"Say to your brothers, 'My people!'{'Ammi' in Hebrew} And to your sisters, 'My loved one!'{'Ruhamah' in Hebrew}
or as spoken to the godly among the ten tribes, who were the real people of God, and sharers in his grace and mercy; the remnant he reserved for himself, who had not bowed their knees to idols; or as the command of God by the prophet, to the people of Israel, to exhort one another to contend with their mother, who were, as yet, the Lord's people, had mercy shown them, when this prophecy was delivered out; though, in case of obstinacy and impenitence, they were threatened with a "Loammi" and "Loruhamah"; so Schmidt, who thinks that "ammi" and "ruhamah" are put by way of "apposition [to] your brethren [and] sisters", in which he seems to be right. Aben Ezra thinks the words are spoken ironically, like those in Ecclesiastes 11:9, and others, but without reason. The Targum is,