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Commentary on Hosea 1 verses 8–11
We have here a prediction,
I. Of the rejection of Israel for a time, which is signified by the name of another child that Hosea had by his adulterous spouse, Hos 1:8, Hos 1:9. And still we must observe that those children whose names carried these direful omens in them to Israel were all children of whoredoms (Hos 1:2), all born of the harlot that Hosea married, to intimate that the ruin of Israel was the natural product of the sin of Israel. If they had not first revolted from God, they would never have been rejected by him; God never leaves any till they first leave him. Here is, 1. The birth of this child: When she had weaned her daughter, she conceived and bore a son. Notice is taken of the delay of the birth of this child, which was to carry in its name a certain presage of their utter rejection, to intimate God's patience with them, and his unwillingness to proceed to extremity. Some think that her bearing another son signifies that people's persisting in their wickedness; lust still conceived and brought forth sin. They added to do evil (so the Chaldee paraphrase expounds it); they were old in adulteries, and obstinate. 2. The name given him: Call him Lo-ammi - Not my people. When they were told that God would no more have mercy on them they regarded it not, but buoyed up themselves with this conceit, that they were God's people, whom he could not but have mercy on. And therefore he plucks that staff from under them, and disowns all relation to them: You are not my people, and I will not be your God. "I will not be yours (so the word it); I will be in no relation to you, will have nothing to do with you; I will not be your King, your Father, your patron and protector." We supply it very well with that which includes all, "I will not be your God; I will not be to you what I have been, nor what you vainly expect I should be, nor what I would have been if you had kept close to me." Observe, "You are not my people; you do not act as becomes my people; you are not observant of me and obedient to me, as my people should be; you are not my people, but the people of this and the other dunghill-deity; and therefore I will not own you for my people, will not protect you, will not put in any claim to you, not demand you, not deliver you out of the hands of those that have seized you; let them take you; you are none of mine. You will not have me to be your God, but pay your homage to the pretenders, and therefore I will not be your God; you shall have no interest in me, shall expect no benefit from me." Note, Our being taken into covenant with God is owing purely to him and to his grace, for then it begins on his side: I will be to them a God, and then they shall be to me a people; we love him because he first loved us. But our being cast out of covenant is owing purely to ourselves and our own folly. The breach is on man's side: You are not my people, and therefore I will not be your God; if God hate any, it is because they first hated him. This was fulfilled in Israel when they were utterly taken away into the land of Assyria, and their place knew them no more. They were no longer God's people, for they lost the knowledge and worship of him; no prophets were sent to them, no promises made to them, as were to the two tribes in their captivity; nay, they were no longer a people, but, for aught that appears, were mingled with the nations into which they were carried, and lost among them.
II. Of the reduction and restoration of Israel in the fulness of time. Here, as before, mercy is remembered in the midst of wrath; the rejection, as it shall not be total, so it shall not be final (Hos 1:10, Hos 1:11): Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea. See how the same hand that wounded is stretched forth to heal, and how tenderly he that has torn binds up; though God cause grief by his threatenings, yet he will have compassion, and will gather with everlasting kindness. They are very precious promises which are here made concerning the Israel of God, and which may be of use to us now.
1.Some think that these promises had their accomplishment in the return of the Jews out of their captivity in Babylon, when many of the ten tribes joined themselves to Judah, and took the benefit of the liberty which Cyrus proclaimed, came up in great numbers out of the several countries into which they were dispersed, to their own land, appointed Zerubbabel their head, and coalesced into one people, whereas before they had been two distinct nations. And in their own land, where God had by his prophets disowned and rejected them as none of his, he would by his prophets own them and appear for them as his children; and from all parts of the country they should come up to the temple to worship. And we have reason to think that, though this promise has a further reference, yet it was graciously intended and piously used for the support and comfort of the captives in Babylon, as giving them a general assurance of mercy which God had in store for them and their land; their nation could not be destroyed so long as this blessing was in it, was in reserve for it.
2.Some think that these promises will not have their accomplishment, at least not in full, till the general conversion of the Jews in the latter days, which is expected yet to come, when the vast incredible numbers of Jews, that are now dispersed as the sand of the sea, shall be brought to embrace the faith of Christ and be incorporated in the gospel-church. Then, and not till then, God will own them as his people, his children, even there where they had lain under the dismal tokens of their rejection. The Jewish doctors look upon this promise as not having had its accomplishment yet. But,
3.It is certain that this promise had its accomplishment in the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, by the preaching of the gospel, and the bringing in both of Jews and Gentiles to it, for to this these words are applied by St. Paul (Rom 9:25, Rom 9:26), and by St. Peter when he writes to the Jews of the dispersion, Pe1 2:10. Israel here is the gospel-church, the spiritual Israel (Gal 6:16), all believers who follow the steps, and inherit the blessing of faithful Abraham, who is the father of all that believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, Rom 4:11, Rom 4:12. Now let us see what is promised concerning this Israel.
(1.)That it shall greatly multiply, and the numbers of it be increased; it shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. Though Israel according to the flesh be diminished and made few, the spiritual Israel shall be numerous, shall be innumerable. In the vast multitudes that by the preaching of the gospel have been brought to Christ, both in the first ages of Christianity and ever since, this promise is fulfilled, thousands out of every tribe in Israel, and out of other nations, a multitude which no man can number, Rev 7:4, Rev 7:9; Gal 4:27. In this the promise made to Abraham, when God called him Abraham the high father of a multitude, had its full accomplishment (Gen 17:5), and that Gen 22:17. Some observe that they are here compared to the sand of the sea, not only for their numbers, but as the sand of the sea serves for a boundary to the waters, that they shall not overflow the earth, so the Israelites indeed are a wall of defence to the places where they live, to keep off judgments. God can do nothing against Sodom while Lot is there.
(2.)That God will renew his covenant with the gospel-Israel, and will incorporate it a church to himself, by as full and ample a charter as that whereby the Old Testament church was incorporated; nay, and its privileges shall be much greater: "In the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people, there shall you be again admitted into covenant, and owned as my people." The abandoned Gentiles in their respective places, and the rejected Jews in theirs, shall be favoured and blessed. There, where the fathers were cast off for their unbelief, the children, upon their believing, shall be taken in. This is a blessed resurrection, the making of those the people of God that were not a people. Nay, but the privilege is enlarged; now it is not only, You are my people, as formerly, but You are the sons of the living God, whether by birth you were Jews or Gentiles. Israel under the law was God's son, his first-born, but then they were as children under age; now, under the gospel, they have grown up both to greater understanding and greater liberty, Gal 4:1, Gal 4:2. Note, [1.] It is the unspeakable privilege of all believers that they have the living God for their Father, the ever-living God, and may look upon themselves as his children by grace and adoption. [2.] The sonship of believers shall be owned and acknowledged; it shall be said to them, for their comfort and satisfaction, nay, and it shall be said for their honour in the hearing of the world, You are the sons of the living God. Let not the saints disquiet themselves; let not others despise them; for, sooner or later, there shall be a manifestation of the children of God, and all the world shall be made to know their excellency and the value God has for them. [3.] It will add much to their comfort, very much to their honour, when they are dignified with the tokens of God's favour in that very place where they had long lain under the tokens of his displeasure. This speaks comfort to the believing Gentiles, that they need not go up to Jerusalem, to be received and owned as God's children; no, they may stay where they are, and in that place, though it be in the remotest corner of the earth, in that place where they were at a distance, where it was said to them, "You are not God's people," but are separated from them (Isa 56:3, Isa 56:6), even there, without leaving their country and kindred, they may by faith receive the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with their spirits that "they are the children of God."
(3.)That those who had been at variance should be happily brought together (Hos 1:11): Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together. This uniting of Judah and Israel, those two kingdoms that were now so much at variance, biting and devouring one another, is mentioned only as a specimen, or one instance, of the happy effect of the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world, the bringing of those that had been at the greatest enmity one against another to a good understanding one of another and a good affection one to another. This was literally fulfilled when the Galileans, who inhabited that part of the country which belonged to the ten tribes, and probably for the most part descended from them, so heartily joined with those that were probably called Jews (that were of Judea) in following Christ and embracing his gospel; and his first disciples were partly Jews and partly Galileans. The first that were blessed with the light of the gospel were of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali (Mat 4:15); and, though there was no good-will at all between the Jews and the Galileans, yet, upon their believing in Christ, they were happily consolidated, and there were no remains of the former disaffection they had to one another; nay, when the Samaritans believed, though between them and the Jews there was a much greater enmity, yet in Christ there was a perfect unanimity, Act 8:14. Thus Judah and Israel were gathered together; yet this was but a type of the much more celebrated coalition between Jews and Gentiles, when, by the death of Christ, the partition-wall of the ceremonial law was taken down. See Eph 2:14-16. Christ died, to gather together in one all the children of God that were scattered abroad, Joh 11:51; Eph 1:10.
(4.)That Jesus Christ should be the centre of unity to all God's spiritual Israel. They shall all agree to appoint to themselves one head, which can be no other than he whom God has appointed, even Christ. Note, Jesus Christ is the head of the church, the one only head of it, not only a head of government, as of the body politic, but a head of vital influence, as of the natural body. To believe in Christ is to appoint him to ourselves for our head, that is, to consent to God's appointment, and willingly commit ourselves to his guidance and government; and this in concurrence and communion with all good Christians that make him their head; so that, though they are many, yet in him they are one, and so become one with each other. Qui conveniunt in aliquo tertio inter se conveniunt - Those who agree with a third agree with each other.
(5.)That, having appointed Christ for their head, they shall come up out of the land; they shall come, some of all sorts, from all parts, to join themselves to the church, as, under the Jewish economy, they came up from all corners of the land of Israel to Jerusalem, to worship (Psa 122:4), Thither the tribes go up, to which there is a plain allusion in that prophecy of the accession of the Gentiles to the church (Isa 2:3), Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. It denotes not a local remove (for they are said to be in the same place, Hos 1:10), but a change of their mind, a spiritual ascent to Christ. They shall come up from the earth (so it may be read); for those who have given up themselves to Christ as their head take their affections off from this earth, and the things of it, to set them upon things above (Col 3:1, Col 3:2); for they are not of the world (Joh 15:19), but have their conversation in heaven. They shall come up out of the land, though it be the land of their nativity; they shall, in affection, come out from it, that they may follow the Lamb withersoever he goes. Thus the learned Dr. Pocock takes it.
(6.)That, when all this comes to pass, great shall be the day of Jezreel. Though great is the day of Jezreel's affliction (so some understand it), yet great shall be the day of Jezreel's glory. This shall be Israel's day; the day shall be their own, after their enemies have long had their day. Israel is here called Jezreel, the seed of God, the holy seed (Isa 6:13), the substance of the land. This seed is now sown in the earth, and buried under the clods; but great shall be its day when the harvest comes. Great was the church's day when there were added to it daily such as should be saved; then did the Almighty do great things for it.
“For he proclaims peace to his people, and to his faithful ones, and to those who turn to him from their hearts.” I note here a threefold classification: his people, his loyal servants, and those who come back to him in hope. He proclaims peace to his people, not to the Jews of whom in Hosea he says, “You are not my people.”
"And she that was without mercy hath taken him away and conceived and brought forth a son. And he said: Call his name, Not my people: for you are not my people, and I will not be yours. " (The Septuagint likewise) And he who was called the seed of God, turned into a woman and, on account of the weakness of his strength and the offence against God, was led captive, not mentioned as having been weaned, but as having been weaned: for he had already lost his strength as a man. He who is weaned departs from his mother and does not feed on a parent’s milk, but is sustained by external nourishment. Thus Israel, having been cast out by the Lord, and surrounded by the narrowness of captivity, and sustained with impure foods in Babylon, is called not the people of God, and an eternal sentence of a foreign people is carried, so that it is said, “You are not my people,” and will be cast off forever. Which we can rightly understand in all the people of the Jews who, on account of the offense of the seed of God, were handed over to captivity, lost the kingdom and the province, and are called not the people of God; and also in the person of heretics. But if any contentious interpreter will not receive these things which we have said, but will understand that Gomer, the daughter of Deblaim, first bore male and female children, then male again, desiring the Scripture to sound what is read, let him answer how in Ezekiel he explains that where the Lord commands to bear the iniquities of the house of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes, and to sleep forever for three hundred and ninety days on one side of the left, although in the LXX they are written as one hundred and ninety, and to sleep so as never to wake up or change sides unless, perhaps, he satisfies his hunger by opening his eyes a little to take the most sordid food of bread baked from wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet in human excrement. For the nature of things does not allow that anyone among men should always sleep hidden for three hundred and ninety days in one place. And he says again: 'You will bear the iniquities of the house of Judah, and you will sleep on your right side for forty days.' But these days are calculated ((or were calculated)) as years, during which Israel and Judah are held by a very long siege and captivity, so that, bound and immobilized, they cannot turn from one side to the other. If it cannot approve of these things and others like them which we read in Holy Scripture, but argues that they signify something else, then this harlot and other adulterous women, who were either joined to prophets or were saved by a prophet, indicate not a shameful union of lust but the sacraments of the future.
For this reason, our God spoke elsewhere about the Hebrew people to the prophet, saying, “Call his name Not Beloved,” and again to the Jews, “You are not my people, and I am not your God.” But he himself showed clearly elsewhere why he said this about them, for he said, “They have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters,” and again, “For they have cast away the word of the Lord, and there is no wisdom in them.”
Not my people: Lo-ammi.
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SUMMARY
Hosea 1:9 marks a profound turning point in God's relationship with the Northern Kingdom of Israel, symbolized by the naming of Hosea's third child, Lo-Ammi. This name, meaning "not my people," represents a divine declaration of covenant dissolution due to Israel's persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness. It signifies God's righteous judgment, withdrawing His intimate covenantal presence and protection from a people who had repeatedly rejected Him, highlighting the severe consequences of spiritual adultery and rebellion against the divine covenant.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Hosea 1:9 concludes the symbolic naming of Hosea's children, which forms the opening and foundational prophetic act of the book. Following the birth of Jezreel ("God scatters") in Hosea 1:4 and Lo-Ruhamah ("not pitied") in Hosea 1:6, Lo-Ammi ("not my people") represents the climactic and most severe declaration of divine judgment. Each child's name progressively illustrates the escalating consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness, moving from impending judgment (Jezreel) to the withdrawal of mercy (Lo-Ruhamah), and finally, to the ultimate breaking of the covenant relationship itself (Lo-Ammi). This sequence sets the stage for the book's subsequent chapters, which oscillate between detailed indictments of Israel's sin and passionate appeals for repentance, ultimately culminating in promises of future restoration.
Historical & Cultural Context: The prophecy of Hosea is set during the tumultuous final decades of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), roughly from 750-715 BC. This period was characterized by political instability, assassinations of kings, and a rapid decline into moral and spiritual depravity. Israel had abandoned the covenant with Yahweh, engaging in widespread syncretism, worshipping Baal and other Canaanite deities, and adopting their fertility cult practices. Economically prosperous but spiritually bankrupt, Israel also sought foreign alliances (with Assyria or Egypt) rather than trusting in God, a clear violation of the covenant. The declaration "not my people" reflects God's response to this deep-seated rebellion, foreshadowing the impending Assyrian exile (722 BC) that would scatter the Northern Kingdom and effectively end its existence as a distinct political entity, thereby fulfilling the implications of the name Jezreel.
Key Themes: Hosea 1:9 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Hosea. Primarily, it underscores Covenant Unfaithfulness and Judgment, demonstrating that God's covenant with Israel, while gracious, was conditional upon obedience. Israel's persistent spiritual adultery, depicted through Gomer's unfaithfulness, directly parallels their abandonment of Yahweh for other gods, leading to the severe judgment of covenant revocation. This verse also highlights the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Justice, as God, in His holiness, cannot indefinitely tolerate sin and rebellion. Yet, even in judgment, the book of Hosea, particularly in later chapters like Hosea 11 and Hosea 14, never abandons the theme of God's Enduring Love and Desire for Restoration. The "not my people" declaration, while severe, is ultimately part of a divine discipline intended to bring Israel to repentance and a renewed relationship, as explicitly promised in Hosea 2:23.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Hosea 1:9 employs several potent literary devices. Symbolism is paramount, as the child Lo-Ammi serves as a living, embodied prophecy, his very name a constant, stark reminder of Israel's broken covenant with God. This is part of a larger Allegory throughout Hosea 1-3, where Hosea's marriage to Gomer allegorically represents Yahweh's faithful, enduring love for unfaithful Israel. The naming of Lo-Ammi is an act of Divine Speech or Oracle, conveying God's direct judgment. The phrase "ye are not my people, and I will not be your God" is a powerful example of Covenant Reversal or Anti-Covenant Formula, directly negating the foundational declaration of the Mosaic covenant ("I will be your God, and you will be my people"). This Antithesis highlights the severity of Israel's rebellion and the resulting rupture in their relationship with God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hosea 1:9 stands as a stark reminder of the conditional nature of God's covenant with Israel, emphasizing that while God's love is steadfast, His holiness demands a response of faithfulness. This verse illustrates the profound consequences of spiritual adultery, where Israel's pursuit of other gods led to a forfeiture of their unique identity as God's chosen people. However, the severity of this declaration is not the final word in Hosea or in biblical theology. It serves as a necessary judgment to highlight the depth of Israel's sin and God's righteous character, setting the stage for the even greater demonstration of God's redemptive love and His ultimate desire for reconciliation and restoration, which culminates in the New Covenant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hosea 1:9, while rooted in ancient Israel's history, offers profound lessons for believers today. It serves as a sobering reminder that our relationship with God, though founded on His grace, calls for a response of faithfulness and exclusive devotion. Just as Israel's idolatry led to a breach in their covenant, so too can anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts—whether possessions, power, pleasure, or even self-reliance—create a spiritual distance that hinders our fellowship with Him. This verse challenges us to examine our own lives: are we truly living as God's people, reflecting His character and prioritizing His will, or are there "other gods" we serve? It underscores the seriousness of sin and the importance of repentance, reminding us that God is holy and just, and while His patience is immense, persistent unfaithfulness has consequences. Yet, the broader narrative of Hosea, and indeed the entire biblical story, assures us that even when we fail, God's ultimate desire is for restoration. His declaration of "not my people" is often a painful, disciplinary act designed to lead us back to Him, offering a path to renewed intimacy through repentance and faith in His enduring love.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Hosea 1:9 mean God completely abandoned Israel forever?
Answer: No, Hosea 1:9 signifies a temporary, albeit severe, period of judgment and covenant dissolution due to Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. While the declaration "not my people" was a profound statement of alienation, the book of Hosea itself, and indeed the entire biblical narrative, ultimately speaks of God's enduring love and His plan for restoration. Later in Hosea, particularly in Hosea 2:23, God promises to reverse this declaration, saying, "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." This illustrates that God's judgment is often disciplinary, intended to bring about repentance and a renewed relationship, not final abandonment. The ultimate fulfillment of this restoration is seen in the New Testament through Christ, who gathers both Jews and Gentiles into God's family (Romans 9:25-26).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hosea 1:9, with its declaration of "not my people," finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment not in a permanent rejection, but in the ultimate redefinition and expansion of God's people through the new covenant established by Jesus Christ. While Israel's unfaithfulness led to a temporary breach, God's eternal purpose was always to gather a people for Himself, a purpose fully realized in the person and work of Jesus. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross, the barrier of sin that separated humanity from God was removed, making a new and living way for all who believe, both Jew and Gentile, to become part of God's spiritual family. The very promise in Hosea 2:23—"I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people"—is directly applied by the Apostle Peter to the church, composed of those who "in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God" (1 Peter 2:9-10). Thus, the alienation symbolized by Lo-Ammi is overcome by the reconciliation offered in Christ, who is the true Israel, the faithful one who perfectly embodies God's covenant, inviting all nations to be reconciled to God and be called "my people" through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:11-22).