Hosea 2:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Paul refers to the ancient words of Hosea when he states, ‘I will not call My people My people, and I will not call the beloved My beloved.’ This serves to show that, should anyone claim they are being misled, the apostle calls on Hosea as a testament to the truth, for he proclaimed, ‘I will call not My people My people.’ These ‘not My people’ clearly denote the Gentiles, and the same can be said for those termed ‘not the beloved.’ Yet it is declared that they shall indeed become a people, cherished and recognized as sons of God; they shall be called the sons of the living God. The apostle continues his argument by showing that, even if one interprets this as referring to those among the Jews who came to faith, our understanding remains valid.

The phrase "unto myself" should be interpreted in two distinct ways. He declares, "I will make her," signifying a transformation as if she were thriving and productive (clearly referring to the Jewish synagogue), not merely someone who reluctantly adheres to My commandments or who is intractably devoted to idols, but rather one who is genuinely eager to perform what pleases God and promotes her own well-being. She will accept My seed, which we understand to represent the teachings of the Gospel, rather than the law given through Moses at the outset, as she was previously nurtured by idols. Additionally, the phrase "unto myself" may be interpreted differently.

On that day, the Lord declares, I will listen to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth, which in turn will acknowledge the grain, the wine, and the oil; all will hear of Jezreel. I will cultivate the earth for Myself, extending grace to the unworthy, and I will no longer proclaim to My people, You are My people. Instead, they will declare, You are My God. Furthermore, I will bring you into a covenant of faithfulness, and you will recognize that I am the Lord. I will hear the heavens proclaiming His glory, and the heavens will respond to the earth with heavenly rain, nourishing the soil from which truth emerges, and where the farmer sows seeds.

The actions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are unified in purpose, possessing one desire, one invitation, and one directive. This unity is evident in the significant and gracious sacrament of the Church. Just as the Father summoned the peoples into the Church, declaring, ‘I will not say to My people, “You are My people”, and I will call My unloved one My beloved,’ and elsewhere stating, ‘For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7),’ so too does the Lord Jesus designate Paul to fulfill the role of calling and uniting the Church. Similarly, we can comprehend the words of the Lord Jesus to Ananias when He said: Go, for he is My chosen vessel to proclaim My name before the nations (Acts 9:15).

The earth will respond with abundance, producing wheat, wine, and oil, and these will be heard by Jezrael. He further speaks of spiritual matters, declaring I will establish it all for Myself in the land; that is, I will designate it as My field along with all the seeds of righteousness. I will show compassion to those who have not been forgiven, addressing My people as My own. In response, they will proclaim You are our God. These promises were partially realized during the time of Zerubbabel and were ultimately fulfilled at the incarnation of our Lord Christ, when He united the Church to Himself for all eternity. In that moment, those who placed their faith in Him were genuinely recognized as faithful, and He was rightfully acknowledged as the God of those who truly believed in Him.

A sacred nation will receive the everlasting kingdom; this sacred nation has been selected in lieu of the Jewish people. I will provoke them with a nation that is not a nation, a senseless people I will bring trouble upon (Deuteronomy 32:21), and the Lord saved the sanctified people. Even if an individual serves the nations, upon approaching the covenant of God, he is instantly made free, while the Jewish people remain in servitude to the nations.

Previously not a people, but now the people of God; once without mercy, but now recipients of mercy (1 Pet. 2:10). In these verses, the apostle clearly expresses that he is addressing the Gentiles who have embraced faith. These individuals were once estranged from the life of God’s community, yet through the grace of faith, they have been brought into unity with His people, receiving the grace they could not previously comprehend. Peter draws upon the words of the prophet Hosea, who prophesied the calling of the Gentiles: I will call not my people my people (Romans 9:25), and I will have compassion on the unpardoned (Hosea 2:23).