Romans 9:13 kjv
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Romans 9:13 nkjv
As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
Romans 9:13 niv
Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Romans 9:13 esv
As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Romans 9:13 nlt
In the words of the Scriptures, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau."
Romans 9 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 9:13 | Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. | Direct quotation |
| Malachi 1:2-3 | Was not Jacob the brother of Esau? declares the LORD. Yet Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated. | Source of Paul's quotation |
| Genesis 25:23 | Two nations are in your womb...the elder shall serve the younger. | Prophecy about Jacob and Esau's relationship |
| Genesis 27:41 | Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing his father gave him. | Consequence of Jacob's acquisition of birthright |
| John 15:16 | You did not choose me, but I chose you... | Christ's affirmation of divine election |
| Ephesians 1:4-5 | He chose us in him before the foundation of the world... predestined us... | Election prior to creation |
| Romans 9:11 | though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue... | Election not based on works |
| 1 Samuel 15:28 | the LORD has torn the kingdom from you today... | Saul's rejection due to disobedience |
| Isaiah 14:24 | The LORD of hosts has sworn: As I have purposed, so shall it stand... | God's immutable counsel and purpose |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son... | God's love demonstrated in Christ |
| Romans 8:28-30 | those whom he foreknew he also predestined... | The chain of salvation, starting with foreknowledge |
| Galatians 1:15 | when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb... | Paul's personal experience of divine calling |
| Romans 11:5-6 | So then at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. And if by grace, it is not because of works... | God's choice of a remnant |
| Matthew 1:1 | the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Jesus' lineage traced |
| Acts 13:22 | And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king... | David chosen by God |
| 2 Timothy 2:10 | Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect... | Perseverance for the sake of God's chosen |
| Revelation 13:8 | and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. | Names written before the foundation of the world |
| John 1:12-13 | But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. | Spiritual birth and adoption, not by human will |
| 1 Peter 1:2 | according to the foreknowledge of God the Father... | Election based on foreknowledge |
| Romans 11:29 | For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. | God's unchanging nature in His calling and gifts |
| John 9:3 | Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." | God's sovereign purposes for individuals |
Romans 9 verses
Romans 9 13 Meaning
The verse states that Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. This declaration emphasizes God's sovereign choice and election. It signifies that God's purpose is not based on human merit or lineage but on His divine will.
Romans 9 13 Context
Romans chapter 9 addresses the theological dilemma of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ. Paul is grappling with the question of God's faithfulness and Israel's apparent exclusion from the Messianic kingdom. To demonstrate that God's plan extends beyond national Israel and includes Gentiles, Paul uses the example of Jacob and Esau. He argues that God's election is sovereign and not dependent on human lineage or works. Jacob was chosen over Esau, not because of anything he did, but because of God's purpose. This serves as a foundational point for understanding God's liberty to choose whom He will for His purposes, including salvation.
Romans 9 13 Word analysis
- "Esau": (Gk: Ἠσαῦ - Ēsau) The name of Jacob's twin brother.
- "I loved": (Gk: ἠγάπησα - ēgapaō) Aorist indicative active of ἀγαπάω (agapao), meaning "to love," "to cherish," "to hold dear." It signifies a deep, affectionate love. In this context, it indicates God's active preference and choice of Jacob.
- "but": (Gk: δὲ - de) A conjunction introducing a contrast.
- "Esau": (Gk: Ἠσαῦ - Ēsau) Repeated for emphasis on the contrast.
- "I hated": (Gk: ἐμίσησα - emisa) Aorist indicative active of μισέω (miseo), meaning "to hate," "to detest," "to dislike strongly." In biblical usage, especially in the Old Testament, "hate" can refer to loving something less, or preferring one over another. It signifies God's rejection of Esau's line in favor of Jacob's. This isn't an emotional hatred but a divine declaration of disfavor in relation to God's specific salvific plan.
- Word-group Analysis:
- "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated": This phrase, drawn directly from Malachi 1:2-3, is a crucial expression of God's sovereign choice. The "love" and "hate" here are not presented in terms of personal affection or malice, but as a declaration of God's election. God chose Jacob to be the ancestor of His chosen people, the Israelites, through whom the Messiah would come, while Esau and his descendants (the Edomites) were set aside in terms of this specific covenantal lineage and redemptive history.
Romans 9 13 Bonus section
The choice of Jacob over Esau was prefigured even before their birth in Genesis 25:23, where God declared "the elder will serve the younger." This divine decree established God's sovereign plan before any actions were performed by either twin, highlighting that His election is unilateral and precedes human achievement. This principle of election is foundational to understanding God's covenant people and the extension of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles in Christ, demonstrating God's grace.
Romans 9 13 Commentary
This verse underscores the profound doctrine of God's sovereign election. The contrast between Jacob and Esau, presented as an example from the Old Testament (Malachi 1:2-3), illustrates that God's choices are not based on human merit, actions, or deservingness, but on His own sovereign purpose and good pleasure. The "hatred" for Esau is best understood as a relative preference; God loved Jacob more in the context of His redemptive plan. This passage asserts God's absolute freedom in choosing who will be instruments of His will and recipients of His covenant blessings, thereby safeguarding His purpose from being contingent on human works or status.