THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PHRASE “A SILLY DOVE WITHOUT HEART” IN HOSEA 7:11

Abstract

Through this article, the author presented a phenomenon in the history of the northern kingdom of Israel, which had been called with a phrase, “a silly dove without heart” by Hosea the prophet. Dove had various of meanings in the Bible. However, how the northern kingdom of Israel responded to the socio-political  situation in their period of time, amid the pressure of the two superpower nations, the kingdom of Egypt and the kingdom of Assyria, makes the expression of Hosea the prophet became precise and accurate. The nature of a dove which is simple, reckless, thoughtless, and without understanding, give an illustration   to Israelite’s inconsistency in searching for a protection to human, instead to the LORD of hosts. Such kind of inconsistency, and refusal to take refuge in the Lord, who made Israel mentioned as a silly and without heart. It is corroborated by some examples in the Old Testament Bible regarding the biblical theological concepts of the occurrences of the word silly and foolish as contrast to the mighty divine power.