Romans 9:6

God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that their descendants would all inherit his blessings. But although most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ, that does not prove that God has failed to do the things that he promised, because it is not all who are descended from Jacob and who call themselves the people of Israel whom God considers to be truly his people.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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

In Context

5It was our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose to found our nation. And, most importantly, it was from us Israelites that the Messiah received his human nature. Nevertheless, most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ, who is the one who controls all things! He is God, the one who is worthy that we praise him forever! This is true! (OR, Amen!)

7And it is also not all of Abraham’s natural descendants that God considers to be his people. Instead, God considers only some of them to be Abraham’s children. This agrees with what God told Abraham: “It is Isaac, not any of your(sg) other sons, whom I will consider to be the true father of your descendants.”

Read all of Romans 9

Cross References

Isaiah 55:11And similarly the things that I promise to do, I will always cause to happen; my promises will always be fulfilled [LIT]. They will accomplish the things that I gave them to accomplish [DOU].

John 1:47When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said about Nathaniel, “Here is an example of a good Israelite! He never deceives anyone!”

Romans 2:28It is not those who perform rituals to show they are God’s people who are true Jews, and it is not being circumcised in their bodies that causes God to accept them [MTY].

Romans 4:12Likewise, Abraham is the spiritual ancestor of all us Jews who are not merely circumcised but who, more importantly, believe in God’s promise as our ancestor Abraham did, even before he was circumcised.

Galatians 6:16I pray that God will give inner peace and act kindly towards all who will act according to this new way of life. It is all those who live according to this new way of life who are now truly God’s people [MET], as the Israeli people were God’s people previously.

Hebrews 6:17So, when God wanted to demonstrate very clearly ◄to us/to those people► who would receive what he had promised that he would not change what he had purposed to do, he solemnly guaranteed that he would declare himself guilty if he did not do what he promised.

Matthew Henry on Romans 9:2-6

Paul's Anxiety for the Jews. ( a. d. 58.) 1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 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; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Romans 9:6