Hosea, Book of. Consists of 14 chapters. It is easy to recognize two great divisions in the book: 1, chap. 1 to 3; 2, chap. 4 to end. The prophecies were probably collected by Hosea himself toward the end of his career. Of his style Eichhorn says: "His discourse is like a garland woven of a multiplicity of flowers; images are woven upon images, metaphor strung upon metaphor. Like a bee, he flies from one flowerbed to another, that he may suck Ms honey from the most varied pieces.... Often he is prone to approach to allegory; often he sinks down in obscurity." His prophecies are frequently referred to in the New Testament. Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7; Luke 23:30, etc.