UHoseya 2:1

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

1 Yithini kubazalwana benu, Wenani, bantu bam! nithi koodade benu, Wa, Menzelwa-mfesane! Bambanani nonyoko, bambanani naye; kuba akamfazi wam, andindoda yakhe.

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

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.