Abstract
The book of Hosea offers a profound theological reflection on the dynamic relationship between
divine justice and mercy within the covenant between Yahweh and Israel. Set against the
backdrop of Israel’s political instability, social injustice, and religious infidelity in the eighth
century BCE, Hosea presents a God whose holiness demands accountability yet whose steadfast
love refuses to abandon a wayward people. This study examines the interplay of justice (mishpat)
and mercy (ḥesed and raḥamim) in Hosea, arguing that these attributes are not contradictory
but integrally related within Yahweh’s covenantal faithfulness. Through historical-critical,
literary, and theological-canonical approaches, the paper analyses key metaphors, including
marriage, parenthood, legal lawsuit, and healing, to demonstrate how judgment functions as a
necessary response to covenant violation, while mercy serves as the means of restoration and
renewal. Particular attention is given to Hosea 11, where divine compassion decisively tempers
judgment, revealing a God whose justice is ultimately redemptive rather than destructive. The
study further situates Hosea’s theology within the broader trajectory of Old Testament thought
and its fulfilment in the New Testament, where justice and mercy converge decisively in Christ.
By holding judgment and compassion in creative tension, Hosea contributes a nuanced
understanding of God’s character that challenges reductionist portrayals of divine wrath or
sentimentality and offers enduring ethical and theological implications for covenant faithfulness
and restorative justice.