Romans 9:7

And 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.”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

In Context

6God 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.

8That means that it is not all the natural-born descendants of Abraham whom God considers as his children. Instead, it is those who believed what God promised whom he considers to be his children.

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Cross References

Luke 3:8Do what is appropriate for people who have truly turned from their sinful behavior! God promised to give Abraham many descendants. In order to fulfill that promise, God does not need you! I tell you that he can change these stones to make them descendants of Abraham! So do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We (exc) are descendants of Abraham, so God will not punish us, even though we have sinned!’

Luke 16:30But the rich man replied, ‘No, father Abraham, that will not be enough But if someone from those who have died goes back to them and warns them, they will turn from their sinful behavior.’

John 8:37I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. But you are trying to kill me because you are not allowing [PRS] my message to continue to change your inner being.

Philippians 3:3Those people think that they are God’s people because someone has circumcised them. But we, not they, are truly God’s people [MET], whether or not someone has circumcised us. God’s Spirit enables us to [MTY] worship God; we praise Christ Jesus because he has enabled us to become the people of God. We do not believe that God will consider/make us his people as a result of what someone has done to our bodies [MTY, SYN].

Matthew Henry on Romans 9:7-14

The Divine Sovereignty. ( a. d. 58.) 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 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. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 And not only this; but when… Read the whole commentary →

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