Romans 9:25-26
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The prophet Hosea originally spoke these words to a disobedient Israel, declaring they were "not my people." Paul's genius here is applying this prophetic principle to the Gentiles, showing God’s transformative power can reclaim those who were never considered "His," demonstrating that divine love redefines belonging beyond earthly lineage.
As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is demonstrating that God's choice of people isn't limited to ethnic Israel, arguing that God has always been sovereign in who He calls His own. He's using the prophet Hosea's message, originally about Israel's unfaithfulness and God's eventual restoration, to show that God intended to call Gentiles, who were previously "not my people," to be His beloved. This sets up the understanding that this inclusion of Gentiles isn't a new idea, but a fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
Have you ever felt like an outsider, or wondered if you truly belonged? This verse reveals God's astonishing plan to redefine who belongs to Him.
Paul quotes the prophet Hosea, who himself received symbolic names for his children: 'Lo-Ammi' (Not my people) and 'Lo-Ruhamah' (Not having obtained mercy). These were divine pronouncements reflecting Israel's unfaithfulness. Yet, God declares through Hosea, and Paul applies it to the Gentile inclusion, that He will call those who were not His people 'My people,' and those who were not beloved 'Beloved.'
This isn't just a name change; it's a radical redefinition of belonging. It means God's family isn't limited by ethnicity or past actions. It speaks to a future where His covenant love extends far beyond what was previously imagined. The 'not my people' become 'my people' through God's sovereign, grace-filled initiative.
It might surprise you that this powerful promise isn't found in the New Testament, but in an ancient prophecy about Israel's struggles.
The amazing thing here is that Paul isn't introducing a new idea; he's showing how God's plan was foretold centuries earlier. The original context in Hosea was about the unfaithfulness of the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to their judgment and being called 'Not my people.'
However, the prophetic word held a deeper truth. God's redemptive plan, even in judgment, looked forward to a time when His love and peoplehood would extend beyond the boundaries of Israel to include the Gentiles. This demonstrates that God's grace operates according to a consistent, eternal purpose, revealed progressively through Scripture.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
am · Hebrew Noun
A term describing the covenantal relationship between God and His people, signifying belonging, protection, and identity. In a New Testament context, it is expanded to include those brought into the covenant through faith in Christ.
huioi theou zōntos · Greek Noun phrase
A designation denoting a unique relational status with God, signifying adoption, spiritual life, and intimacy. In the New Testament, it refers to those who have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
Paul's use of Hosea's prophecy highlights God's unwavering plan to extend His covenant people beyond ethnic Israel, a principle demonstrated through Israel's own history of judgment and restoration, and even its scattering among the nations.
c. 760 BC
Hosea's Ministry Begins
The prophet Hosea begins his ministry in the northern kingdom of Israel, a time of relative prosperity but significant moral and religious decay.
c. 750 BC— this verse
Hosea's Children Named
Hosea has three children whose symbolic names (Lo-ruhamah, 'Not Pitied,' and Lo-ammi, 'Not My People') signify God's judgment and alienation from Israel.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and effectively ending its existence as a distinct nation.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a significant portion of the Judean elite, including the prophet Daniel, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population of Judah. This represents a profound crisis of identity and covenant for the Jews.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great of Persia issues a decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, though many remained in exile.
This is the direct source text that Paul is referencing in Romans, explaining that the names 'Not My People' and 'Not Beloved' would be reversed for a future generation.
Hosea 2:23This passage further elaborates on Hosea 1:10, directly stating God's intention to have mercy on 'Lo-Ruhamah' (Not Beloved) and to call 'Lo-Ammi' (Not My People) 'My People' and 'God'.
1 Peter 2:10Peter echoes Paul's application of the Hosea prophecy, explicitly stating that those who were once 'not a people' and 'not beloved' have now been called to be God's people, highlighting the inclusion of Gentiles.
Isaiah 49:22This prophecy speaks of nations being brought to God, with their children carried and supported, illustrating the concept of formerly distant peoples being integrated into God's care and calling.
Romans 11:25-26Paul further develops the idea of God's plan for Israel and the Gentiles, explaining the concept of a 'fullness of Gentiles' coming in while 'all Israel will be saved,' reinforcing the idea that God's purposes extend beyond immediate appearances.
vincentRomans 9:25: "As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved."
That my people which was not my people (τὸν οὐ λαόν μοῦ, λαόν μοῦ)The Greek is much more condensed. "I will call the not-my-people my-people." See Hosea 1:6-9. The reference is to the symbolical names given by the prophet to a son and daughter: Lo Ammi not my people, and Lo Ruhama not having obtained mercy. The new people whom God will call my people will…
clarkeRomans 9:25: "As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved."
As he saith also in Osee - It is a cause of not a little confusion, that a uniformity in the orthography of the proper names of the Old and New Testaments has not been preserved. What stranger to our sacred books would suppose that the Osee above meant the Prophet Hosea, from whom, Hosea 2:23 , this quotation is taken: I will have mercy on her that had not obtai…
The prophet Hosea originally spoke these words to a disobedient Israel, declaring they were "not my people." Paul's genius here is applying this prophetic principle to the Gentiles, showing God’s transformative power can reclaim those who were never considered "His," demonstrating that divine love redefines belonging beyond earthly lineage.
Paul is demonstrating that God's choice of people isn't limited to ethnic Israel, arguing that God has always been sovereign in who He calls His own. He's using the prophet Hosea's message, originally about Israel's unfaithfulness and God's eventual restoration, to show that God intended to call Gentiles, who were previously "not my people," to be His beloved. This sets up the understanding that this inclusion of Gentiles isn't a new idea, but a fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
Paul is demonstrating that God's choice of people isn't limited to ethnic Israel, arguing that God has always been sovereign in who He calls His own. He's using the prophet Hosea's message, originally about Israel's unfaithfulness and God's eventual restoration, to show that God intended to call Gentiles, who were previously "not my people," to be His beloved. This sets up the understanding that this inclusion of Gentiles isn't a new idea, but a fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
"As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there th…" — The prophet Hosea originally spoke these words to a disobedient Israel, declaring they were "not my people." Paul's genius here is applying this prophetic principle to the Gentiles, showing God’s tra…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026