Hosea's Wife and Children
Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Hos. 1:9
Then said God,... The 3rd prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 1:9-11; Hos. 1:9 fulfilled; Hos. 1:10-11 unfulfilled). Next, Hos. 2:1.
One Prediction—Unfulfilled:
You are not My people, and I will not be your God (Hos. 1:9).
Five Predictions—Unfulfilled:
1. The number of the children of Israel will yet be as the sand, which cannot be numbered (Hos. 1:10).
2. In the place where it was said, You are not My people, there it shall be said unto them, You are the sons of the living God.
3. Then will the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together (Hos. 1:11).
4. They will appoint themselves one head.
5. They will come out of the land.
Then said...
אָמַר
’āmar: A verb meaning to say. It is translated in various ways depending on the context. It is almost always followed by a quotation. In addition to vocal speech, the word refers to thought as internal speech (2Sam. 13:32; Est. 6:6). Further, it also refers to what is being communicated by a person's actions along with his words (Exo. 2:14; 2Chr. 28:13).
God, Call...
קָרָא
q̣ārā’: A verb meaning to call, to declare, to summon, to invite, to read, to be family line gave called, to be invoked, to be named. The verb means to call or to summon, but its context and surrounding grammatical setting determine the various shades of meaning given to the word. Abraham called on the name of the Lord (Gen. 4:26; 12:8); the Lord called to Adam (Gen. 3:9; Exo. 3:4). With the Hebrew preposition meaning to, the verb means to name. Adam named all the animals and birds (Gen. 2:20; 3:20); and God named the light day (Gen. 1:5). The word may introduce a long message, as in Exo. 34:6, that gives the moral and ethical definition of God. It can also mean to summon, such as when God summoned Bezalel to build the Tabernacle (Exo. 31:2).
In certain contexts, the verb has the sense of proclaiming or announcing. Jezebel urged Ahab to proclaim a holy day of fasting so Naboth could be killed (1Kgs. 21:9); the Servant of Isaiah proclaimed freedom for the captives and prisoners (Isa. 61:1). The word may mean simply to call out or cry out, as Potiphar's wife said she did (Gen. 39:15; 1Kgs. 18:27-28).
The word means to read aloud from a scroll or a book: the king of Israel was to read aloud from a copy of the Law (Deu. 17:19); just as Moses read the Book of the Covenant to all Israel at Sinai (Exo. 24:7). Baruch read the scroll of Jeremiah to the people (Jer. 36:6, 36:8).
In the passive stem, the word means to be called or summoned: Esther was called by name (Est. 2:14); in the book of Esther, the secretaries who were to carry out the king's orders were summoned (Est. 3:12; Isa. 31:4). News that was delivered was called out or reported (Jer. 4:20). In Nehemiah's reform, the Book of Moses was read aloud in the audience of the people (Neh. 13:1). Also, Eve was called, that is, named, woman (Gen. 2:23). The word takes on the nuance of to be reckoned or called. Gen. 21:12 describes how Abraham's seed would be reckoned by the Lord through Isaac.
His name...
שֵׁם
šēm: A masculine noun meaning a name, fame. It is what specifically identifies a person or anything: God's name, "I am who I am" (Exo. 3:15); or the name Yahweh, LORD, which is in small capital letters in English (Psm. 5:11,12); a person's name (Gen. 3:20); names of animals (Gen. 2:19). To make a name for oneself means to attain a renowned reputation (Gen. 11:4; 2Sam. 8:13); as when God made Abraham's name great (Gen. 12:2). To become famous is to have one's name spread through the land (Ezk. 16:14). To have a good name is to have a good character, a good reputation (Ecc. 7:1). The expression the name haššem refers to the Lord, Yahweh. The Lord's name means to be blessed, praised (Job 1:21). A name may serve as a memorial or monument (Isa. 55:13). The phrase yaḏ wašem means a remembrance, a memorial (Isa. 56:5) and serves today in modern Israel as the name of a museum built to remember the victims of the Holocaust or Shoah. The names of other gods were forbidden in Israel, i.e., the recognition of them (Exo. 23:13; Jos. 23:7). Israel's God was to be called on to act according to His revealed name (Isa. 48:9; Jer. 14:7, 14:21; Ezk. 20:9, 20:14). To continue the name of a man, a him a kind of ongoing life in his sons (Deu. 25:7; 2Sam. 8:13).
Lo-ammi, not My people. This meant that God would cut them off officially as a people, and during that time would refuse to be their God.
Loammi...
לֹא עַמִּי
lō’ ‛ammiy: A proper noun designating Lo-Ammi (Hos. 1:9; 2:23,25).
Call his name... Lo-ammi means “Not My People”, indicating to the Israel of his day that they were not the Lord’s people, and that the Lord was not their God. This should in no sense be understood as an annulment of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:1-3), an unconditional covenant depending solely upon God for its fulfillment.
for...
כִּי
kiy: A demonstrative particle meaning because, for, that, when, whenever; indeed, even; if; even when, even though. It is used in various ways and must be translated accordingly. In every case, the context in which the word functions will be the key to translating correctly. Here is a listing of the major ways it is used: as a conjunction meaning because (Gen. 3:14); for (Psm. 6:2, 6:5); that (Gen. 1:10; 1Kgs. 21:15); as a conjunctive time or condition indicator, when or if (Gen. 4:12); in a clause of condition, it means if, in fact, or in case (Job 7:13); as a demonstrative particle translated as yes, indeed, surely (Gen. 18:20; 1Sam. 14:44); truly, especially found in oaths (Gen. 42:16); used with ’im . . . kî . . . , it means if . . . then (Isa. 7:9); in combination with kî ’az, it is best rendered as then; kî ‛attāh usually means for them (Job 3:13). After a negative clause, kî is best rendered as rather (Gen. 3:6; 17:5; 24:4); preceded by the negative lō’, it is "no, but . . ." In clauses that concede something, it has the sense of even though, although, even when (Ecc. 4:14). It is used to show comparison when used in the construction kî . . . kēn, as . . . so (Isa. 55:9).
ye...
אַתָּה
’attāh: A personal pronoun meaning you. It is also written ’attā in a few places (1Sam. 24:18,19; Psm. 6:3,4). Its basic use is as the independent personal pronoun meaning you (Num. 11:15; Deu. 5:27,24; 2Chr. 14:11,10; Ezk. 28:14). It is used for emphasis before finite verb forms and then may mean you, yourself. It may also be used after (appended) a verb for emphasis (Exo. 18:19; 1Sam. 17:56; 20:8). Used after a previous suffix referring to you, it is again emphatic (2Chr. 35:21).
are not...
לֹא
lō’, לוֹא
lô’, לֹה
lōh: An adverb meaning no, not. The term is primarily utilized as an ordinary negation, as in Genesis 3:4: "You will not surely die" (NIV cf. Jdg. 14:4; Psm. 16:10). Often it is used to express an unconditional prohibition, thus having the force of an imperative: "You shall not (= do not ever) steal"(Exo. 20:15 NIV; cf. Jdg. 13:5). Frequently, it functions as an absolute in answer to a question (Job 23:6; Zec. 4:5). The word is also employed in questions to denote that an affirmative answer is expected (2Kgs. 5:26; Jon. 4:11). When it is prefixed to a noun or adjective, it negates that word, making it have an opposite or contrary meaning (e.g., god becomes non-god; strong becomes weak; cf. Deu. 32:21; Prov. 30:25). When prefixed by the preposition be, meaning in or by, the combined term carries the temporal meaning of beyond or before (Lev. 15:25); the meaning without is also not uncommon for this combination (Job 8:11). A prefixed preposition le, meaning to or for, gives the term the meaning of without (2Chr. 15:3) or as though not (Job 39:16). Occasionally, the word suggests the meaning not only, on account of the context (Deu. 5:3).
my people...
עַ ם
‛am, עָ ם
‛ām: A masculine noun meaning a people, peoples, people of the land, citizens. The word is used over nineteen hundred times to indicate groups of people that can be categorized in various ways. The largest group of people is the one comprising the whole earth (see Gen. 11:1); it constituted one people (Gen. 11:6); who shared a common language (Gen. 11:6; Ezk. 3:5); a common location (see Gen. 11:2); and a common purpose and goal (see Gen. 11:4). However, the Lord scattered the group and brought about multiple languages, thereby producing many groups who would then develop into new peoples united around common languages, including common ancestors, religious beliefs, traditions, and ongoing blood relationships.
The word is used to describe various groups that developed. The people of the sons of Israel (Exo. 1:9; Ezra 9:1), was a term referring to all Israel. The people of Judah were a subgroup of Israel (2Sam. 19:40,41), as was northern Israel (2Kgs. 9:6). The people of Israel as a whole could be described in religious or moral terms as a holy, special people (Deu. 7:6; 14:2; 8:24); or the Lord's inheritance (Deu. 4:20). Above all, they were to be the Lord's people (Jdg. 5:11; 1Sam. 2:24); and the people of God (2Sam. 14:13). They were the Lord's own people because He had rescued them from slavery to Pharaoh and his gods (Exo. 6:7). But the Lord Himself characterized His people as stiff-necked (Exo. 32:9; 33:3; 34:9; Deu. 9:13). To be a member of the Lord's people was to have the Lord as one's God (Ruth 1:16); if God's people rejected the Lord, they ceased to be His people. Therefore, it is clear that God's presence and ownership of His people gave them their identity (Exo. 33:13, 33:16; Hos. 1:9; cf. Deu. 32:21).
In the plural form, the word refers to many peoples or nations. Jerusalem, destroyed and lamenting, called for the people of the world to look on it and its guilt (Lam. 1:18). Israel was chosen from among all the peoples of the earth (Exo. 19:5, 19:7; Deu. 14:2). The Lord is in control of all the plans of the nations and peoples (Psm. 33:10). The word is used in parallel with gôyim. Isaac prayed for Jacob's offspring to become a community of peoples that would include the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 28:3).
The word described people in general that is, nonethnic or national groups. It refers to all the people as individuals in the world (Isa. 42:5). When persons died, they were gathered to their people (Gen. 25:8, 25:17). It also referred to people from a particular city (Ruth 4:9; 2Chr. 32:18); or people from a specific land (e.g., Canaan [Zep. 1:11]). Centuries earlier, Pharaoh referred to the Hebrews living in Egypt under slavery as the people of the land (Exo. 5:5). This phrase could refer to the population at large in Solomon's time and later (2Kgs. 11:14, 11:18; 15:5); or to the population of Canaan in Abraham's time (Gen. 23:7).
The term also depicted foreign peoples and nations. The Moabites were the people of the god Chemosh (Num. 21:29). The word designated foreigners in general as strange or alien people (Exo. 21:8); the people of Egypt were considered the people of Pharaoh (Exo. 1:9, 1:22).
The word is even used to describe a gathering of ants (Pro. 30:25); or rock badgers (Pro. 30:26).
I will not... Literally “I am no longer ‘I Am’ to you.” The phrase gives the breaking of the covenant, a kind of divorce formula, in contrast to the covenant or marriage formula “I AM WHO I AM” given in Exo. 3:14.
and I...
אָנֹכִי
’ānōḵiy: A common independent pronoun meaning I, me. It is used as a formula of introduction when placed before the Lord, I am the Lord (Exo. 20:2). It is used in contrasts with other pronouns, you and I (Hos. 1:9). Placed before a first person verb form, it is emphatic, I myself gave (Hos. 2:8,10). It is used often as a predicate or verb meaning I am (Gen. 24:34; 1Sam. 30:13; 2Sam. 1:8). Sometimes biblical writers preferred to use ’ānōḵı̄y and at other times ’anı̄y, evidently for poetic or rhythmical reasons.
will not... see are not above.
be...
הָיָה
hāyāh: A verb meaning to exist, to be, to become, to happen, to come to pass, to be done. It is used over 3,500 times in the Old Testament. In the simple stem, the verb often means to become, to take place, to happen. It indicates that something has occurred or come about, such as events that have turned out a certain way (1Sam. 4:16); something has happened to someone, such as Moses (Exo. 32:1, 32:23; 2Kgs. 7:20); or something has occurred just as God said it would (Gen. 1:7, 1:9). Often a special Hebrew construction using the imperfect form of the verb asserts that something came to pass (cf. Gen. 1:7, 1:9). Less often, the construction is used with the perfect form of the verb to refer to something coming to pass in the future (Isa. 7:18, 7:21; Hos. 2:16).
The verb is used to describe something that comes into being or arises. For instance, a great cry arose in Egypt when the firstborn were killed in the tenth plague (Exo. 12:30; cf. Gen. 9:16; Mic. 7:4); and when God commanded light to appear, and it did (Gen. 1:3). It is used to join the subject and verb as in Gen. 1:2 where the earth was desolate and void, or to say Adam and Eve were naked (Gen. 2:25). With certain prepositions, it can mean to follow or to be in favor of someone (Psm. 124:1-2). The verb is used with a variety of other words, normally prepositions, to express subtle differences in meaning, such as to be located somewhere (Exo. 1:5); to serve or function as something (e.g., gods [Exo. 20:3]); to become something or as something, as when a person becomes a living being (Gen. 2:7); to be with or by someone (Deu. 22:2); to be or come on someone or something (e.g., the fear of humans on the beasts [Gen. 9:2]); to express the idea of better than or a comparison (Ezk. 15:2), as in the idea of too small (Exo. 12:4).
your God.
In this, God had divorced them. He no longer wanted them as His wife. They were unfaithful. The name "Lo-ammi" means not my people. Because of their unfaithfulness to be His, He will no longer be their God. He will not overrule their will and be their God. There is a lesson in this for us. We must, of our own free will, invite God to be our God.
Lo-Ammi: “Not My people”
The last clause of Hos. 1:9 (I am not your God) is literally, “and I [am] not I AM ’ehyeh to you.” The statement probably alludes to God’s words to Moses, “I am ehyeh who I am ehyeh. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM ehyeh has sent me to you” (Exo. 3:14). “I AM,” which is closely related to the divine name Yahweh, points to God as the covenant Lord of Israel who watches over and delivers His people (cf. Exo. 3:16-17). However, through Lo-Ammi the Lord announced that Israel would no longer experience His special saving presence.
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