Romans 9
| Romans 9 | |
|---|---|
 Epistle to the Romans 8:12–22 in the bigger of two fragments forming Papyrus 27 (recto side), written in the 3rd century. | |
| Book | Epistle to the Romans |
| Category | Pauline epistles |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 6 |
Romans 9 is the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid 50s CE,[1] with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), Tertius, who adds his own greeting in Romans 16:22.[2]
The reformer Martin Luther stated that "in chapters 9, 10 and 11, St. Paul teaches us about the eternal providence of God. It is the original source which determines who would believe and who wouldn't, who can be set free from sin and who cannot".[3]
Methodist writer Joseph Benson summarises this chapter:
- The apostle having insinuated, in Romans 3:3, that God would cast off the Jews for their unbelief, a Jew is there supposed to object, that their rejection would destroy the faithfulness of God. To this the apostle answered, that the faithfulness of God would be established rather than destroyed, by the rejection of the Jews for their unbelief.[4]
Text
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 33 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
- Papyrus 40 (~250; extant verses 16–17, 27)
- Papyrus 27 (3rd century; extant verses 3, 5–9)
- Codex Vaticanus (325–350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (330–360)
- Codex Alexandrinus (400–440)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450; complete)
Old Testament references
- Romans 9:7 = Genesis 21:12
- Romans 9:9 = Genesis 18:10,14
- Romans 9:12 = Genesis 25:23
- Romans 9:13 = Malachi 1:2,3
- Romans 9:15 = Exodus 33:19
- Romans 9:17 = Exodus 9:16
- Romans 9:25 = Hosea 2:23
- Romans 9:26 = Hosea 1:10
- Romans 9:27 = Isaiah 10:22,23
- Romans 9:29 = Isaiah 1:9
- Romans 9:33 = Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 28:16
Verse 3
- For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh[5]
Alexander Kirkpatrick, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,[6] associates Paul's willingness to be "cursed and cut off from Christ" for the sake of his brethren [7] with Moses' prayer for the forgiveness of his wayward people ("forgive their sin – but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written") [8] and with King David's mourning on the death of his son Absalom, "O my son Absalom – my son, my son Absalom – if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!”.[9]
Verse 6
- But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,[10]
Verse 7
- nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”[11]
Verse 27
- Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel:
- “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
- The remnant will be saved.”[12]
Citing Isaiah 10:22–23
Verse 28
- “For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
- Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”[13]
Citing Isaiah 10:22–23
Verse 33
- As it is written:
- “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
- And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”[14]
Citing Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 28:16
See also
- Related Bible parts: Genesis 18, Genesis 21, Genesis 25, Exodus 9, Exodus 33, Isaiah 1, Isaiah 8, Isaiah 10, Isaiah 28, Hosea 1, Hosea 2, Malachi 1
References
- ^ Hill 2007, p. 1084.
- ^ Donaldson, Terence L. (2007). "63. Introduction to the Pauline Corpus". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 1077. ISBN 978-0199277186.
- ^ Luther, M., Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, translated by Andrew Thornton, OSB
- ^ Benson's Commentary on Romans 9, accessed 22 September 2016
- ^ Romans 9:3 NKJV
- ^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 2 Samuel 18, accessed 12 August 2017
- ^ Romans 9:3 Revised Standard Version
- ^ Exodus 32:32
- ^ 2 Samuel 18:33
- ^ Romans 9:6 NKJV
- ^ Romans 9:7 NKJV
- ^ Romans 9:27 NKJV
- ^ Romans 9:28 NKJV
- ^ Romans 9:33 NKJV
Bibliography
- Coogan, Michael David (2007). Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (eds.). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 (Augmented 3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288810.
- Hill, Craig C. (2007). "64. Romans". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1083–1108. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.