Hosea 1 Study Notes

1:6-7 Hosea’s second child, a daughter, was given the pathetic Hebrew name Lo-ruhamah, meaning “No Compassion,” symbolic of the fact that by her continual unfaithfulness Israel had forfeited God’s love. Take them away could also be rendered “forgive them,” although the context favors the present translation.

1:8-9 The Hebrew name of Hosea’s third child, Lo-ammi, meaning “Not My People,” was a symbolic proclamation that Israel had broken covenant with God (Ex 6:7; Lv 26:12). I will not be your God is literally “and I will not be to you.” This could also be rendered “and I am not ‘I AM’ to you” (Ex 3:14-15). God’s statement amounted to a decree of divorce.

1:10-11 Allusion to the Abrahamic covenant in the phrase like the sand of the sea (cp. Gn 22:17) indicates that God’s “divorce” of Israel was not final but applied only to that generation—the nation or leadership of that time. Eternal promise is placed profoundly beside final judgment, reconcilable only because the living God could bring life out of death. This is affirmed by the name Jezreel, which symbolized not only judgment but also life insomuch as the name meant “God plants” (cp. Ezk 36:9-11). The division between Israel and Judah was temporary, a theme to be repeated later (Ezk 37:18-25; Hs 3:5).