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ArchivesRe: Meaning of Ammiruhamah
in reply to a message by Jodie Schram
I think it's worth it to copy almost the entire first chapter of Hosea here, as well as the first verse of Chapter two (from the King James version):
2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. 4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. 6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. 7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. 9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. 10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. 11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
So you can see that from this passage in Hosea, almost anyone can figure out that Ammi means "my people" and that Ruhamah means "mercy" (at least to the translators of the King James version). So your ancestress or someone close to her undoubtedly created this name by merging the two to mean something like "my people (had) mercy". Given the story of this child's birth, this makes sense -- but it is also quite an amazing story. What was Ammirhuhamah's surname?
Ammi and Ruhamah (the latter of course usually for girls) both turn up as given names for children born in North America during the 18th and 19th centuries because of this passage in Hosea. And there were occasionally children named Loammi and Loruhamah, too.
2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. 4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. 6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. 7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. 9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. 10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. 11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
So you can see that from this passage in Hosea, almost anyone can figure out that Ammi means "my people" and that Ruhamah means "mercy" (at least to the translators of the King James version). So your ancestress or someone close to her undoubtedly created this name by merging the two to mean something like "my people (had) mercy". Given the story of this child's birth, this makes sense -- but it is also quite an amazing story. What was Ammirhuhamah's surname?
Ammi and Ruhamah (the latter of course usually for girls) both turn up as given names for children born in North America during the 18th and 19th centuries because of this passage in Hosea. And there were occasionally children named Loammi and Loruhamah, too.
This message was edited 4/21/2008, 8:32 AM
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