the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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THE MESSAGE
Hosea 2:1
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- CharlesEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Call your brothers: My People
"Say to your brothers, 'My people!' And to your sisters, 'My loved one!'
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Say to your brothers, "You are my people," and to your sisters, "You have received mercy."
Say to your brothers, "Ammi," and to your sisters, "Ruhamah."
"You are to call your brothers, ‘my people,' and your sisters, ‘you have been shown pity.'
"[Hosea,] say to your brothers, 'Ammi (you are my people),' and to your sisters, 'Ruhamah (you have been pitied and have obtained mercy).'
Say vnto your brethren, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhamah,
Say to your brothers, "Ammi," and to your sisters, "Ruhamah."
Say to your brothers, "Ammi," and to your sisters, "Ruhamah."
"Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.'
So let your brothers be called "My People" and your sisters be called "Shown Mercy."
"Nevertheless, the people of Isra'el will number as many as the grains of sand by the sea, which cannot be measured or counted; so that the time will come when, instead of being told, ‘You are not my people,' it will be said to them, ‘You are the children of the living God.'
Say unto your brethren Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
"Then you will say to your brothers, ‘You are my people,' and you will say to your sisters, ‘He has shown mercy to you.'"
SAY to your brethren, Ammi, my people; and to your sisters, Rekhimtha, beloved.
So call your fellow Israelites "God's People" and "Loved-by-the-Lord."
Say to your brother, "Ammi," and to your sister, "Ruhamah."
Say to your brothers, A people; and to your sisters, Mercy.
Tell youre brethren, that they are my people: and youre sisteren, that they haue optayned mercy.
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Say to your brothers, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass that, instead of that which was said unto them: 'Ye are not My people', it shall be said unto them: 'Ye are the children of the living God.'
Say ye vnto your brethren, Ammi, & to your sisters, Ruhamah:
Tell your brethren that they are my people, and your sisterne, that they haue obtayned mercy.
Say to your brother, My people, and to your sister, Pitied.
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
"Say to your brothers, 'My people!' And to your sisters, 'My loved one!'
Sei ye to youre britheren, Thei ben my puple; and to youre sister that hath gete merci,
Say to your brothers, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Say ye to your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
Then you will call your brother, "My People" (Ammi)! You will call your sister, "Pity" (Ruhamah)!
Say to your brethren, 'My people,' Hosea 1:9, 10) ">[fn] And to your sisters, 'Mercy Hosea 1:6)">[fn] is shown.'
"In that day you will call your brothers Ammi—‘My people.' And you will call your sisters Ruhamah—‘The ones I love.'
"Say to your brothers, ‘My people,' and to your sisters, ‘My loved one.'
Say to your brother, Ammi, and to your sister, Ruhamah.
Say ye unto your brethren, O Ammi, and unto your sisters, O Ruhamah:
Say ye to your brethren: You are my people: and to your sister: Thou hast obtained mercy.
Say to your brother, "My people," and to your sister, "She has obtained pity."
`Say ye to your brethren -- Ammi, And to your sisters -- Ruhamah.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
unto: Hosea 1:9-11
Ammi: That is, My people, Exodus 19:5, Exodus 19:6, Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 32:38, Ezekiel 11:20, Ezekiel 36:28, Ezekiel 37:27, Zechariah 13:9
Ruhamah: That is, Having obtained mercy, Hosea 2:23, Romans 11:30, Romans 11:31, 2 Corinthians 4:1, 1 Timothy 1:13, 1 Peter 2:10
Reciprocal: Isaiah 54:6 - a woman Matthew 5:7 - for
Cross-References
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground— God hadn't yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground (the whole Earth was watered by underground springs)— God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!
Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.
He wrote on, "Blessed be the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, and who gave King David a son so wise, so knowledgeable and shrewd, to build a temple for God and a palace for himself. I've sent you Huram-Abi—he's already on his way—he knows the construction business inside and out. His mother is from Dan and his father from Tyre. He knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, in purple, violet, linen, and crimson textiles; he is also an expert engraver and competent to work out designs with your artists and architects, and those of my master David, your father.
Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God , their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God . A group of Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani—stood on the platform and cried out to God , their God, in a loud voice. The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, "On your feet! Bless God , your God, for ever and ever!" Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all blessing and praise! You're the one, God , you alone; You made the heavens, the heavens of heavens, and all angels; The earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; You keep them all alive; heaven's angels worship you!
The skies were made by God 's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out. He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg.
God 's Message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies, laid out the earth and all that grows from it, Who breathes life into earth's people, makes them alive with his own life: "I am God . I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bind them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations, To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons. I am God . That's my name. I don't franchise my glory, don't endorse the no-god idols. Take note: The earlier predictions of judgment have been fulfilled. I'm announcing the new salvation work. Before it bursts on the scene, I'm telling you all about it."
God , Creator of the heavens— he is, remember, G od. Maker of earth— he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. He didn't go to all that trouble to just leave it empty, nothing in it. He made it to be lived in. This God says: "I am God , the one and only. I don't just talk to myself or mumble under my breath. I never told Jacob, ‘Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.' I am God . I work out in the open, saying what's right, setting things right. So gather around, come on in, all you refugees and castoffs. They don't seem to know much, do they— those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, praying for help to a dead stick? So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. Put your heads together. Make your case. Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here? Who made sense of things for you? Wasn't I the one? God ? It had to be me. I'm the only God there is— The only God who does things right and knows how to help. So turn to me and be helped—saved!— everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am God , the only God there is, the one and only. I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say. Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me, ‘Yes! Salvation and strength are in God !'" All who have raged against him will be brought before him, disgraced by their unbelief. And all who are connected with Israel will have a robust, praising, good life in God !
"Pay close attention now: I'm creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten. Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I'm creating: I'll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight. I'll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people: No more sounds of weeping in the city, no cries of anguish; No more babies dying in the cradle, or old people who don't enjoy a full lifetime; One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal— anything less will seem like a cheat. They'll build houses and move in. They'll plant fields and eat what they grow. No more building a house that some outsider takes over, No more planting fields that some enemy confiscates, For my people will be as long-lived as trees, my chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work. They won't work and have nothing come of it, they won't have children snatched out from under them. For they themselves are plantings blessed by God , with their children and grandchildren likewise God -blessed. Before they call out, I'll answer. Before they've finished speaking, I'll have heard. Wolf and lamb will graze the same meadow, lion and ox eat straw from the same trough, but snakes—they'll get a diet of dirt! Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill anywhere on my Holy Mountain," says God .
But the Portion-of-Jacob is the real thing. He put the whole universe together And pays special attention to Israel. His name? God -of-the-Angel-Armies!
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. These words are to be considered either in connection with the latter part of the preceding chapter, and as directed to the sons of the living God, who had not been, but now were, "Ammi", the Lord's people; and who had not, but now have, "Ruhamah", obtained mercy; which grace and mercy shown them, it became them to speak of one to another, to affect their hearts mutually with it, and to glorify God for it, Malachi 3:16 as also to speak of it to their carnal relations, that so, if it was the will of God, it might be of use to them, to show them the state they were in, the danger of it, their need of the grace and mercy of God, and the hope there was by their own instance and example of obtaining it; see Romans 9:1, or as directed to the converted Jews that appointed Christ their Head, and believed in him; exhorting them to own the believing Gentiles as their brethren and sisters, since they were the spiritual seed of Abraham their father, and walked in the steps of his faith; and to call them Ammi and Ruhamah, since they, who were not the people of God, now were, and who had not obtained mercy, now have obtained mercy, 1 Peter 2:10, or else they may be considered as in connection with the following words,
plead with your mother; and that either as spoken to the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who were the people of God, retained the pure worship of God, and obtained mercy of the Lord, Hosea 1:7,
"O ye Ammi and Ruhamah, that are the Lord's people, and he has had mercy on; stir up and exhort your brethren and sisters of the ten tribes, for so they were, notwithstanding their separation, 1 Kings 12:4, to contend with their mother, the body of the nation, about idolatry and departure from God;''
or as spoken to the godly among the ten tribes, who were the real people of God, and sharers in his grace and mercy; the remnant he reserved for himself, who had not bowed their knees to idols; or as the command of God by the prophet, to the people of Israel, to exhort one another to contend with their mother, who were, as yet, the Lord's people, had mercy shown them, when this prophecy was delivered out; though, in case of obstinacy and impenitence, they were threatened with a "Loammi" and "Loruhamah"; so Schmidt, who thinks that "ammi" and "ruhamah" are put by way of "apposition [to] your brethren [and] sisters", in which he seems to be right. Aben Ezra thinks the words are spoken ironically, like those in Ecclesiastes 11:9, and others, but without reason. The Targum is,
"O ye prophets, say to your brethren, and my people, and I will have mercy on your congregation;''
but whether the words are spoken to the Jewish converts who first believed in Christ, were his people, received grace and mercy from him, and stood in the relation of brethren and sisters to one another, both in a natural and spiritual sense, to stir up one another to reprove their mother, the Jewish church, for rejecting Christ, saying, as follows:
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi - that is, “My people, and to your sisters, Ruhamah,” i. e., “beloved or tenderly pitied.” The words form a climax of the love of God. First, the people scattered , unpitied , and disowned by God , is re-born of God; then it is declared to be in continued relation to God, “My people;” then to be the object of his yearning love. The words, “My people,” may be alike filled up, “ye are My people,” and “be ye My people.” They are words of hope in prophecy, “ye shall be again My people;” they become words of joy in each stage of fulfillment. They are words of mutual joy and gratulation, when obeyed; they are words of encouragement, until obeyed. God is reconciled to us, and willeth that we be reconciled to Him. Among those who already are God’s people, they are the voice of the joy of mutual love in the oneness of the Spirit of adoption; “we are His people;” to those without (whether the ten tribes, or the Jews of heretics,) they are the voice of those who know in whom they have believed, “Be ye also His people.” Despair of the salvation of none, but, with brotherly love, call them to repentance and salvation.”
This verse closes what went before, as God’s reversal of His own sentence, and anticipates what is to come (Hosea 5:14 ff). God commands the prophets and all those who love Him, to appeal to those who forget Him, holding out to them the mercy in store for them also, if they will return to Him. He bids them not to despise those yet alien from Him, “but to treat as brethren and sisters, those whom God willeth to introduce into His house, and to call to the riches of His inheritance.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER II
The prophet exhorts his people to speak and to act as became
those who obtained mercy of God; and to remonstrate strongly
against the conduct of their mother, (Samaria,) whose captivity
is threatened on account of her forsaking God, and ascribing
her prosperity to idols, 1-5.
As an amplification of this threatening, the prophet
ennumerates a series of afflictions which were to befall her
to bring her to a sense of her duty to God; and of her folly
in seeking after idols, and falsely ascribing to them the
blessings of Providence, 6-13.
After these corrections, however, God promises to conduct
Israel safely to their own land; perhaps alluding to their
restoration from the Babylonish captivity, for this prophecy
is supposed to have been delivered about two hundred and fifty
years prior to this event, 14, 15.
He farther engages to deal with them as a tender husband, and
not as a severe master, as were the idols which they served,
16, 17.
The rest of the chapter promises the people of God, the true
Israel, security from every evil, with the possession of every
blessing, under a new covenant; and that in terms full of
beauty, energy, and consolation. Heaven and earth, and whatever
they contain; all nature, and the God of nature, are
represented as uniting to make the people of God happy; so that
if they only breathe a wish, one part of nature, animate or
inanimate, echoes it to another, and all join in sweet harmony
to transmit it to the ear of the Almighty. "I will hear, saith
the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the
earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and
the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel."
NOTES ON CHAP. II
Verse Hosea 2:1. Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi — I prefer the interpretation of these proper names. Say ye unto your brethren, MY PEOPLE; and to your sisters, who have OBTAINED MERCY.
