Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Hosea 1:10

in Hosea 1

Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

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

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.

⋯

This verse in Hosea 1

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Yet the number of the children of Israel - God had promised that the children of Israel should be as the sand of the sea. See Gen 32:12; Rom 9:25, Rom 9:26. And though for their iniquities he had thinned and scattered them, yet the spirit and design of his promise and covenant shall be fulfilled. An Israel there shall be. In the place of the reprobated people, who were now no longer his people, there shall be found an Israel that shall be the children of the living God. See the above scriptures, and 1Pe 2:

This site's exposition

sons of the living God

on Hosea 1:10-11

Those told "You are not My people" will be called "sons of the living God", which Paul applies at Romans 9:25-26 to the Gentiles. Jezreel, meaning God sows, turns from bloodshed to planting, and "great will be the day of Jezreel" when Judah and Israel gather under "one leader".

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Hosea 1:10 · Written before 420.

proposed

"And the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, that cannot be measured, nor numbered: and it shall be in the place where it shall be said unto them, Ye are not my people: there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel."

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

CITY OF GOD 18:28 · Written before 430.

proposed

Because Hosea is such a profound prophet, it is no easy matter to get at his meaning. Still, I must keep my promise and quote something from him at this point. He says, "And it shall be in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people'; it shall be said to them, 'You are sons of the living God.' " The apostles themselves understood this text as a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, who were previously not God's people. And because the Gentiles are spiritually sons of Abraham and correctly therefore alluded to as Israel, Hosea goes on to say, "And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the earth." Now to add one word of explanation to this text would be to lose the savor of Hosea's prophetic style.

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Some think that these promises will not have their accomplishment, at least not in full, till the general conversion of the Jews in the latter days, which is expected yet to come, when the vast incredible numbers of Jews, that are now dispersed as the sand of the sea, shall be brought to embrace the faith of Christ and be incorporated in the gospel-church.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), but a change of their mind, a spiritual ascent to Christ. They shall come up from the earth (so it may be read); for those who have given up themselves to Christ as their head take their affections off from this earth, and the things of it, to set them upon things above ( Col. iii. 1, 2 ); for they are not of the world ( John xv.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered,....
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

His name, Hosea, or Hosea (for it is the very same with Joshua's original name), signifies a saviour; for prophets were instruments of salvation to the people of God, so are faithful ministers; they help to save many a soul from death, by saving it from sin. his surname was Ben-Beeri, or the son of Beeri.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Literally fulfilled in part at the return from Babylon, in which many Israelites joined with Judah. Spiritually, the believing seed of Jacob or Israel, Gentiles as well as Jews, numerous "as the sand" (Ge 32:12); the Gentiles, once not God's people, becoming His "sons" (Joh 1:12;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

Yet - (literally, and) the number of the children of Israel ... Light springeth out of darkness; joy out of sorrow; mercy out of chastisement; life out of death. And so Holy Scripture commonly, upon the threat of punishment, promises blessings to the penitent “Very nigh to the severest displeasure is the dispersion of sorrows and the promised close of darkness.” What God takes away, He replaces with usury; things of time by things eternal; outward goods and gifts and privileges by inward; an earthly kingdom by heaven. Both Peter 1Pe 2:10 and Paul Rom 9:25-26 tell us that this prophecy is already, in Christ, fulfilled in those of Israel, who were the true Israel, or of the Gentiles, to whom the promise was made Gen 22:18, “In thy Seed shall all the nations be blessed,” and who, whether Jews or Gentiles, believed in Him. The Gentiles were adopted into the Church, which, at the Day of Pentecost, was formed of the Jews, and in which Jews and Gentiles became one in Christ Gal 3:28. Yet of the Jews alone, not only did “many tens of thousands in Jerusalem believe” Act 21:20, but Peter and James both write “to the dispersed of the ten tribes” Jas 1:1; 1Pe 1:1; and the Apostles themselves were Jews. Although, then, those Jews who believed in Christ were few in comparison of those who rejected Him, yet they were, in themselves, many, and, through those who, in Christ Jesus, were “begotten by them through the Gospel” 1Co 4:15, they were numberless. Yet this prophecy, although accomplished in part, will, according to Paul Rom 11:25-26, be yet more completely fulfilled in the end. In the place where it was said - (or where it shall be said, i. […]

The words behind it

24 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְֽ֠הָיָהand it will be

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • מִסְפַּ֤ר[the] number of

    misparH4557 →

  • בְּנֵֽי־[the] people of

    benei-H1121 →4930 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • כְּח֣וֹלlike [the] sand of

    kecholH2344 →

  • הַיָּ֔םthe sea

    haiyamH3220 →396 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יִמַּ֖דit will be measured

    yimadH4058 →

  • וְלֹ֣אand not

    velo'H3808 →5168 times

  • יִסָּפֵ֑רit will be counted

    yisaferH5608 →

  • וְֽ֠הָיָהand it will be

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • בִּמְק֞וֹםin [the] place

    bimkomH4725 →

  • אֲשֶׁר־<of> where

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • יֵאָמֵ֤רit was said

    yeamerH559 →5305 times

  • לָהֶם֙to them

    lahem

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • עַמִּ֣י[are] people my

    ʾamiH5971 →1873 times

  • אַתֶּ֔םyou

    ʾatemH859 →1094 times

  • יֵאָמֵ֥רit will be said

    yeamerH559 →5305 times

  • לָהֶ֖םto them

    lahem

  • בְּנֵ֥יchildren of

    beneiH1121 →4930 times

  • אֵֽל־[the] God

    ʾel-H410 →241 times

  • חָֽי׃living

    chaiH2416 →498 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Corinthians 6:18And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”64 worksGalatians 4:6–7And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”55 worksHebrews 8:10For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.45 worksJohn 1:12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—42 worksRomans 9:25–28As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”40 works1 Peter 2:9–10But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.37 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 John 3:1–2Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.32 worksRomans 8:14–17For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.31 worksIsaiah 43:6I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth—23 worksHosea 2:23And I will sow her as My own in the land, and I will have compassion on ‘No Compassion.’ I will say to those called ‘Not My People,’ ‘You are My people,’ and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”22 worksIsaiah 66:20And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”19 worksIsaiah 60:4–22Lift up your eyes and look around: They all gather and come to you; your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried on the arm.18 worksGenesis 13:16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.16 worksHosea 1:9And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God.15 worksGenesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.14 worksIsaiah 65:1“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’12 worksHebrews 11:12And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.11 worksGenesis 32:12But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to count.’”11 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    John 1:12

    But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

    it leads to

    • Galatians 3:26

      You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

    • Romans 8:14

      For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

    • 1 John 3:1

      Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is…

    • 2 Corinthians 6:17–18

      “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

    • Galatians 4:6

      And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 6:18

    And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

    it leads to

    • Revelation 21:7

      The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

    • John 1:12

      But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

    • 2 Samuel 7:14

      I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

Where this verse is studied

About Hosea

Hosea: the study guide →Read Hosea 1 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, CITY OF GOD 18:28; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Hosea 1:10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Hosea 1 →