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;

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

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

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.

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the people of Israel.(A) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;(B) theirs the divine glory,(C) the covenants,(D) the receiving of the law,(E) the temple worship(F) and the promises.(G) Theirs are the patriarchs,(H) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,(I) who is God over all,(J) forever praised![a](K) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

It is not as though God’s word(L) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(M) 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.”[b](N) In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(O) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:5 Or Messiah, who is over all. God be forever praised! Or Messiah. God who is over all be forever praised!
  2. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12