EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Romans 9:11
11And God spoke to Rebekah before her sons were born. God spoke before the boys had done anything either good or bad. God did this to show clearly that he himself was choosing one child. He was not choosing someone because of what that person had done. He himself decided who he would choose.
Romans 9:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)(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;)
- New International Version (NIV)Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:
- English Standard Version (ESV)though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—
- New King James Version (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),
Context of Romans 9:11
9This is what God promised to Abraham: ‘At this time next year I will come back. Then Sarah, your wife, will have a son.’ 10Remember this too: Later, Isaac's wife, Rebekah, gave birth to twins. Those two sons had the same father, who was our ancestor, Isaac. And God spoke to Rebekah before her sons were born. God spoke before the boys had done anything either good or bad. God did this to show clearly that he himself was choosing one child. He was not choosing someone because of what that person had done. He himself decided who he would choose. 12God said to Rebekah, ‘The older son will serve the younger son.’ 13This is written in the Bible: ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.’
Read all of Romans 9Romans 9:11 word by word
μήπω γὰρ γεννηθέντων μηδὲ πραξάντων τι ἀγαθὸν ἢ φαῦλον, ἵνα ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις τοῦ θεοῦ μένῃ,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- beingγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
- not yetμήπωmēpō · not yetG3380
- neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
- having doneπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
- anyτιςtis · oneG5100
- goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
- orἤē · orG2228
- evilκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- the purposeπρόθεσιςprothesis · purposeG4286
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- according toκατάkata · according toG2596
- electionἐκλογήeklogē · selectingG1589
- might standμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- worksἔργονergon · workG2041
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- him that callethκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
Cross-references for Romans 9:11
- Romans 4:17In the Bible, God said to Abraham, ‘I have chosen you to become the ancestor of many different people.’ That is what God himself promises, because Abraham believed in him. God is the one who causes dead people to become alive again. He speaks about things that are not yet there as if they were already there.
- Psalms 51:5Yes, even from the day I was born I have done bad things. I have always been guilty of sin.
- Ephesians 2:3At one time, all of us lived like those people. We did whatever bad things our bodies wanted to do. If our thoughts made us want to do something, we did it. Because we were like that, God was angry with us. He should have punished us, just like everyone else.
- Romans 8:28We know that God works to help those people who love him. He uses everything that happens to them to bring something good. He does this for those people that he has chosen to serve him.
- Isaiah 14:24The Lord Almighty promises this: ‘It will happen exactly as I have decided. Yes, it will really happen like that.
- Isaiah 23:9The Lord Almighty did that! He decided to show that the pride of those people is useless. He decided to bring all those famous people down low.
- Isaiah 46:10From the beginning, I say what will happen at the end. Long ago, I spoke about future things that have not yet happened. I say this: “My purpose will not change. I will do everything that I want to do.”
- Jeremiah 51:29The whole earth will shake with pain as the Lord punishes Babylonia. He will certainly do what he has decided to do. He will make the land of Babylonia as empty as a desert. Nobody will live there.
- Ephesians 1:9He has let us know his great purpose, which had been a secret before. That plan would make him very happy. It would be possible because of Christ.
- Ephesians 3:11This had always been God's purpose, from the beginning of all things. And it was our Lord Christ Jesus who made it happen.
- 2 Timothy 1:9God is the one who has saved us. He has chosen us to serve him with good, clean lives. He did not save us because of any good things that we have done. He chose to do it because he is very kind. He decided to do that before time began, because of what Christ Jesus would do for us.
- Romans 11:5It is the same at this time too. There is a small number of Israel's people that God has chosen to trust him. He has chosen them because he is very kind.
- Ephesians 1:4Before God made the world, he chose us to be his people because of Christ. He chose us so that we would please him. Because we belong to Christ, God accepts us as completely good. This shows how much he loves us.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:4Our Christian friends, God loves you. We know that he has chosen you to belong to him.
- 2 Peter 1:10So, my friends, try very much to live in a way that pleases God. God has chosen you to be his own people. Show that you really do belong to him! If you do these things, you will never turn away from God.
- Romans 11:6This shows that God has not chosen them because of any good things that they have done. If that was true, we could not say that God was really being kind to them. It would not be his gift.
Commentaries on Romans 9:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11For the children being not yet born - As the word children is not in the text, the word nations would be more proper; for it is of nations that the apostle speaks, as the following verses show, as well as the history to which he refers. Neither having done any good - To merit the distinction of being made the peculiar people of God; nor evil, to deserve to be left out of this covenant, and the distinguishing national blessings which it conferred; that the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-13Verses 6-13 The rejection of the Jews by the gospel dispensation, did not break God's promise to the patriarchs. The promises and threatenings shall be fulfilled. Grace does not run in the blood; nor are saving benefits always found with outward church privileges. Not only some of Abraham's seed were chosen, and others not, but God therein wrought according to the counsel of his own will. God foresaw both Esau and Jacob as born in sin, by nature children…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-11twins were born: There were no human differences between Isaac’s sons, Jacob and Esau. They were born to the same mother, and they were conceived at the same time. Nothing about their birth set one apart from the other. Paul argues that the difference between them came from God’s choice, not from human actions or circumstances.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1310-13. And not only this; but when Rebecca, &c.--It might be thought that there was a natural reason for preferring the child of Sarah, as being Abraham's true and first wife, both to the child of Hagar, Sarah's maid, and to the children of Keturah, his second wife. But there could be no such reason in the case of Rebecca, Isaac's only wife; for the choice of her son Jacob was the choice of one of two sons by the same mother and of the younger in…Read the comment
- Calvin’s Commentaries · v. 1111. For when the children, etc. He now begins to ascend higher, even to show the cause of this difference, which he teaches us is nowhere else to be found except in the election of God. He had indeed before briefly noticed, that there was a difference between the natural children of Abraham, that though all were adopted by circumcision into a participation of the covenant, yet the grace of God was not effectual in them all; and hence that they, who enjoy…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 9:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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