Romans 9:1
Ἀλήθειαν λέγω ἐν Χριστῷ. οὐ ψεύδομαι, συμμαρτυρούσης μοι τῆς συνειδήσεώς μου ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ,
Truly I say in Christ; I am not lying; bearing witness with me, my conscience, in the Holy Spirit.
Paraphrase: Now, dear friends, having giving you an explanation of the gospel I preach, I hope you will be willing to follow me to another issue which I know is on your mind as it is in so many of the other Christian churches. I want to teach you the truth about the Jewish people and the promises which God has made to them. I know there are many who accuse me of being hostile to the Jewish nation and of having betrayed my own people. It’s not true; don’t believe such slanders, my friends. I speak to you as a person who is in a saving union with Christ, and our Master has taught us to love one another. (John 13:34; 15:12,17) Therefore, I am telling you the truth; I am not trying to manipulate or deceive you. My conscience is clear on this issue; what I am about to say to you is the truth. The Holy Spirit Himself testifies to me that this is the truth, yes, this is God’s truth to you, brothers and sisters, and you do well to listen carefully.
Comments:
The thought behind the next three chapters is the same as expressed by Gideon: “Oh my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:13) Arminius states (p530) the question this way:
In this question, therefore, this is to be chiefly attended to, “would the word of the covenant, entered into with the Jews, be in vain, if the doctrine of the apostle in reference to the attainment of righteousness and salvation by faith alone in Christ, not by the law, or the works of the law, should find a place, and should be regarded as the fundamental principle of salvation?”
Romans 9:2
ὅτι λύπη μοί ἐστιν μεγάλη, καὶ ἀδιάλειπτος ὀδύνη τῇ καρδίᾳ μου.
that a great grief to me it is and unceasing sorrow in my heart
Paraphrase: The truth is that I have so much anguish and pain in my heart for my own people.
Comments:
Romans 9:3
ηὐχόμην γὰρ ἀνάθεμα εἶναι αὐτὸς ἐγὼ, ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου, τῶν συγγενῶν μου, κατὰ σάρκα·
for I myself am wishing accursed to be from Christ on behalf of my brothers, my people according to the flesh.
Paraphrase: Believe me, I am willing to make any sacrifice for their salvation. I am ready to throw myself into the bottom of hell if it would result in their being delivered from it and brought to salvation in Christ. (Exodus 32:32)
Comments:
ηὐχόμην is an imperfect. GGBB calls (p552) it a tendential or “desiderative” imperfect, the thought being that Paul’s love for his own people was so intense that he was willing to contemplate the possibility of his own damnation if it might bring salvation to the Jewish people. Undoubtedly, we are not to interpret this with strict literal logic. On this verse, Dunn quotes Kuss as saying, “One cannot measure the speech of the heart with the rules of logic.” Likewise Bengel (p106):
Human words are not fully adequate to include in them [to express fully] the emotions of holy souls; nor are those emotions always the same; nor is it in the power of those souls always to elicit from themselves such a prayer as this. If the soul be not far advanced, it is incapable of [cannot comprehend] this. It is not easy to estimate the measure of love, in a Moses and a Paul. For the narrow boundary of our reasoning powers does not comprehend it; as the little child is unable to comprehend the courage of warlike heroes.
Tholuck says (p151) that those who object to Paul’s language here are reading it too coolly. They altogether forget what a loving heart, in the fervor of its passion, is capable of uttering.
Romans 9:4
οἵτινές εἰσιν Ἰσραηλῖται, ὧν ἡ υἱοθεσία, καὶ ἡ δόξα, καὶ αἱ διαθῆκαι, καὶ ἡ νομοθεσία, καὶ ἡ λατρεία, καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι·
who are Israelites (Romans 3:1), of whom the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the worship and the promises.
Paraphrase: Yes, the people of Israel are God’s old covenant people and are highly privileged. Consider some of these privileges:
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- First, even their name speaks to this; they are called Israelites which brings to our mind Jacob’s struggle and victory in his wrestling with God. (Genesis 32:28)
- Second, the Jewish people have been adopted into God’s family. “Israel is My son, My firstborn.” (Exodus 4:22) God announced to Pharaoh. “When Israel was a youth,” said God through the prophet Hosea, “I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.” (Hosea 11:1) God also gave this message to Jeremiah, “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him.” (Jeremiah 31:20)
- Third, it was to the nation of Israel that God showed Himself in magnificent glory and resplendence. Remember the Glory-Cloud by which God led His people through the wilderness. (Exodus 13:21-22; 16:10) The same Cloud appeared over the tabernacle when it was first dedicated (Exodus 40:34) and then reappeared at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. (1 Kings 8:11).
- Fourth, consider the covenants which God made with Israel and which He did not make with any other nation. God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:18; 17:1-14) which covenant He also renewed with Isaac (Genesis 26:1-5) and Jacob. (Genesis 28:10-15) Then, God made a covenant with all Israel at mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:5; 24:7-8) God also made a covenant with David. (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:19-37) Finally, we have seen in our own day the inauguration of God’s new covenant with His people which He made with them in Christ. (Luke 22:20)
- Fifth, who can overestimate the value of the whole body of laws which God gave to His people? It is so true what Moses asked, What other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws which God has given us? (Deuteronomy 4:8)
- Sixth, is the worship which God so carefully laid out for them. No other people has such an exalted form of worship with so many rituals and symbols which lift the soul up to God and purify the people. In fact, the worship of other nations is so foolish and degrading; they worship the creature rather than the Creator. (Romans 1:20- 25)
- Finally, are the promises. What can we say about all the promises which God has made to His people in the various covenants which we have previously mentioned? Think of the promise to David that his dynasty would never fail but would be eternal. (Psalm 89:36) Think of the promise to Abraham that in his seed, all the families of the earth would be blessed. (Galatians 3:8) The glory of all these promises is that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29); not one of them will fail. (Joshua 21:45; 23:14)
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Comments:
Lange sees (p306) this list as chronological referring first to the patriarchs, then to the Mosaic, and finally to Christ.
Romans 9:5
ὧν οἱ πατέρες· καὶ ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς, εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.
Of whom the fathers and from whom Christ, according to the flesh, the One being over all God, blessed to eternity. Amen!
Paraphrase: To this people belong the patriarchs, the great fathers of our faith. Finally, the greatest privilege of all; the Great Messiah King and Savior of the world was born to this nation. True, in His divine nature, He was the second Person of the glorious Trinity, co-eternal God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, and consubstantial with the Father; but in his human nature, He was born to Joseph and Mary who were Israelites from the tribe of Judah. What privilege can possibly be higher than this?
Comments:
Fitzmyer gives the following possibilities for this text:
- a comma before the participle ὁ ὢν. Of whom are the fathers and from whom is Christ, according to the flesh, being God over all blessed to eternity.
- a period after σάρκα and before the participle ὁ ὢν. Of whom are the fathers and from whom is Christ, according to the flesh. God being over all blessed to eternity.
- a comma after “Messiah” and a period after “over all.” Of whom are the fathers and from whom is Christ, according to the flesh, being over all. God be blessed to eternity.
- switching ὁ ὢν to ὢν ὁ. Of whom are the fathers and from whom is Christ, according to the flesh being over all. God be blessed to eternity.
The second, third, and fourth all involve a doxology to God, but Stuart (also Sanday & Headlam) points out (p319) that a doxology to God is out of place here. Paul would then be saying something like, these special privileges which God has given to the Jews have, by being abused, contributed greatly to enhance the guilt and punishment of the Jewish nation; God be thanked that He has given them such privileges!
Sanday & Headlam have (p233) a full discussion of the issues in this text. See also Kennedy p17.
Romans 9:6
Οὐχ οἷον δὲ, ὅτι ἐκπέπτωκεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ. οὐ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, οὗτοι Ἰσραήλ.
But not the kind of think that the word of God has fallen down, for not all those from Israel, these are Israel.
Paraphrase: So what then has happened to God’s special people? Why are so many of God’s people living and perishing in unbelief? Why does it look like all God’s promises to them have failed? Has God gone back on His word (Psalm 77:7-9) or is He just not capable of bringing to pass what He promised? No, my friends, you must never think this way. God’s word of promise is sure and certain; none of His promises will ever fall to the ground. (2 Kings 10:10; Isaiah 55:11) The real issue we have to face is this, who really is an Israelite? Who really are the people to whom God has made these promises and who are entitled to these blessings? This is the question to be answered.
Comments:
Here is the question which drives Paul’s thinking in chapters 9-10.
Romans 9:7
οὐδ’ ὅτι εἰσὶν σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ πάντες τέκνα· ἀλλ’, Ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα
Neither that the seed of Abraham are all children but, “In Isaac, they shall be called to you seed.”
Paraphrase: Now here’s the fact that every Jewish person must grasp. Simply being a biological descendant of Abraham does not make you a member of the people of God; and therefore entitled to all the promised blessings of God’s covenant. There are “children of Abraham” and there are “children of Abraham.” (Luke 3:8; John 1:47; Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 6:16) The first are simply biological descendants of Abraham; God makes no promises to them. The second are those who have been selected by God for eternal salvation. It is these persons who are the proper recipients of all God’s promised blessings, not those who are biologically descended from Abraham. Just think of Abraham’s children. Ishmael was just as much a descendant of Abraham as Isaac, yet it was Isaac who was counted amongst the people of God and not Ishmael. Recall what God said to Abraham after he had driven Ishmael and Hagar away, “Do not be distressed because of the lad [Ishmael] and your maid [Hagar]; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. (Genesis 21:12)
Comments:
Romans 9:8
τοῦτ’ ἔστιν, οὐ τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκὸς, ταῦτα τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας λογίζεται εἰς σπέρμα.
This is; not the children of the flesh, these children of God but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed.
Paraphrase: Why was Isaac given a place amongst God’s people while Ishmael was driven out, even though both were descended from Abraham? Because God had chosen to give His promises to Isaac and not to Ishmael. (Galatians 4:29) Therefore, it was Isaac and his children who were reckoned to be the people of God while Ishmael and his children were given no place in the circle of God’s people.
Comments:
Romans 9:9
ἐπαγγελίας γὰρ, ὁ λόγος οὗτος· Κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον, ἐλεύσομαι, καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός.
For this the word of promise, “At this time, I will come, and there will be for Sarah a son.”
Paraphrase: You might ask when it was that God promised to give Sarah a son. Recall the story in Genesis, where God speaks to Abraham and says, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” At the time, Sarah had overheard this conversation and found it so absurd that she laughed to herself. To this, God responded, “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Genesis 18:10, 14)
Comments:
Romans 9:10
Οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ῥεβέκκα, ἐξ ἑνὸς κοίτην, ἔχουσα Ἰσαὰκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν,
and not only but even Rebekah, from one pregnancy, having Isaac, our father.
Paraphrase: Let me provide another example which makes the point even more clearly. Perhaps you are thinking that Isaac was chosen over Ishmael because he was born from a free woman and Ishmael was born from a slave woman. Well this cannot be said about Rebekah. From one pregnancy, she gave birth to two children. Of these two children, Esau is not counted amongst our people and Isaac is the one who we call our patriarch. (Romans 9:5)
Comments:
Romans 9:11
μήπω γὰρ γεννηθέντων, μηδὲ πραξάντων τι ἀγαθὸν ἢ φαῦλον, ἵνα ἡ κατ’ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις τοῦ Θεοῦ μένῃ,
For not yet being born, neither doing any good or evil, in order that the purpose of God according to election might stand,
Paraphrase: Now note the lesson of this one birth. It teaches us that God’s eternal purpose, in selecting a people to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), is not based on anything in the boys themselves. God did not choose Jacob because he was better than Esau. This is obvious because they were not even born yet. What good or evil could they possibly have done which might have moved God to choose one over the other? All we can say is that God made His choice purely for reasons known to Himself.
Comments:
Note the participle memory forms.
There is no mere arbitrary caprice in divine election, for God in this, as in all He does, is governed by infinite wisdom, holiness, and love. As the ground of His election, He foresaw no difference in character of one over another. His choice is not based on anticipated worthiness. Election is an act of grace apart from works. Neither faith nor good works is the cause of divine election. They are rather the fruit of election. Men are not first holy and then chosen; but are first chosen and then holy. It was that they might be holy that they were chosen. The destiny of Isaac’s sons was determined before they had done anything good or bad that the fact of sovereign election might stand without complication (Romans 9:11–13). The fact that a supposed conditional election is the belief of the majority is due, doubtless, to the reluctance on the part of man to admit that no merit resides in his natural self. Chafer, “Biblical Theism: Divine Decrees,” Bibliotheca Sacra 96 (1939): 266.
Romans 9:12
οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἀλλ’ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος, ἐρρέθη αὐτῇ ὅτι, Ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι.
not of works but from the One calling, it was said to her, “The greater will serve the younger.”
Paraphrase: Thus, it was purely God’s sovereign purpose, known only to Himself, that He announced to Rebekah, “The older son will be the servant of the younger.” (Genesis 25:23) It was not because Jacob was a better person than Esau or had done something to earn God’s favor.
Comments:
Romans 9:13
καθὼς γέγραπται Τὸν· Ἰακὼβ ἠγάπησα, τὸν δὲ Ἠσαῦ ἐμίσησα.
even as it is written, “Jacob I loved and Esau I hated.”
Paraphrase: Certainly not. On the contrary, God tells us the simple truth that He loved Jacob and hated Esau, and this is the reason Jacob is counted amongst the people of God and Esau is not. No other reason is given us other than God’s perfect sovereignty. You can read this quote in the prophet Malachi: The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; thus says the LORD of hosts, “They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the LORD is indignant forever.” Your eyes will see this and you will say, “The LORD be magnified beyond the border of Israel!” (Malachi 1:1-5)
Comments:
The issues surrounding this verse are discussed here.
Romans 9:14
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; μὴ ἀδικία παρὰ τῷ θεῷ; μὴ γένοιτο!
Romans 9:15
τῷ Μωϋσεῖ γὰρ λέγει· Ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ, καὶ οἰκτιρήσω* ὃν ἂν οἰκτίρω*.
Romans 9:16
Ἄρα οὖν, οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος, οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεῶντος Θεοῦ.
Romans 9:17
λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τῷ Φαραὼ ὅτι· Εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρά σε, ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμίν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.
Romans 9:18
ἄρα οὖν, ὃν θέλει, ἐλεεῖ· ὃν δὲ θέλει, σκληρύνει.
Romans 9:19
Ἐρεῖς μοι οὖν, Τί ‹οὖν› ἔτι μέμφεται; τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ, τίς ἀνθέστηκεν;
Romans 9:20
ὦ ἄνθρωπε, μενοῦνγε, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ; μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι, Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως;
Romans 9:21
ἢ οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ὁ κεραμεὺς τοῦ πηλοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος ποιῆσαι ὃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος, ὃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν;
Romans 9:22
Εἰ δὲ θέλων ὁ Θεὸς ἐνδείξασθαι τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ γνωρίσαι τὸ δυνατὸν αὐτοῦ, ἤνεγκεν ἐν πολλῇ μακροθυμίᾳ, σκεύη ὀργῆς, κατηρτισμένα εἰς ἀπώλειαν,
Romans 9:23
καὶ ἵνα γνωρίσῃ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ σκεύη ἐλέους, ἃ προητοίμασεν εἰς δόξαν,
Romans 9:24
οὓς καὶ ἐκάλεσεν, ἡμᾶς οὐ μόνον ἐξ Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν;
Romans 9:25
ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ Ὡσηὲ λέγει· Καλέσω τὸν οὐ λαόν μου, λαόν μου· καὶ τὴν οὐκ ἠγαπημένην, ἠγαπημένην,
Romans 9:26
Καὶ, Ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῖς, Οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, ἐκεῖ κληθήσονται Υἱοὶ Θεοῦ ζῶντος.
Romans 9:27
Ἠσαΐας δὲ κράζει ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· Ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται.
Romans 9:28
λόγον γὰρ συντελῶν καὶ συντέμνων, ποιήσει Κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
Romans 9:29
Καὶ, καθὼς προείρηκεν Ἠσαΐας· Εἰ μὴ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν, καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν.
Romans 9:30
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὅτι ἔθνη τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην, κατέλαβεν δικαιοσύνην, δικαιοσύνην δὲ τὴν ἐκ πίστεως·
Romans 9:31
Ἰσραὴλ δὲ, διώκων νόμον δικαιοσύνης, εἰς νόμον οὐκ ἔφθασεν.
Romans 9:32
διὰ τί; ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἐξ ἔργων. προσέκοψαν τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος,
Romans 9:33
καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον προσκόμματος, καὶ πέτραν σκανδάλου· καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται.