The Prevalence and Purpose of the ‘Assyria-Egypt’ Motif in the Book of Hosea

Abstract

This paper examines the occurrence of the ‘Assyria-Egypt’ pair in the MT of Hosea. On a literary plane, the paper introduces two new definitions: Assyria-Egypt is defined as a correlative pair in this book, and based on the recurring meaning of the pair and its diverse application, the pair is defined as a motif. This motif consistently serves to describe distance from God. From an ideological perspective, the paper discusses the perceptions that emerge from the application of the motif in the units with regard to God’s description, and to the relationship between Israel’s two central sins in Hosea: idolatry, and turning to foreign nations for assistance. Based on this, the paper addresses the motif’s contribution to mirroring the relationship between God and Israel. The paper’s insights evolve from each other, altering the perspective on the motif, on the units’ contents, and on the relationship between the units.