The Meaning of Hosea 1:10 Explained

Hosea 1:10

KJV: 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 in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

YLT: and the number of the sons of Israel hath been as the sand of the sea, that is not measured nor numbered, and it hath come to pass in the place where it is said to them, Ye are not My people, it is said to them, Sons of the Living God;

Darby: Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured or numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, it shall be said unto them, Sons of the living God.

ASV: 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, in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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] in the place  where it was said  unto them, Ye [are] not my people,  [there] it shall be said  unto them, [Ye are] the sons  of the living  God. 

What does Hosea 1:10 Mean?

Study Notes

Israel
"Israel" in Hosea means the ten tribes forming the northern kingdom as distinguished from "Judah" (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) forming the southern kingdom which adhered to the Davidic family. (See) 1 Kings 12:1-21 . The promise of Hosea 1:10 awaits fulfilment. See "Israel"; Genesis 12:2 ; Genesis 12:3 ; Romans 11:26 .

Verse Meaning

This verse begins chapter2in the Hebrew Bible. Despite the judgment promised, Yahweh revealed that the number of the Israelites would be as the sand of the sea (i.e, innumerable, cf. Genesis 22:17; Genesis 32:12). He also said that in the same place where they heard His word of rejection ( Hosea 1:9) they would hear His word of acceptance, namely, in the land of Israel. They would again be sons of the living God. This family terminology points to the restoration of intimate covenant relationship and privilege. The "living God" title recalls Joshua 3:10, where Joshua told the Israelites that they would know that the living God was among them when they saw Him defeat their enemies in the Promised Land. In this future day the Israelites would again see that Yahweh was the only living God (true God) when He defeated their enemies and led them in victory.
"Hosea"s words here are crucial to an understanding of his theology of hope. His prophetic oracles appear to presage absolute judgment, but that was so only for his unbelieving generation. The nation"s unfaithfulness to God and their trust in Assyria would be their downfall, but God would preserve a people, and out of them would spring an innumerable multitude." [1]
A wonderful promise of future restoration immediately follows this gloomy revelation of judgment. It provided encouragement to Hosea"s audience by assuring a glorious and secure future for Israel eventually.

Context Summary

Hosea 1:1-11 - God Gathers The Outcast
The story of Hosea is a pathetic one. He felt impressed that it was his duty to take as wife one whose earlier life had been unchaste. From this marriage resulted three children, the names of whom are terribly significant. They are as follows:-God will scatter; Not an object of favor; and Once my people, but not so now. Here is the history of many a soul. In spite of all God's tender love, we may wander from Him into the path of sin.
The chapter closes with brighter prognostications. In part, these latter verses were fulfilled by the return from Babylon, and they will be fulfilled in literal fulness someday-probably sooner than we have been wont to suppose. It is good to lay the emphasis on In the place"¦ there. How often we are taken back to the very circumstances in which we appear to have failed most conspicuously, in order that there we may receive the crowning blessing of our life, Hosea 1:10. Leave God to vindicate you. He will bring you from the land of the enemy, and extort, this confession from the mouth of your critics and foes, Hosea 1:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 1

1  Hosea, to show God's judgment for spiritual unfaithfulness, takes Gomer,
4  and has by her Jezreel;
6  Loruhamah;
8  and Lo-Ammi
10  The restoration of Judah and Israel under one head

What do the individual words in Hosea 1:10 mean?

And yet shall be the number of the sons of Israel as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured or numbered and it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them [are] not My people You [There] it shall be said to them [You are] sons of the God living
וְֽ֠הָיָה מִסְפַּ֤ר בְּנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כְּח֣וֹל הַיָּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־ יִמַּ֖ד וְלֹ֣א יִסָּפֵ֑ר וְֽ֠הָיָה בִּמְק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־ יֵאָמֵ֤ר לָהֶם֙ לֹֽא־ עַמִּ֣י אַתֶּ֔ם יֵאָמֵ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י אֵֽל־ חָֽי

וְֽ֠הָיָה  And  yet  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִסְפַּ֤ר  the  number 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
בְּנֵֽי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
כְּח֣וֹל  as  the  sand 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֹול 
Sense: sand.
הַיָּ֔ם  of  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
לֹֽא־  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִמַּ֖ד  be  measured 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָדַד  
Sense: to measure, stretch.
יִסָּפֵ֑ר  numbered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
וְֽ֠הָיָה  and  it  shall  come  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בִּמְק֞וֹם  in  the  place 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
אֲשֶׁר־  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵאָמֵ֤ר  it  was  said 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
לֹֽא־  [are]  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עַמִּ֣י  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יֵאָמֵ֥ר  [There]  it  shall  be  said 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶ֖ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
בְּנֵ֥י  [You  are]  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֵֽל־  of  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
חָֽי  living 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.