Hosea 2 1

Hosea 2:1 kjv

Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

Hosea 2:1 nkjv

Say to your brethren, 'My people,' And to your sisters, 'Mercy is shown.'

Hosea 2:1 niv

"Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.'

Hosea 2:1 esv

Say to your brothers, "You are my people," and to your sisters, "You have received mercy."

Hosea 2:1 nlt

"In that day you will call your brothers Ammi ? 'My people.' And you will call your sisters Ruhamah ? 'The ones I love.'

Hosea 2 verses

Hosea 2 1 Meaning

Hosea 2:1 is a prophetic command and declaration of God's reversal of judgment, extending profound grace and restoration to Israel. It instructs the people to declare to one another that they are once again "My people" and "Pitied" by God, overturning the previous judgments symbolized by the names of Hosea's children, Lo-Ammi (not my people) and Lo-Ruhamah (not pitied). This verse serves as a crucial turning point in Hosea's prophecy, shifting from pronouncements of impending discipline to the assurance of future mercy and renewed covenant relationship.

Hosea 2 1 Context

Hosea 2:1 serves as a pivotal bridge following Hosea chapter 1, which introduces God's judgment through the symbolic names given to Hosea's children: Jezreel (sowing/scattering), Lo-Ruhamah ("no compassion" or "not pitied"), and Lo-Ammi ("not My people"). These names signify God's righteous verdict on Israel's spiritual adultery and breaking of the covenant through idolatry (Baal worship and alliances with foreign powers).

Chapter 2 continues with the metaphor of a marital dispute, depicting God's judgment upon Israel, His unfaithful "wife." However, amidst this pronouncement of severe consequences, verse 1 emerges as a profound interjection of hope. It signals a dramatic shift, anticipating God's restorative love and unwavering mercy. Historically, Israel (the Northern Kingdom) was immersed in syncretistic practices, adopting Canaanite fertility rites, which involved worshipping Baal and Asherah alongside YHWH. This made God's judgment inevitable, yet His character of enduring covenant love meant His judgment would always hold a redemptive purpose, culminating in restoration for a remnant. The verse thus sets the stage for a message of grace, forgiveness, and the promise of a renewed, intimate relationship between God and His people, where the consequences of judgment are ultimately reversed.

Hosea 2 1 Word analysis

• Say (אִמְרוּ - ’imrû):

  • This is an imperative plural verb. It’s a direct command for action.
  • Significance: It implies a public declaration, a collective acknowledgment among the people of Israel themselves. The identity must be claimed and confessed internally. This is not just God speaking about them, but the redeemed speaking about their new status. Scholars suggest it's a prophetic instruction for the community to internalize and vocalize their restored covenant identity, often viewed as a command given to the prophetic family (Hosea and his children), serving as a microcosm for the nation.
  • Polemics: This declaration of identity counters the pervasive polytheism where Israel sought identity and provision from Baal. Now, their identity is affirmed in YHWH alone.

• to your brothers (לַאֲחֵיכֶם - la’aḥêḵem):

  • Refers to fellow Israelites, those within the covenant community.
  • Significance: It emphasizes an internal exhortation within the family of Israel, signaling reconciliation and unity within the collective body of God's chosen people, no longer scattered or estranged from each other in disunity, a symptom of their spiritual wandering.

• My people (עַמִּי - ‘ammî):

  • Derived from am (people) with the first person singular suffix meaning "my."
  • Significance: This is a direct reversal of the judgment expressed by the name Lo-Ammi (לֹא עַמִּי), meaning "not My people" in Hosea 1:9. "My people" signifies the renewal of the covenant relationship. It speaks of divine ownership, special chosenness, intimacy, protection, and provision. It asserts a recovered identity foundational to Israel's existence and future. This is a profound statement of restoration, reclaiming a lost, cherished status.

• and to your sisters (וְלַאֲחוֹתֵיכֶם - wəla’aḥôṯêḵem):

  • A parallel address, including all members of the community, both male and female.
  • Significance: It ensures the inclusivity of the divine declaration, demonstrating that God's restoration and mercy extend to every individual within Israel, regardless of gender.

• You are Pitied (רֻחָמָה - Ruḥāmâ):

  • Derived from the Hebrew root raḥam (רָחַם), meaning "to have compassion," "to show mercy," or "to feel pity." This word often refers to deep, visceral compassion, like that of a mother for her child, stemming from the word for "womb." It's passive, meaning "one who has obtained mercy."
  • Significance: This name directly reverses the judgment implied by Lo-Ruhamah (לֹא רֻחָמָה), meaning "not pitied" or "no compassion," from Hosea 1:6. It proclaims that God's tender mercy, which He had withheld, is now abundantly given. This signifies forgiveness, the restoration of God's favor, and the profound, loving care that will redefine their relationship. It signifies a compassionate heart from God towards them.
  • Polemics: This directly contrasts with the impersonal and often cruel nature attributed to Baal in pagan beliefs. God’s compassion is personal, active, and rooted in steadfast love.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Say to your brothers, 'My people'": This phrase represents the reinstatement of the vertical relationship between God and His chosen people, flowing into the horizontal acknowledgment among the community members. It's a declaration of divine reconciliation and a call for fraternal unity under a rediscovered common identity in God. The command for the people themselves to declare this highlights an active role in their restoration – a verbal acknowledgment of grace received and covenant renewed. This anticipates a future state of repentance and belief, where Israel embraces their identity in God once more.

• "and to your sisters, 'You are Pitied'": This phrase underscores the deep, empathetic, and comprehensive nature of God's mercy. It moves beyond a mere legal re-establishment of "my people" to an emotional and relational healing where profound compassion overcomes past judgment. The chiastic reversal of the order of the children's negative names from Hosea 1 (Lo-Ruhamah, then Lo-Ammi) to their positive reversal in Hosea 2:1 (Ammi, then Ruhamah) emphatically concludes the first phase of prophetic judgment and heralds the triumph of God's saving grace and unwavering love. The declaration is intimate and tender, pointing to a profound restoration of favor and love from the Lord.

Hosea 2 1 Bonus section

• Theological Arc of Hosea: Hosea's book famously cycles between pronouncements of judgment and promises of restoration, reflecting God's heartbroken love and His unyielding commitment to His covenant. Verse 2:1 is the clearest turning point, illustrating the cyclical nature of divine discipline leading to restoration.
• Echoes in Worship and Liturgy: The repeated declaration ("Say...") forges a communal act of reaffirming covenant identity. In many traditions, communal confessions of faith and declarations of God's mercy resonate with this prophetic command, fostering solidarity and trust in God’s goodness.
• Implications for Spiritual Adoption: While primarily directed at literal Israel, the New Testament application (Rom 9:25-26, 1 Pet 2:10) significantly broadens the scope, teaching that all believers in Christ, Jew or Gentile, become "God's people" and receive His "pity" through faith and grace, being adopted into His family. This highlights God’s unwavering faithfulness to His promises and His expansive redemptive plan.
• Contrast to Baal Worship: The deep "pity" or "womb-like compassion" (raḥam) contrasts sharply with the utilitarian, transactional, and often cruel nature of Canaanite deities like Baal. God's mercy is unconditional and based on His character, not human performance or sacrifices designed to appease.

Hosea 2 1 Commentary

Hosea 2:1 is a concentrated theological statement proclaiming God's transforming power to turn judgment into profound grace. Following the dire pronouncements and symbolic names of chapter 1 that reflected Israel's rebellion and estrangement, this verse stands as a watershed moment of hope. It is a divine mandate, not just for Hosea, but for the repentant remnant of Israel to declare over themselves and each other their renewed identity in God. The "not My people" become "My people," and those "not pitied" become "Pitied."

This reversal speaks to the very heart of God’s character—one of steadfast love (hesed) and boundless compassion (raham). Despite Israel’s spiritual adultery, God's ultimate desire is restoration, not just condemnation. The command for them to say these things among themselves implies an internal faith declaration, a recognition and affirmation of the undeserved mercy they receive. It foreshadows a time when Israel will return to God, embrace their true identity, and be embraced once again by Him in tender compassion. This prophecy finds ultimate fulfillment not only in the return from Babylonian exile but preeminently in Christ, through whom people from all nations become "God's people" and receive His mercy (as widely applied in the New Testament).