Abstract

The first part of the article deals with four different understandings
of Hosea 6:6 in the context of this prophetic book: (1) repudiation of the
cult as such, (2) the rejecting of a specific kind of cult, (3) the priority of
ethics over the cult, and (4) the symbiosis of cult and ethics, i.e. that an
authentic cult interweaves ethical values and proper ritual conduct. The
author concludes that the fourth interpretation best fits the message of the
Book of Hosea. The second part of the article deals with the problem of the
textual Vorlage which would have been used by Matthew. It seems that he
quoted from the Hebrew text, being faithful to a then-current hermeneutical
rule by which each part of a biblical parallelism was interpreted separately,
based on the belief that every single line carried equal weight and conveyed
a new truth or a new law. The Matthean relecture of Hosea 6:6, the focus of
the third part, is presented from two perspectives, namely synchronic and
diachronic. In the synchronic presentation the main point of concern is the
contribution of the quotes in 9:13 and 12:7 to understanding the Matthean
pericopes. Finally, the diachronic reading deals with the Matthean use of
Hosea 6:6 within the context of the Matthean community and of its dialogue
with the Rabbinic Judaism of the day.