the Bible.”
See more about the Anchor Bible Commentary series.
#7
Hosea, Joel
New American Commentary
by Duane A. Garrett
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “[Garrett is a clear writer who reaches his exegetical conclusions in a reasoned manner”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “The New American Commentary is introduced to bridge the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.” This “series has been designed primarily to enable pastors, teachers, and students to read the Bible with clarity and proclaim it with power.”
See more about the New American Commentary series.
#8
The Book of Hosea
New International Commentary on the Old Testament
by J. Andrew Dearman
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “sensitive to Hosea’s theological contribution”
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “All of the NICOT volumes combine superior scholarship, an evangelical view of Scripture as the Word of God, and concern for the life of faith today.
Each volume features an extensive introduction treating the biblical book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology. The author’s own translation of the original Hebrew and verse-by-verse commentary follow.
The commentary itself carefully balances coverage of technical matters with exposition of the biblical text’s theology and implications.”
See more about the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series.
#9
Hosea
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised
by M. Daniel Carroll
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4.5 out of 5 stars, “packs a lot of substance and content… clear and profound”
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “Written primarily by expositors for expositors… its stance is that of a scholarly evangelicalism committed to the divine inspiration, complete trustworthiness, and full authority of the Bible… the chief principle followed in this commentary is the grammatico-historical.”
See more about the Expositor’s Bible Commentary series.
#10
Hosea
The Old Testament Library
by James Luther Mays
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Reviews and Accolades:
• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Valuable theological treatment of the book’s message.”
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.”
See more about the Old Testament Library commentary series.
More Book of Hosea Commentaries for Christian Ministry
Please read: Why are the Hosea commentaries below not in the “Top 10”? It’s not because they have received poor reviews or because people haven’t found them helpful. The reasons vary:
- Some are relatively new and haven’t been widely reviewed, read, or used yet.
- Others haven’t been widely distributed, so it is difficult to get enough information to aggregate.
- Still others may be outdated in relation to biblical scholarship or out of print and difficult to acquire.
The “Top 10” list is reviewed annually. Readers are encouraged to consider the volumes in this section before making a purchase. These 10 are not in any particular order.
Hosea
A Mentor Commentary
by John L. MacKay
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Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “Mentor books are written at a level suitable for Bible College and seminary students, pastors, and other serious readers.” See more about the Mentor Bible Commentary series.
Hosea
Apollos Old Testament Commentary
by Joshua N. Moon
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Interview: See Best Bible Commentaries’ interview with Joshua N. Moon on this volume
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
From the Publisher: “The Apollos Old Testament Commentary (AOTC) aims to take with equal seriousness the divine and human aspects of Scripture.
It expounds the books of the Old Testament in a scholarly manner accessible to non-experts, and it shows the relevance of the Old Testament to modern readers.
Written by an international team of scholars and edited by David W. Baker and Gordon J. Wenham, these commentaries are intended to serve the needs of those who preach from the Old Testament, as well as scholars and all serious students of the Bible.”
See more about the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series.
Hosea, Amos, Micah
NIV Application Commentary
by Gary V. Smith
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Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the General Editor: The primary goal of the NIV Application Commentary Series is to help you with the difficult but vital task of bringing an ancient message into a modern context.
The series not only focuses on application as a finished product but also helps you think through the process of moving from the original meaning of a passage to its contemporary significance.”
See more about the NIV Application Commentary series.
The Minor Prophets
by Charles L. Feinberg
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Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes
Purpose: From the publisher: “A comprehensive commentary on all twelve of the minor prophets, free of footnotes and devotional in style.”
Hosea
Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
by Bo H Lim and Daniel Castelo
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Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “Two features distinguish The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series: theological exegesis and theological reflection… The result is a paragraph-by-paragraph engagement with the text that is deliberately theological in focus.”
See more about the Two Horizons Bible commentary series.
Hosea
by Richard D. Patterson
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Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “This volume constitutes an additional commentary to the existing Biblical Studies Press series on the Minor Prophets.
In keeping with the other volumes in this series this commentary consists of two main sections. In the first, matters relative to the exegesis and exposition of the passage at hand are considered.
These are based upon a consideration of grammatical, historical/cultural, literary, and theological data. The additional notes section presents details that are often more technical in nature and other helpful in-formation.”
Hosea
New Beacon Bible Commentary
by Timothy M. Green
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Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “The New Beacon Bible Commentary provides 21st-century scholars, pastors, theological students, and laity an academically competent, readable commentary in the Wesleyan theological tradition.
Each volume features:Contemporary Scholarship from notable experts in the Wesleyan theological tradition.
Convenient introductory material for each book of the Bible, which includes information on authorship, date, history, audience, sociological/cultural issues, purpose, literary features, theological themes, hermaneutical issues, and more.”
See more about New Beacon Bible Commentaries.
Hosea
International Critical Commentary
by William R. Harper
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Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: The ICC series has “sought to bring together all the relevant aids to exegesis, linguistic and textual no less than archaeological, historical, literary and theological to help the reader understand the meaning of the books of the Old and New Testaments…
No attempt has been made to secure a uniform theological or critical approach to the biblical text: contributors have been invited for their scholarly distinction, not for their adherence to any one school of thought.”
See more about the International Critical Commentary series.
Classic Hosea Commentaries
Minor Prophets
Ironside Expository Commentaries
by H.A. Ironside
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Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes
Purpose: H.A. Ironside (1876-1951) was an internationally acclaimed Bible teacher and preacher, as well as the author of more than sixty books.
His writings include addresses or commentaries on the entire New Testament, all of the Old Testament prophetic books, and a great many volumes on other biblical topics.
For eighteen of his fifty years of ministry, Dr. Ironside was pastor of the historic Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Ill.
Hosea
Geneva Series of Commentaries
by John Calvin
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Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes
Purpose: From the publisher: “This is volume 1 of John Calvin’s 5 volume set on the Minor Prophets. C.H. Spurgeon said, ‘Everything that Calvin wrote by way of exposition is priceless.
His expositions are more equal in excellence than those of other men; other men rise and fall, but he is almost uniformly good.’ His great gifts as an interpreter are clearly evident here in his treatment of the oft-neglected Minor Prophets.
In these volumes he opens up their rich contents to our hearts and minds: here is God’s Word concerning false religion, spiritual adultery, injustice, judgment, the remnant, the restoration and sovereign love.”
The Minor Prophets
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
edited by Alberto Ferreiro
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Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes
Purpose: See more about the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series.
Also see:
Compare 75 different commentary series on the Bible Commentary Series Comparison Chart