Hosea 1:9 kjv
Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
Hosea 1:9 nkjv
Then God said: "Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.
Hosea 1:9 niv
Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi (which means "not my people"), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.
Hosea 1:9 esv
And the LORD said, "Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God."
Hosea 1:9 nlt
And the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi ? 'Not my people' ? for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.
Hosea 1 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 6:7 | "And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God..." | Core covenant promise reversed |
| Lev 26:14-16 | "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these... I will..." | Covenant curses for disobedience |
| Deut 28:15 | "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice..." | Warnings of curse for unfaithfulness |
| Deut 31:17 | "Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake..." | God's abandonment due to apostasy |
| 2 Kgs 17:7-18 | "...because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God..." | Historical account of Israel's apostasy leading to exile |
| Isa 50:1 | "Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement..." | Israel's unfaithfulness as a spiritual divorce |
| Jer 2:13 | "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me..." | Israel abandoning God, source of brokenness |
| Jer 3:8 | "...when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away..." | God putting Israel away for spiritual adultery |
| Jer 16:13 | "Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not..." | Consequence of their sin: exile |
| Jer 31:33 | "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel... I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | Reversal of Lo-Ammi in the New Covenant |
| Eze 14:8 | "And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign..." | God's judgment against idolatry |
| Hos 2:23 | "...and I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." | Future reversal and restoration of "Lo-ammi" |
| Zech 11:8 | "Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me." | God's rejection of unfaithful shepherds/nation |
| Rom 9:25-26 | "As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people..." | Gentile inclusion as "God's people" |
| Rom 11:20-22 | "Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith..." | Israel broken off due to unbelief |
| 1 Pet 2:10 | "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God..." | Spiritual restoration and inclusion in Christ |
| Jgs 2:11-13 | "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim..." | Idolatry as recurring cause for judgment |
| Ps 78:59-60 | "When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel..." | God's wrath due to Israel's rebellion |
| Neh 9:18 | "Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God..." | Historical example of immediate apostasy |
| Hab 1:5-6 | "For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation..." | God raising instruments of judgment |
| 1 Sam 4:21 | "And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel..." | Loss of God's presence due to unfaithfulness |
| Gal 4:8 | "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods." | Living without true God (as Gentiles once did) |
| Heb 8:8-12 | "...a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah..." | The new covenant resolving the brokenness |
| Jas 4:4 | "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" | Spiritual adultery in the New Testament |
Hosea 1 verses
Hosea 1 9 Meaning
Hosea 1:9 declares God's explicit termination of His covenant relationship with the Northern Kingdom of Israel due to their persistent unfaithfulness, particularly their widespread idolatry and moral corruption. The symbolic name "Lo-ammi" (not my people) for Hosea's third child represents God's sovereign pronouncement that Israel has forfeited their covenant status and God will no longer act as their protective and sustaining God. This signifies a spiritual divorce, the removal of His protective hand, and exposure to the consequences of their rebellion, leading to national judgment and exile.
Hosea 1 9 Context
Hosea 1 describes God's command to the prophet Hosea to marry a harlot named Gomer and have children with her. This marriage is a living parable illustrating Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness, their "harlotry" in pursuing other gods and worldly alliances instead of their covenant God. Each child's symbolic name proclaims an escalating message of divine judgment. The first child, Jezreel, signifies scattering and impending judgment for the bloodshed at Jezreel and the end of Jehu's dynasty. The second, Lo-Ruhamah, signifies "no pity" or "no mercy," indicating that God's compassion, while enduring, has reached a limit for the Northern Kingdom. Hosea 1:9, with the naming of the third child, Lo-Ammi, represents the culmination of this judgment, declaring a definitive breach of the covenant relationship. This immediate context foreshadows the Assyrian exile (722 BCE), where Israel would cease to be an independent nation and effectively lose its distinct identity as God's people in the promised land.
Hosea 1 9 Word analysis
- Then said God, (וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙)
- "said God": Emphasizes divine sovereignty and absolute authority. This is a direct declaration from the Almighty, not a prophetic speculation or human sentiment. It underscores the ultimate source of judgment.
- 'Elohim (אֱלֹהִים): A general Hebrew term for God, but in context, it refers to the God of Israel, YHWH, reinforcing that it is the covenant-making God who is now declaring a covenant breach.
- Call his name Lo-ammi: (קְרָא שְׁמ֛וֹ לֹא עַמִּֽי)
- "Call his name": A divine imperative for Hosea to act out this symbolic naming. This specific command ensures that the child's name directly reflects God's pronouncement on the nation.
- Lo-ammi (לֹא עַמִּי): This is the core term.
- Lo (לֹא): A strong Hebrew negative particle, meaning "not," "no," or "non-." It signifies a complete negation.
- Ammi (עַמִּי): From
ʿam(עַם), meaning "people," with the first-person singular suffiximeaning "my." Thus, "my people." - Combined, it directly translates to "not my people." This stands in direct contrast to the foundational covenant phrase where God declared, "you shall be my people" (e.g., Ex 6:7; Jer 31:33; Lev 26:12). It is a radical reversal of Israel's core identity.
- for ye are not my people, (כִּ֥י אַתֶּ֖ם לֹ֣א עַמִּ֑י)
- "for": Introduces the reason or justification for the naming and the divine decree.
- "ye are not my people": A reiteration and direct explanation of "Lo-ammi," now explicitly stated by God Himself to the nation. It highlights that the state of "not being my people" is already a reality due to Israel's apostasy, not just a future prediction. This signifies a fundamental break in relationship and identity.
- and I will not be your God. (וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י לֹא־אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃)
- "and I will not be your God": This is the reciprocal part of the covenant annulment. Just as Israel has failed to be God's people through their disobedience, God, in His righteousness, will cease to be "their God" in the protective, provision-providing, and presence-dwelling sense. This withdrawal means losing His blessings, protection, and intervention on their behalf. It does not imply God ceases to exist or rule, but that His unique covenantal relationship and its associated benefits for Israel are withdrawn.
Words-group analysis
- "Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people,": This phrase emphasizes the performative nature of prophecy. The symbolic naming isn't just a label; it’s an active declaration that establishes a new, grim reality. The "for" clearly links the symbolic name to the current sinful state of the nation.
- "for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.": This dual negative statement serves as a devastating anti-covenant formula. It directly reverses the foundational promise "I will be their God, and they shall be My people" that was given at the outset of the covenant. The two parts are intrinsically linked; their failure to be His people leads to His withdrawal as their covenant God. This isn't merely a rejection, but a principled response to a broken covenant, signifying a forfeiture of privileged status and the removal of the divine blessing that comes with it.
Hosea 1 9 Bonus section
- The naming of Lo-Ammi follows Lo-Ruhamah (no pity), escalating the judgment. First, "no mercy" indicates severe discipline. Second, "not my people" signifies the cutting off of the covenant relationship itself, preparing for exile and dispersal.
- The phrase "Lo-ammi" became a national reality with the Assyrian exile of the Northern Kingdom, where they effectively lost their distinct identity among the nations and their land.
- While a declaration of judgment, Lo-ammi is not necessarily a final or ultimate abandonment. The subsequent chapters of Hosea and New Testament teachings (e.g., Rom 9-11) reveal God's redemptive purpose, promising a future reversal where "Lo-ammi" will become "Ammi" once again, signifying both the restoration of a remnant of Israel and the inclusion of Gentiles into God's family through Christ.
- This reversal is a key theme of hope, illustrating God's steadfast love that ultimately triumphs over sin, transforming those "not my people" into "my people" through grace and a new covenant.
- The pronouncement highlights the essential dual aspects of the covenant: God's promise to be their God, and their obligation to be His people. When one side consistently breaches, the covenant relationship's immediate benefits are suspended.
Hosea 1 9 Commentary
Hosea 1:9 is a pivotal statement in the prophetic book, articulating the dire consequences of Israel's sustained unfaithfulness. By naming the child "Lo-ammi," God essentially pronounces a spiritual divorce decree, severing the sacred covenant relationship established at Sinai. This wasn't a sudden whim but the culmination of centuries of Israel's idolatry, spiritual harlotry, and refusal to heed prophetic warnings. God, as a righteous and holy King, cannot simply ignore His people's rebellion, particularly when it involved sacrificing to pagan gods and rejecting His commands.
The declaration "ye are not my people, and I will not be your God" is profound because it strips Israel of the very identity and security that had defined them since the Exodus. Without God being "their God," they would be vulnerable to their enemies, bereft of divine provision, and eventually exiled from the land God had promised. This verse underscores divine justice and the seriousness of covenant loyalty. While seemingly harsh, it's also a necessary prelude to future restoration (as seen in Hosea 2:23 and Romans 9:25-26). It reminds us that covenant blessings are conditional on faithfulness. Practically, this implies that consistent and unrepentant rebellion can lead to a loss of intimate communion and perceived presence of God, even for believers, though His ultimate redemptive plan endures. It’s a call to profound introspection on our own fidelity to God.