Romans 9 is a foundational chapter in Paul’s letter to the Romans, addressing the themes of God’s sovereignty in election, Israel’s place in God’s redemptive plan, and the righteousness of God in choosing some for mercy and others for hardening. Below is a verse-by-verse exposition that draws out the full meaning of the text, providing relevant Greek word definitions and cross-references to other Scriptures to illuminate the passage.
Romans 9:1-5: Paul’s Sorrow for Israel
Verses 1-2 (NKJV)
“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.”
Paul begins by expressing his deep sorrow over Israel’s rejection of Christ. He emphasizes the sincerity of his emotions, validated by his conscience and the Holy Spirit.
Cross References:
• 2 Corinthians 11:31 – Paul emphasizes his truthfulness in his testimony.
• Philippians 1:8 – Paul again appeals to God as his witness to the sincerity of his emotions.
• Matthew 23:37 – Jesus expresses a similar sorrow over Jerusalem’s rejection of God.
• Exodus 32:32 – Moses intercedes for Israel, offering himself for their sake, similar to Paul’s expression here.
Word Study:
• Truth (aletheia, ἀλήθεια): Denotes the absolute sincerity of Paul’s words.
• Continual grief (adialeiptos odune, ἀδιάλειπτος ὀδύνη): Intense, constant sorrow.
Verse 3 (NKJV)
“For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,”
Paul expresses his willingness to be accursed (anathema) from Christ if it would lead to the salvation of his fellow Jews. This reflects his deep love and sacrificial heart for Israel.
Cross References:
• Exodus 32:32 – Moses makes a similar plea on behalf of Israel, offering himself to be blotted out of God’s book.
• Galatians 3:13 – Christ became a curse for us, demonstrating the depth of Paul’s love in his desire to be accursed for his people.
• John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
Word Study:
• Accursed (anathema, ἀνάθεμα): Refers to being devoted to destruction, especially in a religious sense, implying total separation from God’s blessing.
Verses 4-5 (NKJV)
“Who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”
Paul lists Israel’s unique privileges, showing that despite their current unbelief, they are the recipients of many blessings, culminating in the coming of Christ through their lineage.
Cross References:
• Exodus 4:22 – Israel’s adoption as God’s firstborn son.
• Exodus 40:34 – God’s glory filling the tabernacle.
• Genesis 17:1-8 – The covenants made with Abraham.
• Deuteronomy 5:1-22 – The giving of the law at Sinai.
• Genesis 12:1-3 – The promises made to Abraham that are ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
Word Study:
• Adoption (huiothesia, υἱοθεσία): Refers to Israel’s special relationship with God as His chosen people.
• Glory (doxa, δόξα): Refers to the manifest presence of God, as in the Shekinah glory.
• Covenants (diatheke, διαθῆκαι): The special agreements God made with Israel, especially through Abraham, Moses, and David.
• Service (latreia, λατρεία): Refers to the temple worship and sacrificial system commanded under the Mosaic law.
• Promises (epangelia, ἐπαγγελία): The messianic and redemptive promises given to Israel, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Romans 9:6-13: God’s Sovereign Election
Verse 6 (NKJV)
“But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,”
Paul begins to address the issue of God’s promises to Israel. He argues that God’s word has not failed because not all ethnic Israelites are part of the true, spiritual Israel. God’s election is based on His sovereign choice, not on ethnicity alone.
Cross References:
• Isaiah 55:11 – God’s word always accomplishes what He intends.
• John 8:39 – Jesus explains that being a descendant of Abraham is more about faith than physical descent.
• Romans 2:28-29 – Paul argues that true circumcision is not outward but inward, of the heart.
Word Study:
• Israel: In this context, Paul contrasts ethnic Israel with the spiritual Israel, made up of those chosen by God and marked by faith.
Verse 7 (NKJV)
“Nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’”
Paul uses the example of Abraham’s two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, to show that not all of Abraham’s descendants are part of the covenant. God’s promise was specific to Isaac, not to all of Abraham’s physical offspring.
Cross References:
• Genesis 21:12 – God declares that Abraham’s seed will be called through Isaac.
• Galatians 4:22-23 – Paul contrasts Isaac, the child of promise, with Ishmael, the child of the flesh.
Word Study:
• Children (tekna, τέκνα): Refers not only to physical descendants but also to those who inherit the covenant promises through faith.
Verse 8 (NKJV)
“That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.”
Paul clarifies that being a physical descendant of Abraham (a child of the flesh) does not guarantee inclusion in God’s covenant. The true children of God are those who, like Isaac, are children of the promise.
Cross References:
• Galatians 4:28 – Believers are like Isaac, children of the promise.
• Romans 4:16 – The promise to Abraham comes through faith, so it is guaranteed to all his offspring, not just the physical descendants.
Word Study:
• Children of the flesh: Refers to those who are physical descendants but not part of God’s covenant through faith.
• Children of the promise: Those who inherit God’s promises due to His sovereign election and their faith in Christ.
Verses 9-10 (NKJV)
“For this is the word of promise: ‘At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac”
Paul quotes Genesis 18:10 to emphasize that Isaac’s birth was due to God’s promise, not human effort. He then uses the example of Rebekah’s twins, Jacob and Esau, to demonstrate that election is based on God’s choice, not on human works.
Cross References:
• Genesis 18:10 – God’s promise of Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah.
• Genesis 25:21-23 – God’s sovereign choice of Jacob over Esau, even before their birth.
Verses 11-13 (NKJV)
“For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls, it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’”
Paul explains that before Jacob and Esau were born, God chose Jacob over Esau to fulfill His purpose of election. This was not based on anything they had done but solely on God’s sovereign will. Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3 to emphasize God’s love for Jacob and rejection of Esau.
Cross References:
• Genesis 25:23 – God’s declaration that the older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob).
• Malachi 1:2-3 – God’s love for Jacob and rejection of Esau.
• Ephesians 1:4-5 – God’s choice of believers before the foundation of the world.
Word Study:
• Election (ekloge, ἐκλογή): Refers to God’s sovereign choice, independent of human merit.
• Loved (agapao, ἀγαπάω) and Hated (miseo, μισέω): These terms reflect covenantal love and rejection, not emotional affection or hatred.
Romans 9:14-29: God’s Righteousness in Election
Verse 14 (NKJV)
“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!”
Paul addresses the potential objection that God’s election might seem unjust. He rejects this notion emphatically, using the Greek phrase me genoito (μὴ γένοιτο), meaning “Certainly not!” or “By no means!” Paul insists that God’s decisions are always righteous.
Cross References:
• Deuteronomy 32:4 – God’s works are just; He does no wrong.
• Job 34:10 – God does no wickedness or iniquity.
• Daniel 9:14 – God is righteous in all His works.
Word Study:
• Unrighteousness (adikia, ἀδικία): Injustice or moral wrong.
Verse 15 (NKJV)
“For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’”
Paul quotes Exodus 33:19, where God asserts His sovereign right to show mercy and compassion according to His will. Mercy is not something humans can demand; it is a free act of grace.
Cross References:
• Exodus 33:19 – God tells Moses that He shows mercy and compassion as He wills.
• Psalm 115:3 – God does whatever pleases Him.
• Matthew 20:15 – The landowner in Jesus’ parable asserts his right to be generous to whom he pleases.
Word Study:
• Mercy (eleos, ἔλεος): God’s kindness and forgiveness toward the undeserving.
• Compassion (oikteiro, οἰκτείρω): Deep sympathy and pity.
Verse 16 (NKJV)
“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”
Paul reiterates that human will or effort does not determine salvation. It is entirely dependent on God’s mercy. No human striving can secure God’s grace.
Cross References:
• John 1:12-13 – People are born of God’s will, not human will or effort.
• Titus 3:5 – God saves us according to His mercy, not by works of righteousness.
• Philippians 2:13 – God works in believers to will and act according to His purpose.
Word Study:
• Wills (thelo, θέλω): Desires or wants.
• Runs (trecho, τρέχω): Strives or exerts effort.
Verse 17 (NKJV)
“For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’”
Paul references Exodus 9:16 to demonstrate how God used Pharaoh’s hardened heart to display His power and proclaim His name throughout the earth.
Cross References:
• Exodus 9:16 – God tells Pharaoh that He raised him up to show His power.
• Proverbs 16:4 – The Lord has made everything for His purposes, even the wicked for judgment.
• Romans 11:36 – Everything is from God, through God, and for God.
Word Study:
• Raised you up (exegeiro, ἐξεγείρω): To bring into prominence or to give power for a specific purpose.
Verse 18 (NKJV)
“Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.”
Paul concludes that God dispenses mercy and hardens hearts according to His sovereign will. This echoes the example of Pharaoh, whose heart was hardened by God to fulfill His purpose.
Cross References:
• Exodus 4:21 – God tells Moses that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart.
• Isaiah 63:17 – “O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways, and hardened our heart from Your fear?”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 – God sends a delusion to those who refuse to love the truth.
Word Study:
• Hardens (skleruno, σκληρύνω): To make stubborn or resistant to God.
Romans 9:19-29: The Potter and the Clay
Verse 19 (NKJV)
“You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’”
Paul anticipates another objection: If no one can resist God’s will, how can He hold anyone responsible for their actions? This question challenges God’s justice in holding humans accountable.
Cross References:
• Job 9:12 – “Who can hinder Him?” God’s actions are beyond human comprehension.
• Isaiah 29:16 – “Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay?”
• Daniel 4:35 – No one can question or challenge God’s decisions.
Verse 20 (NKJV)
“But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’”
Paul rebukes the arrogance of questioning God’s will. Using the metaphor of a potter and clay (Isaiah 29:16, 45:9), he reminds humans of their position before the sovereign Creator.
Cross References:
• Isaiah 29:16 – The potter/clay imagery illustrates God’s sovereign right to shape His creation.
• Isaiah 45:9 – “Woe to him who strives with his Maker!”
• Job 33:13 – “Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.”
Verse 21 (NKJV)
“Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?”
Paul continues the metaphor of the potter, emphasizing God’s sovereign right to shape people for different purposes, some for honor and others for dishonor.
Cross References:
• Jeremiah 18:6 – “Like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.”
• 2 Timothy 2:20 – In a large house, there are vessels for honor and dishonor, illustrating God’s right to use people for different purposes.
• Proverbs 16:4 – The Lord has made everything for His purpose, even the wicked for the day of doom.
Verses 22-23 (NKJV)
“What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,”
Paul proposes that God’s patience with the wicked (vessels of wrath) serves to demonstrate His power and highlight His mercy toward the elect (vessels of mercy). God’s judgment against the wicked ultimately reveals His glory and justice.
Cross References:
• Exodus 9:16 – God’s power is displayed through Pharaoh’s resistance.
• Proverbs 16:4 – The Lord has made everything for His purposes, even the wicked for judgment.
• 2 Peter 3:9 – God is patient, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Word Study:
• Longsuffering (makrothumia, μακροθυμία): God’s patience and willingness to endure evil for a time to accomplish His purpose.
• Prepared (katartizo, καταρτίζω): To be made ready or fit for a specific purpose.
Verse 24 (NKJV)
“Even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”
Paul reminds the readers that God’s mercy and calling extend to both Jews and Gentiles. His sovereign election is not limited to one group but includes people from all nations.
Cross References:
• Romans 3:29-30 – God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles.
• Ephesians 2:11-13 – Gentiles, once far off, are brought near by the blood of Christ.
• Acts 10:34-35 – Peter declares that God shows no partiality but accepts people from every nation.
Verses 25-26 (NKJV)
“As He says also in Hosea: ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.’ ‘And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God.’”
Paul quotes Hosea 2:23 and 1:10 to show that God’s plan always included calling the Gentiles into His family. Though they were once “not My people,” they are now called “sons of the living God.”
Cross References:
• Hosea 2:23 – God promises to call a people who were once not His people.
• Hosea 1:10 – In the place where it was said, “You are not My people,” they will be called sons of the living God.
• 1 Peter 2:10 – “Who once were not a people but are now the people of God.”
Verses 27-28 (NKJV)
“Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved. For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.’”
Paul quotes Isaiah 10:22-23 to show that despite Israel’s large population, only a remnant will be saved. God’s judgment will be swift, but His mercy will be extended to the faithful remnant.
Cross References:
• Isaiah 10:22-23 – Only a remnant of Israel will return to the Lord.
• Romans 11:5 – A remnant of Israel remains, chosen by grace.
• Matthew 7:13-14 – The narrow way leads to life, and only a few find it.
Word Study:
• Remnant (leimma, λεῖμμα): Refers to a small group of faithful people who remain true to God and are saved.
Verse 29 (NKJV)
“And as Isaiah said before: ‘Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.’”
Paul concludes by quoting Isaiah 1:9, highlighting God’s mercy in preserving a remnant of Israel. Without God’s intervention, Israel would have been completely destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Cross References:
• Isaiah 1:9 – A small remnant is preserved from destruction.
• Genesis 19:24-25 – Sodom and Gomorrah’s total destruction due to their wickedness.
• Lamentations 3:22 – “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed.”
Word Study:
• Seed (sperma, σπέρμα): Refers to a small remnant or offspring, continuing the line of the faithful.
Romans 9:30-33: Israel’s Unbelief and the Gentiles’ Inclusion
Verse 30 (NKJV)
“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;”
Paul points out that the Gentiles, though not seeking righteousness, have attained it through faith in Christ, showing that salvation comes through faith, not works.
Cross References:
• Romans 1:17 – Righteousness comes through faith.
• Isaiah 65:1 – God reveals Himself to those who did not seek Him.
• Philippians 3:9 – Righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not through the law.
Verse 31 (NKJV)
“But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.”
In contrast, Israel, though earnestly seeking righteousness through the law, has failed to achieve it because they sought it through works, not faith.
Cross References:
• Romans 10:2-3 – Israel has zeal for God but lacks the knowledge of God’s righteousness.
• Galatians 5:4 – Seeking righteousness through the law leads to failure.
• Hebrews 4:2 – Israel’s pursuit of righteousness was not mixed with faith, leading to failure.
Verse 32 (NKJV)
“Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.”
Israel’s failure to attain righteousness is due to their reliance on works rather than faith. The “stumbling stone” refers to Christ, whom Israel rejected.
Cross References:
• Isaiah 8:14 – The Messiah is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
• 1 Peter 2:8 – Christ is a stumbling stone to those who disbelieve.
• Galatians 2:16 – Justification comes by faith in Christ, not by works of the law.
Verse 33 (NKJV)
“As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’”
Paul concludes by quoting Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16. Christ, the “stumbling stone,” is both the means of salvation and the cause of offense. Those who believe in Him will not be put to shame, but those who reject Him stumble over Him.
Cross References:
• Isaiah 8:14 – The Messiah is a rock of offense to those who reject Him.
• Isaiah 28:16 – Whoever believes in the cornerstone (Christ) will not be put to shame.
• 1 Peter 2:6 – “Whoever believes in Him will by no means be put to shame.”
Conclusion
Romans 9 presents a profound theological exploration of God’s sovereignty, election, and mercy. Paul demonstrates that salvation is entirely dependent on God’s will, not on human effort or merit. Both Jews and Gentiles are included in God’s redemptive plan, and although many in Israel rejected Christ, a faithful remnant remains. God’s righteousness is revealed through His sovereign choices, and those who place their faith in Christ will never be put to shame. This chapter encourages believers to trust in God’s wisdom and mercy, acknowledging that His purposes are always perfect, even when they surpass human understanding.