Some scholars have argued that Hosea is presenting a vision, dream, or parable, not a real life story. This seems very unlikely for two reasons. First, the way it is written does not read like other vision, dream, or parable accounts in the Old Testament.1 It reads like historical acts undertaken by a prophet in order to symbolize a spiritual reality. In this respect we find similarities with other prophets (Isaiah 7:1–9, Isaiah 8:1–4; Ezekiel 3:1 – 5:17).2 Second, where is the shock value in Hosea’s message if those listening knew it was not true and had never happened? Israel are meant to be baffled by the offensive act of marrying a whoring woman, so that when Hosea holds the mirror up to them, they are confronted by the horrific reality of where Yahweh finds himself in his relationship to them.3
2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.”