Hosea 2:23
“And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.”
King James Version
God's promise to call 'not my people' His people — applied by Paul and Peter to the calling of the Gentiles into the people of God.
Fulfillment References
Romans 9:25-26 1 Peter 2:10 Hosea 1:10 Ephesians 2:13
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThose who 'were not my people' become 'my people' in Christ (1 Pet. 2:10) — the one God making one people of all who call Him 'my God.'
JewishGod's mercy restoring unfaithful Israel — 'not my people' becoming 'my people' again, the reversal of judgment.
CatholicPaul and Peter apply it to the Gentiles brought into the people of God.
ProtestantPaul (Rom. 9:25-26) and Peter (1 Pet. 2:10) cite this of the Gentiles — once 'not my people,' now God's people in Christ.
OrthodoxThe ingathering of those who were not God's people into the Church.
DispensationalPrimarily Israel's restoration, applied by the apostles to Gentile inclusion in the present age.
AcademicHosea's child-naming oracle (Lo-Ammi, 'not my people') reversed; Paul's reuse for Gentiles is a notable case of NT appropriation.
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Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.