Book Of Hosea

Hosea is a book in the Old Testament. It is the first of what are considered the "Minor Prophets" ("minor" relating only to the length of the books, which are shorter than most of the books of the Major Prophets; Lamentations the only exception but it is considered Major due to common authorship with Jeremiah).

The book tells of a prophet by the same name, who is directed by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute. She bears three children (notably, the first birth is noted as bearing Hosea a son, while the other two only mention that she bore sons, possibly indicating marital unfaithfulness). She is later sold into slavery for reasons not given, and Hosea is directed to purchase her out of slavery and reunite their marriage. The story is considered thus to be an allegory to man's unfaithfulness to God, and God paying the price of redemption via Jesus' death on the Cross).