Hosea 2:23 (ASV)

Passage

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 that were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.

Nearby Context

Hosea 2:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer, saith Jehovah, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth;

Hosea 2:22 and the earth shall answer the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they shall answer Jezreel.

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 that were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "earth", "upon", "obtained", "people", and "thou". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "earth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "and the earth shall answer the grain...", giving immediate footing for "mercy" and "earth". In Hosea context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mercy" and "earth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.