Romans 9:7-13 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 9:6-13

The apostle, having made his way to that which he had to say, concerning the rejection of the body of his countrymen, with a protestation of his own affection for them and a concession of their undoubted privileges, comes in these verses, and the following part of the chapter, to prove that the rejection of the Jews, by the establishment of the gospel dispensation, did not at all invalidate the word of God's promise to the patriarchs: Not as though the word of God hath taken no effect (Rom.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 9:7-13

9:7-13 But it is not as though the word of God had been completely frustrated. For not all who belong to the race of Israel are really Israel; nor are all really children because they can claim physical descent from Abraham. On the contrary, it is written: "In Isaac will your descendants be called." That is to say, it is not the children who can claim merely physical descent who are really the children of God. No! It is the children of the promise who are reckoned as the true descendants of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:7

Neither because they are the seed of Abraham ,.... The Jews highly valued themselves, upon being the natural seed of Abraham; and fancied, upon this account, that they were children, which the apostle here denies: neither are they all children ; as in the former verse, he explains in what sense they were Israelites, which he had mentioned among their high characters and privileges, as descending from Jacob, and in what sense they were not; so in this he shows in what manner the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:8

That is, they which are the children of the flesh ,.... This is an explanation of the foregoing verse, and shows, that by "the seed of" Abraham are meant, the natural seed of Abraham, who are born after the flesh, or descend from him by carnal generation: these are not the children of God ; that is, not all of them, nor any of them, on account of their being children of the flesh, or Abraham's natural seed; for adoption does not come this way; men do not commence children of God by their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:9

For this is the word of promise ,.... The following passage is the Scripture, which contains the promise concerning the birth of Isaac; which was the produce, not of nature, but of divine grace and power; and was typical of the regeneration of God's elect, who "as Isaac was, are the children of promise", Galatians 4:28 , for as Ishmael was a type of them that are born after the flesh, and are carnal men, so Isaac was a type of those, who are born after the Spirit, and are spiritual men:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:10

And not only this ,.... This instance of Ishmael and Isaac, is not the only one, proving that Abraham's natural seed, the children of the flesh, are not all children, the children of God: but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac , "it was said unto her", Romans 9:12 , being in a parenthesis, "the elder shall serve the younger". The apostle was aware, that the Jews would be ready to say, that the instance of Ishmael and Isaac was not a pertinent one; since... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:11

For the children being not yet born , So says F8 Targum in Hos. xii. 3. the Chaldee paraphrast, "the prophet said unto them, was it not said of Jacob, עד דלא אתיליד , "when he was not yet born", that he should be greater than his brother?' the Syriac version supplies, "his children", that is, Isaac's; and the Arabic version, "his two children". This shows, that the apostle designs not the posterity, but the very persons of Jacob and Esau; since as he speaks of their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:12

It was said unto her ,.... To Rebecca, Genesis 25:23 , the elder shall serve the younger , or "the greater shall serve the lesser", an Hebrew way of speaking; so Japheth is called הגדול , "the great", or, as we render it, "the elder", Genesis 10:21 ; and the evil imagination is said F9 Midrash Kohelet, fol. 80. 1. to be גדול , "greater", that is, elder than the good, thirteen years; See Gill on Luke 22:26 ; The sense is, Esau shall be a servant to Jacob; which is to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:13

As it is written ,.... In Malachi 1:2 ; Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated . These words are explanative of the former; they are of like import, and the one interpret the other; and show, that the former are to be understood in a spiritual, and not in a temporal sense, and of the persons, and not the posterity of Jacob and Esau; for though Malachi prophesied long after Jacob and Esau were personally dead, yet the Lord in that prophecy manifestly directs the murmuring Jews to the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 9:7

Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, etc. - Nor can they conclude, because they are the natural descendants of Abraham, that therefore they are all of them, without exception, the children in whom the promise is to be fulfilled. But, in Isaac shall thy seed be called - The promise is not confined to immediate natural descent, but may be accomplished in any part of Abraham's posterity. For Abraham had several sons besides Isaac, Genesis 25:1 , Genesis 25:2 , particularly... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 9:6-13

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 9:7-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 9:13

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 9:7

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