Sexual and Marital Metaphors in Hosea, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel

Metaphor is one of the most powerful, potentially subversive, tools of persuasion. This monograph is concerned with the sexual and marital metaphorical language of the prophetic texts of the Hebrew Bible. Its aims are twofold: first, to call attention to the remarkable diversity of prophetic sexual and marital metaphors and similes, so often reduced to allusions to 'the marriage metaphor' or 'cultic prostitution'; and, second, to highlight the considerable ability of this language when set free of such restraints - to recognize our thoughts.