Romans 9:7

Romans 9:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
• New International Version (NIV)Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."
• New King James Version (NKJV)nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”

Context of Romans 9:7

5It was their ancestors that God chose to make great many years ago. And Christ himself, as a man, was born to an Israelite family. Christ is God, who rules over all things. We should praise him for ever! This is true! Amen. 6God promised good things to Israel's people. But I am not saying that what God promised did not happen. It is clear that not all of Israel's people are God's true people. Not all of them are true descendants of Abraham. God told Abraham, ‘It is only Isaac that I will call the father of your descendants.’ 8This means that not all of Abraham's children are really God's children. It is only those children who were born as a result of God's promise. Only they are the people that God calls true descendants. 9This is what God promised to Abraham: ‘At this time next year I will come back. Then Sarah, your wife, will have a son.’

Romans 9:7 word by word

οὐδ᾽ ὅτι εἰσὶν σπέρμα Ἀβραὰμ πάντες τέκνα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the seedσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690
• of AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• Inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• IsaacἸσαάκIsaak · IsaacG2464
• shallκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• thyσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for Romans 9:7

• Luke 3:8You have to show that you are sorry. Change how you live. Stop doing things that God does not like. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them!
• Luke 16:24So he shouted out, “Father Abraham, please be kind to me. Please send Lazarus here to help me. I am in great pain because I am in a fire that burns me. Let him put his finger into some water. Then he can use the water to make my mouth cool.”
• John 8:37I know that you belong to Abraham's family. But you are looking for a way to kill me. That is because you have no place in yourselves for my words.
• Philippians 3:3But we are truly God's people. And it is not because someone has circumcised us. It is God's own Spirit that leads us to worship God. We thank God because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. We know that it is not human ideas that can save us.
• Genesis 21:12God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be upset about Ishmael or about Hagar. Do whatever Sarah tells you. Your family's descendants will come through Isaac, not Ishmael.
• Hebrews 11:18God had said to Abraham, ‘It is through Isaac that your family will continue.’

Commentaries on Romans 9:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Neither 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…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. 7This quotation is from Genesis 21:12. God spoke these words to Abraham when he hesitated to follow Sarah’s advice. She told him to send away his son Ishmael, who had been born to the slave woman Hagar. God reassured Abraham that Isaac, Sarah’s child, was the son through whom God would fulfill his promises.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-97-9. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children--"Not in the line of mere fleshly descent from Abraham does the election run; else Ishmael, Hagar's child, and even Keturah's children, would be included, which they were not." but--the true election are such of Abraham's seed as God unconditionally chooses, as exemplified in that promise. in Isaac shall thy seed be called--(Ge 21:12).Read the comment
• Calvin’s Commentaries · v. 77. But, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Paul mentions this, to show that the hidden election of God overrules the outward calling, and that it is yet by no means inconsistent with it, but, on the contrary, that it tends to its confirmation and completion. That he might then in due order prove both, he in the first place assumes, that the election of God is not tied to the natural descendants of Abraham, and that it is not a thing that is included in…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 9:7

• Circumcision
• Covenant
• Hypocrisy
• Isaac
• Predestination
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Isaac
• Abraham, Abram
• Continual
• Fault
• Resist
• Bible, the
• Children of Israel
• Election
• Heredity

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