But it is not as if the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are they all children because they are descendants of Abraham, but “In Isaac will your descendants be named.”[a] That is, it is not the children by human descent[b] who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For the statement of the promise is this: “At this time I will return and Sarah will have[c] a son.”[d] 10 And not only this, but also when[e] Rebecca conceived children by one man,[f] Isaac our father— 11 for although they[g] had not yet been born, or done anything good or evil, in order that the purpose of God according to election might remain, 12 not by works but by the one who calls—it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,”[h] 13 just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[i]

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:7 A quotation from Gen 21:12
  2. Romans 9:8 Literally “of the flesh”
  3. Romans 9:9 Literally “there will be to Sarah”
  4. Romans 9:9 A quotation from Gen 18:10, 14
  5. Romans 9:10 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“having conception” = “conceived”) which is understood as temporal
  6. Romans 9:10 Or perhaps “by one act of sexual intercourse
  7. Romans 9:11 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“been born”) which is understood as concessive
  8. Romans 9:12 A quotation from Gen 25:23
  9. Romans 9:13 A quotation from Mal 1:2–3