Intertextual chaos? Investigating Paul’s use of Hosea in Romans 9:25-26 in light of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics

In Romans, Paul quotes OT texts to argue for the covenant inclusion of the Gentiles. Two important quotations, from a hermeneutical standpoint, are Hos 2:23 (2:25 LXX) and 1:10 (2:1 LXX) in Rom 9:25-26, which are presented here as a case study for testing the relevance of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutic for biblical studies. Paul’s quotations are thought-provoking because there seem to be difficulties reconciling the quoted texts’ original agenda with his own at the time of writing. The oracles were originally used to argue for the inclusion of rebellious Israel, not Gentiles as Paul argues. Thus, the issue of competing agendas becomes quickly apparent. Past scholarship has addressed this issue in various ways with little consensus being reached. This thesis utilizes Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics as a clarifying way forward. Despite the significance and relevance of his work, Gadamer has not influenced biblical scholarship as deeply as one might have expected. The most significant contribution this thesis makes, therefore, is to bring Gadamer’s hermeneutic to bear upon the issue of biblical intertextuality as evidenced in the use of Hosea in Romans.
Part One introduces the issues and surveys the ways some scholars have sought to understand them (chapter 1). A Gadamerian approach is proposed as a way forward (chapter 2). Part Two outlines Gadamer’s philosophy, which includes a sketch of his
scholarly context (chapters 3-4). Part Three revisits the intertextual intricacies in key parts of Romans through the lens of a Gadamerian hermeneutic. Relevant motifs that shape Paul’s and Hosea’s horizons are identified and traced, lending insight to Rom 9:25-26. This is aided by an examination of key texts from the CD and Pesharim (chapters 5-6). Conclusions are then synthesized, bringing clarity to Rom 9:25-26 (chapter 7). Finally, a summary is given, and areas for future enquiry are proposed
(chapter 8).