Lo Ruhamah
“Not pitied, not loved, not having obtained mercy”
Summary
A symbolic name meaning 'not pitied' or 'not loved,' given to Hosea's daughter as a sign of God's withdrawn compassion from Israel.
☩Prophetic Significance
God commanded Hosea to name his daughter Lo-Ruhamah, meaning 'not pitied' or 'not having obtained mercy' (Hosea 1:6). This name signified that God would no longer show mercy to the house of Israel but would utterly take them away—a prophecy fulfilled in the Assyrian conquest. Along with her brothers Jezreel and Lo-Ammi, she formed part of a living prophetic message through the prophet's family.
☩Promise of Restoration
The harsh judgment symbolized in the name would eventually be reversed. God promised, 'I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy' (Hosea 2:23). Peter quotes this promise as fulfilled in the calling of Gentiles into the people of God: 'which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy' (1 Peter 2:10). What began as a word of judgment became a promise of grace extended to all who believe.
Related Verses1 mention
Hosea· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Lo-Ruhamah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Lo-Ruhamah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).