Tyndale Open Study NotesRomans 9

n this section, Paul addresses a serious question. Many Jews did not believe in Jesus. If God had promised salvation to Israel, how could Jesus truly fulfill God’s plan when so few Jews believed (9:1–5)? In response, Paul uses the Old Testament to show that God always planned to save only a remnant, that is, a smaller group within Israel (9:6–29). Paul also explains that many Jews did not accept Christ because they refused to trust in him (9:30–10:21).

Paul then makes clear that God has not rejected Israel. Some Jews have already believed in Christ (11:1–10). Many more will trust in Christ in the future (11:12–26).

Paul does not clearly explain why he feels such deep sorrow for his Jewish brothers and sisters. However, he says that he would be willing to be cursed for their sake if it would save them.

This shows that his pain comes from the fact that most Jews did not accept Jesus and be saved (see also 10:1).

I could wish that I myself were cursed: The Greek word anathema is used in the Greek Old Testament to translate a Hebrew expression that means “set apart for God.” In most cases, it has a negative meaning. It refers to something that is devoted to destruction as an offering to God (see Leviticus 27:28–29; Joshua 6:17–18; 7:1, 11–13; 22:20; 1 Samuel 15:3; 1 Chronicles 2:7).

Paul knows that he cannot actually be cut off from Christ. His words express deep sorrow and love, not a real possibility. Paul is echoing the words of Moses, who asked God to take his own life if that would spare the people of Israel (Exodus 32:30–32).

• Up to this point in Romans, Paul has called the Jewish people Jews. Here, and throughout most of 9–11, he shifts to the phrase the people of Israel. This change is important. Jew mainly points to national or ethnic identity. Israel emphasizes the special covenant relationship between the people and God.

• the adoption as sons: The Old Testament often calls Israel God’s son or child. This language shows that God chose Israel to belong to him (for example, Exodus 4:22; Jeremiah 3:19; 31:9; Hosea 11:1). Israel’s adoption means that they received God’s blessings and promises. It does not mean that every Israelite was automatically saved.

• covenants: A covenant is a formal and lasting agreement. In the Bible, a covenant is a binding relationship that God establishes with people. God promises to bless, protect, or guide them, and the people are called to trust God and live in obedience to him. God’s covenants show his commitment to remain faithful to his people over time.

  The Old Testament describes several covenants between God and the people of Israel. God made one covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17). He made another covenant with the nation through Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19–24). God also made a covenant with David and his royal family (2 Samuel 7:8–16; 23:5).

Christ came from the people of Israel, and God first made his promises of salvation to them.

are Israel: The word Israel can have more than one meaning. It can refer to all the physical descendants of Jacob, that is, the people of Israel by birth. However, in the later part of the Old Testament and in Jewish teaching, a new idea developed. This idea is often called a “remnant,” meaning a smaller group within Israel who remain faithful to God (see Isaiah 11:10–16).

In the New Testament, Israel can sometimes have a broader meaning. On at least one occasion, it refers to all people who belong to God in a spiritual sense, including both Jews and Gentiles (Galatians 6:16).

Paul teaches that there is now an “Israel within Israel.” This means that not all who belong to Israel by birth truly belong to God’s people. God’s true people are those who believe, whether they are Jews or Gentiles (compare Romans 11:16–17; Galatians 6:16).

This 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.

twins 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.

“The older will serve the younger”: God spoke these words to Rebekah before the twins were born (Genesis 25:23). Esau was the older twin, so he was Isaac’s natural heir.

However, Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. By doing this, Esau gave up his position as the firstborn. This action fulfilled what God had promised before the twins were born.

“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated”: Paul quotes Malachi 1:2–3. In that passage, Jacob, whose other name is Israel (Genesis 32:28). , represents the nation of Israel. Esau represents the nation of Edom.

Here in Romans, Paul speaks of Jacob and Esau as individuals. In the Bible, the word love can express choice or acceptance. In the same way, the word hate can express rejection rather than personal anger. Paul uses the story of Jacob and Esau to show that God, who rules over all things, chooses his people according to his own purpose.

God’s choice is not unfair because God does not owe anything to sinful human beings (see study note on 4:4–5). Anything God gives is an act of mercy, not a payment that people deserve.

This quotation from Exodus 33:19 emphasizes God's nature. God is not obligated or forced to show mercy to anyone. When God shows mercy, he does so freely, according to his own will.

the Scripture says to Pharaoh: Following God's command, Moses commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt for their own land (Exodus 9:16). Pharaoh stubbornly refused. In response, God performed many miracles. Through these acts, God showed his power and authority to Israel, to Pharaoh, and to the people of Egypt (see Exodus 6:7; 7:5; 9:14–16; 14:31).

He hardens whom He wants to harden: Pharaoh refused to let Israel leave because his heart became hard. A hard heart describes stubborn resistance to God. It means refusing to listen or change, even after seeing clear signs of God’s power.

The book of Exodus says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12). It also says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15). Together, these statements show that Pharaoh was responsible for his actions, even as God carried out his purposes through Pharaoh’s refusal.

See Isaiah 29:16 and Isaiah 45:9–10.

• God was free to choose some people from among the Jews to have a true spiritual relationship with him. In the same way, he was free to choose some people from among the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to be saved. God was not limited by ethnic background.

  Paul supports this point by quoting the prophet Hosea. Hosea spoke about the ten northern tribes of Israel. These tribes had rebelled against God and were under his judgment. Even so, Hosea said that God would show them mercy again.

  Paul sees a wider principle in this prophecy. Just as God renewed his mercy to disobedient Israelites, he can also show mercy to Gentiles.

• who are not My people: See study note on 10:19.

only the remnant will be saved: So many Israelites turned away from God that the Old Testament prophets spoke of a faithful group within the larger nation of Israel. This smaller group is often called a remnant (see Isaiah 11:10–16).

The remnant refers to those who remained loyal to God and trusted him. They would receive salvation. The rest of the people faced judgment because they continued to reject God.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah shows the reality and seriousness of God’s judgment (Genesis 19).

who pursued a law of righteousness: The phrase law of righteousness is an idiom. It means trying to become righteous by obeying the law. Paul is describing people who believed that careful law-keeping could put them in a right relationship with God.

a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense: This phrase means to fail to accept or understand something. In this context, it refers to people who reject or refuse to believe the message about Christ. Instead of trusting him, they turn away because his message challenges what they believe or expect.

This quotation is from Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16. These two texts, along with Psalm 118:22, are also quoted together in 1 Peter 2:6–8. The early church likely used a group of Old Testament passages about a “stone” to explain who Christ is and why he matters. These passages helped believers understand Christ’s role in God’s plan (see also Matthew 21:42).