Verse By Verse Through Romans

Chapter Nine



Romans 9:1-2 “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.”

  • As we saw in chapter one, Paul is speaking about his integrity (Romans 1:9). He does this in other epistles too (II Corinthians 1:23, II Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 1:20, Philippians 1:8, etc.).
  • Remember that Paul had been slandered (Romans 3:8).
  • Paul wanted the saints in Rome to understand, though he was writing against the Jewish traditions, that he had a deep sorrow for the Jews that were lost (Romans 9:3-4; cf. Romans 10:1-3).
  • In general, true believers and especially teachers of the truth will suffer emotionally when people are not obeying God (Psalms 119:53, Psalms 119:136, Psalms 119:158, Jeremiah 13:17, Lamentations 3:48-49, Luke 19:41-42, and Philippians 3:18-19).

Romans 9:3 “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”

  • Paul would trade himself for his “brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” That means, the Israelites; Jews (Romans 9:4; Philippians 3:4-5).
  • This is what Moses basically said (Exodus 32:30-35).
  • Accursed, as in the same fate as one who preached another Gospel (Galatians 1:8-9).
  • Think about the self-sacrifice mentality that comes with someone taking on the work of being a teacher (James 3:1).

Romans 9:4 “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;”

  • Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption [sonship] (Exodus 4:22, Deuteronomy 14:1, and Hosea 11:1).
  • The glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises (Exodus 19:1-13, Deuteronomy 7:1-16, and Romans 3:1-2).

Romans 9:5 “Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

  • The fathers [patriarchs] belong to Israel (Exodus 3:15-16 and Deuteronomy 10:12-15).
  • Of whom Christ came in the flesh (Genesis 12:1-3 [cf. Galatians 3:16], Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38, and Hebrews 7:11-14).
  • Jesus is OVER all (John 5:22-29, Acts 10:36, Romans 10:12, Romans 14:9-12, Ephesians 1:20-23, and I Peter 3:18-22).
  • Christ who is over all, God (Isaiah 9:1-7, Matthew 1:23, John 8:56-58, John 10:30-33, John 20:28-3, Acts 20:28, Colossians 2:8-9, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8-12, I John 3:16, and I John 5:20).
  • Blessed [adorable; praised], as is appropriate, for the Lord (Luke 1:68). An evidence of His being deity as such [blessed] belongs to the Father (Ephesians 1:3).

Romans 9:6 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:”

  • In one sense, the word of God is never ineffective (Isaiah 55:6-11).
  • However, there are times wherein the word of God was of none effect (Mark 7:1-13 and Hebrews 4:1-2).
  • That being said, those who do not believe do not make the word of God of none effect (Romans 3:3-4).
  • Whether or not the word of God works on an individual is up to that individual (Zechariah 7:8-14, Luke 7:30, John 12:48, Acts 2:41, and I Thessalonians 2:13).
  • The truth, the word of God (John 17:17), THE FAITH (Acts 6:7, Acts 14:22, and Philippians 1:27), is not going anywhere even if man chooses to reject such (Psalms 119:89, Psalms 119:152, Psalms 119:160, Matthew 24:35, and I Peter 1:23-25).
  • Israel has a long history of unbelief (Deuteronomy 9:23, II Chronicles 24:17-22, Psalms 78:18-22, Psalms 106:21-24, and Matthew 13:53-58).
  • Having said that, God’s word has been productive in bringing some Israelites to Christ (Acts 6:7, Acts 11:19-21, Acts 17:10-12, etc.) and fulling one of the purposes of Him coming into this world in the flesh (Matthew 1:21 and Luke 19:1-10).
  • For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel…. This is explained in the next two verses.

Romans 9:7-8 “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

  • The end all was not Abraham as some Jews would think (John 8:31-32; cf. Matthew 3:9).
  • In Isaac (Genesis 21:12 and Hebrews 11:18).
  • It doesn’t stop there either (Matthew 1:1-18, Acts 7:32, Acts 13:22-23, etc.).
  • The point, the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16) is not made up only of those whom are fleshly descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc. (Mark 3:31-35, Romans 2:28-29, Romans 4:12, Galatians 3:7, Galatians 3:26-29, Galatians 4:22-31, and Colossians 2:10-17).

Romans 9:9 “For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.”

  • cf. Genesis 17:21; 21:1-3 and Hebrews 11:11-12

Romans 9:10-13 “And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

  • Not only to Sarah (Romans 9:9), but Rebecca also and in such a way that was prophetic before birth (Genesis 25:21-23).
  • By election [divine selection] (Acts 9:15 and Romans 11:1-8).
  • He called what would happen before it happened so that it was prophetic, not based upon one out performing the other. Think about how that serves as a pattern even for God sending Jesus into this world (Titus 3:3-5).
  • Caution… Some see the word “election” and start to think that man has no part to play. That is clearly not true (II Peter 1:8-10).
  • “Jacob I loved…” (Malachi 1:2-3).

Romans 9:14 “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.”

  • “What shall we say then?” Later, the answer is don’t say anything (Romans 9:20).
  • Paul used this line of reasoning earlier in this letter (Romans 3:3-6).
  • There certainly is not unrighteousness with God (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalms 103:6, Psalms 145:17, Romans 1:16-17, Romans 2:5, Romans 3:24-26, and II Peter 1:1).
  • The Spirit had Paul use the phrase “God forbid” multiple times in this letter (Romans 3:4, Romans 3:6, Romans 6:2, Romans 6:15, Romans 7:7, Romans 7:13, and Romans 11:1).

Romans 9:15 “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

  • “For he saith to Moses…” (Exodus 34:6-7).
  • The boundaries of God’s mercy are set by Him (Romans 9:17-18). *More on this when we get to those verses.
  • The problem arises when men try to set their own boundaries of what they conclude God will be merciful upon (Proverbs 16:2; 21:2).

Romans 9:16 “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

  • If only man would realize what Jesus stated when He was headed to the cross: “…not my will, but thine, be done…” (Luke 22:39-42).
  • It is not in the power of men that we can obtain the mercy of God (Ephesians 1:3-9 and Titus 3:3-5).

Romans 9:17-18 “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”

  • “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh…” (Exodus 9:16).
  • God purposed things at times in men or women to bring about His cause (Isaiah 10:5-12, Isaiah 45:1-5, Jeremiah 27:6-7, Daniel 5:17-21, Acts 16:1-10, and Acts 23:1-11).
  • The purpose in what He did to Pharaoh was to show His power and it be declared everywhere (Exodus 10:1-2, Exodus 14:17-18, and Joshua 2:1-10).
  • The word of God, purposed by the Lord, hardens some people (Acts 28:26-28 and II Thessalonians 2:10-12).
  • That does not mean that God chooses who has a hardened heart - we have the choice to open our hearts or have them hardened (Deuteronomy 5:29, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Joshua 24:14-16, Matthew 10:22, Luke 8:4-15, John 8:31, Acts 2:40-41, and Hebrews 3:6-14).
  • Again, it is up to God when He chooses to show mercy or not! This DOES NOT mean we cannot know who God will or will not show mercy to. Consider for example: Matthew 7:2, Luke 13:1-5, James 2:1-13, etc.

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