Romans 9:8 kjv
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.
Romans 9:8 nkjv
That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
Romans 9:8 niv
In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.
Romans 9:8 esv
This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
Romans 9:8 nlt
This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children.
Romans 9 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 9:7 | Neither because they are the offspring of Abraham, all are children, but, "In Isaac your offspring shall be called." | Directly contrasts those "children of the flesh" with "children of God." |
| Genesis 17:19 | But God said, "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, and with his offspring after him." | God explicitly names Isaac as the recipient of the covenant. |
| Genesis 18:10 | He said, "I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." | God confirms Sarah will bear the promised child. |
| Genesis 21:12 | But God said to Abraham, "Let it not be grievous to you because of the boy and because of your slave girl. Whatever Sarah says to you, do, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named." | Reinforces the continuation of the lineage through Isaac. |
| Galatians 4:23 | But the one born of the slave was born according to the flesh, but the one of the free woman was through promise. | Uses Abraham's sons to illustrate the difference between law and grace. |
| Galatians 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Connects spiritual sonship to Abraham's lineage through Christ. |
| John 1:12 | But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, | Links true sonship to reception and belief in Christ. |
| Romans 4:13 | For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. | Emphasizes faith as the basis for inheriting God's promises. |
| Genesis 25:5 | Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. | Shows Abraham's designation of Isaac as heir. |
| Genesis 25:1-6 | Describes Ishmael's birth and Abraham's later children by Keturah, all distinct from Isaac's line. | Demonstrates God's setting apart of Isaac. |
| Romans 9:10-13 | Paul's example of Jacob and Esau further illustrates God's sovereign choice in election. | Continues the theme of God's unconditional election. |
| Acts 3:25 | You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed." | Connects the Abrahamic covenant to the inheritance of blessing. |
| Matthew 1:1 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Shows Jesus' lineage tracing back to Abraham through Isaac. |
| Romans 11:1 | I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. | Discusses God's faithfulness to Israel within the context of election. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:11 | Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whose end of the age has come. | Points to Old Testament narratives as examples for Christians. |
| Hebrews 11:18 | "For it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.'" | Reiterates the unique promise through Isaac. |
| Galatians 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "and to offsprings," as referring to many, but, as referring to one, "and to your offspring," which is Christ. | Highlights Christ as the singular, true offspring. |
| John 8:39 | They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham." | Contrasts biological descent with spiritual obedience. |
| Romans 2:28-29 | For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward, in the flesh. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. | Shifts the focus from outward ethnic identity to inward spiritual reality. |
| Genesis 21:13 | And also the son of the slave I will make a nation, because he is your offspring. | Mentions Ishmael's future as a nation, distinct from the covenant promise. |
Romans 9 verses
Romans 9 8 Meaning
This verse explains that not all Abraham's descendants through Ishmael and Isaac were equally children of God's promise. God's covenantal line was determined not by physical descent alone, but by God's sovereign choice, highlighting the concept of election. The promise of God concerning Abraham's seed passed through Isaac, not Ishmael, in terms of inheriting the specific lineage of blessing and covenant.
Romans 9 8 Context
Romans 9 is addressing the apparent failure of Israel to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Paul is defending God's faithfulness and sovereignty in His dealings with Israel and the Gentiles. He anticipates objections like "How can God's promise to Israel be valid if most of them rejected Christ?" He begins by emphasizing that not all Israelites are true Israelites in God's sight. This verse serves as a foundational point for this argument, using the specific example of Abraham's sons, Ishmael and Isaac, to illustrate that lineage alone does not guarantee inclusion in God's redemptive plan. The chapter proceeds to discuss God's sovereign choice, using Jacob and Esau, to further solidify the idea that God's election is not based on human merit or actions but on His own purposes.
Romans 9 8 Word Analysis
- οὐκ (ouk): Not.
- A strong negation, emphasizing the absence of something.
- ἐὰν (ean): If.
- A conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical or subordinate clause.
- εἶναι (einai): To be.
- The infinitive form of "to be," functioning as the complement of "are."
- τὰ (ta): The.
- The definite article, functioning here with the preceding words to denote specific entities.
- τέκνα (tekna): Children.
- From teknon, meaning "offspring" or "child." It denotes legitimate, recognized offspring, often implying a relational or legal status. Here it refers to being true children of the promise, not just physical descendants.
- τοῦ (tou): Of the.
- The genitive article, indicating possession or belonging.
- θεοῦ (theou): God.
- Genitive case of Theos, "God."
- ἀλλ’ (all'): But.
- A conjunction that introduces a contrast or exception.
- ἐν (en): In.
- A preposition indicating location, sphere, or means.
- Ἰσαὰκ (Isaak): Isaac.
- The Greek form of the Hebrew name Isaac, Abraham's son through Sarah.
- κληθήσεται (klēthēsetai): Shall be called.
- Future passive indicative, 3rd person singular, from kaleō, meaning "to call" or "to name." It implies being identified or recognized as such.
Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:
- "Not all are the children of God": This phrase sets up a distinction between physical lineage and spiritual identity. Not everyone born into Abraham's physical family inherited the special covenantal relationship with God.
- "but, in Isaac your offspring shall be called": This clause provides the specific example. God declared that Abraham's posterity, referred to as "offspring" in the covenant promise, would be traced through Isaac. This designates Isaac as the unique channel of the promised seed, setting him apart from Ishmael and other children Abraham may have had. The phrase "shall be called" signifies a definitive designation or recognition.
Romans 9 8 Bonus Section
The concept of "calling" or "being called" a child of God is crucial. It's not just about being biologically related, but about a divinely recognized relationship. This is echoed in the New Testament where believers are called children of God through faith in Jesus Christ (1 John 3:1). The exclusion of Ishmael from the direct covenant line of promise doesn't mean God ignored him or his descendants; Genesis 21:18 states, "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly." However, the specific redemptive covenant was rooted in Isaac. This principle extends to spiritual Israel, where those united with Christ, regardless of ethnic background, are considered the true offspring of Abraham.
Romans 9 8 Commentary
Paul uses the contrasting accounts of Ishmael and Isaac, both sons of Abraham, to illustrate a fundamental principle of God's covenant: inclusion is not automatic through physical descent but is based on God's sovereign choice. God declared that "in Isaac your offspring shall be called," meaning the specific lineage of the promise, the covenant line through which salvation would ultimately come, would be through Isaac, not Ishmael. This is not to diminish Ishmael or the nations he fathered, but to clarify God's specific plan for the covenant people, which, as later shown, culminates in Jesus Christ. The choice was God's, preceding any action by Abraham or his sons. This principle of election is a recurring theme in Scripture, emphasizing that God's purposes are determined by His own will and grace.