Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

HOSEA 2:1KJV
Know the Bible

Hosea 2:1 (KJV)

What does Hosea 2:1 mean?

Hosea 2:1 tells the people to say to their brothers, "Ammi" (meaning "my people"), and to their sisters, "Ruhamah" (meaning "shown mercy" or "pitied"). This verse signals a message of restored relationship and compassion after earlier warnings of judgment.

In the setting of Hosea, God is speaking through the prophet Hosea to the people of Israel, who had been compared to an unfaithful spouse. The verse marks a turning point, where God instructs the people to address each other with names that reflect acceptance and mercy, reversing earlier words of rejection. This shows a shift from judgment to hope and reconciliation.

The Hebrew behind Hosea 2:1

  • אֲמִי (Ammi): This word means "my people." Earlier in Hosea, God had said the people were "not my people," so using "Ammi" here highlights a reversal and renewed belonging.
  • רֻחָמָה (Ruhamah): This word means "shown mercy" or "pitied." Previously, God had called Israel "Lo-Ruhamah" ("not shown mercy"), so now calling them "Ruhamah" signals forgiveness and compassion.

Why Hosea 2:1 matters

  • Hosea 2:1 clears up any idea that God's rejection of Israel was final; the verse shows that restoration is possible and even promised.
  • The verse emphasizes the power of names and words in the Bible, as changing from "not my people" to "my people" and from "not pitied" to "shown mercy" marks a real change in relationship.
  • Hosea 2:1 connects directly to the themes of Hosea as a whole, where judgment and mercy are woven together, and God's desire for reconciliation is made clear.

Where else these words appear

“Ruhamah” Hebrew H7355 · used in 43 verses

  • Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
  • Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
  • Jeremiah 33:26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

“sisters” Hebrew H269 · used in 104 verses

  • Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
  • Leviticus 18:13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest,(for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.