Question 1

Who are “Ammi” and “Ruhamah” in this passage?

Accepted Answer

“Ammi” means “my people,” and “Ruhamah” means “shown mercy” or “pitied.” Here God tells the faithful ones to call each other by these names. It is like God is reminding them, “You really do belong to me, and I really do have mercy on you.” After speaking hard words about judgment, God still holds out this hopeful identity. He wants His people to remember that He has not forgotten them, and that there is still room to be known as His people who receive His mercy.

Question 2

What does it mean when God says, “she is not my wife, neither am I her husband”?

Accepted Answer

When God says this, He is talking about Israel as if she were an unfaithful wife. By chasing idols and trusting others for help, the nation has broken the marriage-like bond with God. This line shows how serious their sin is. It is not a small mistake but a betrayal of a close relationship. Yet even here, God calls them to “put away her whoredoms,” meaning to turn from idols. The hard words are meant to wake them up and lead them to repent and be restored.

Question 3

Why does God threaten to strip and shame Israel like a naked woman?

Accepted Answer

The picture of stripping and exposing shame is meant to show what will happen if Israel keeps chasing idols. God had brought them out of misery and clothed them with blessings, like a husband caring for a wife. If they keep turning away, He will take back food, clothes, and safety, leaving them as bare as when He first found them. This includes famine, loss of land, and public disgrace. The point is not cruelty but a sober warning: turning from God leads to emptiness and exposure.

Question 4

What are the “lovers” and “whoredoms” that God talks about here?

Accepted Answer

The “lovers” are the idols and alliances Israel ran after, especially the worship of Baal and trust in other nations. The “whoredoms” are their acts of spiritual unfaithfulness: burning incense to other gods, dressing up for idol feasts, and giving credit to those idols for grain, wine, wool, and oil. God shows that they have treated false gods like providers and have loved the gifts more than the Giver. In His eyes, this is like a married person running after many partners.

Question 5

Why does God hedge Israel’s way with thorns and block her paths?

Accepted Answer

The “hedge of thorns” and wall picture God making their sinful path hard and painful. He will frustrate their plans so they cannot reach the idols and alliances they want. They will chase their “lovers” but not catch them. This is actually mercy in a severe form. By closing off false hopes, God aims to bring them to their senses so they say, “I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better with me than now.” Hard providences are meant to draw them back.

Question 6

What does it mean that Israel did not know God gave her corn, wine, and oil?

Accepted Answer

This means Israel enjoyed food, drink, and wealth but forgot where it all came from. They thought their idols or foreign partners gave them these things. They even used God’s silver and gold to honor Baal. Not knowing here is not simple ignorance but wilful ingratitude. God reminds them that every good thing they had was from Him. Because they refused to thank Him and instead praised idols, He says He will take those gifts away so they can see their true source.

Question 7

Why does God cause Israel’s feast days, new moons, and sabbaths to cease?

Accepted Answer

God says He will stop their joy, including feast days, new moons, sabbaths, and all their solemn gatherings. These occasions were meant to honor Him, but the people had mixed them with idolatry or kept them outwardly while their hearts went after other gods. By ending these celebrations, God shows that He will not let empty or corrupted worship continue as if all were fine. The stopping of feasts is both judgment on false religion and a way to show how far they have fallen.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s character toward His unfaithful people?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God takes unfaithfulness very seriously, like a spouse hurt by betrayal. He warns of real loss, shame, and hardship. Yet it also shows that He is the true giver of every good gift and that even His hardest dealings aim to bring people back. He hedges their way, removes false comforts, and lets them feel thirst so they remember Him. God is both just and patient. He does not ignore sin, but He also calls, “Return to me,” leaving room for mercy and restoration.

Question 9

How can this passage about Israel’s idolatry speak to people today?

Accepted Answer

Today, people may not bow to statues, but we can still chase “lovers” such as money, success, pleasure, or relationships, treating them as our real security. This passage warns that when we trust created things instead of God, we are acting like Israel did. God may take away or frustrate those false supports so we see that they cannot truly satisfy. The call is to turn back, remember that every good gift comes from Him, confess our misplaced trust, and live again as His people who have received mercy.

Hosea 2:1

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

Israel’s Adultery Rebuked

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Hosea 2:1

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

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Israel’s Adultery Rebuked

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