Romans 9:9 kjv
For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
Romans 9:9 nkjv
For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."
Romans 9:9 niv
For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
Romans 9:9 esv
For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son."
Romans 9:9 nlt
For God had promised, "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
Romans 9 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 18:10 | "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." | The original promise quoted by Paul. |
| Gen 18:14 | "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" | God's power to fulfill impossible promises. |
| Gen 21:1-2 | "The LORD visited Sarah as he had said... Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son." | Fulfillment of the promise at God's appointed time. |
| Gen 17:19 | "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac." | Covenant confirmed through Isaac. |
| Rom 9:8 | "It is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring." | Defines "children of promise" from context. |
| Gal 4:23 | "But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise." | Distinguishes Isaac (promise) from Ishmael (flesh). |
| Gal 4:28 | "Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise." | Believers as spiritual descendants through promise. |
| Heb 11:11 | "By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised." | Sarah's faith in the Promiser despite circumstances. |
| Rom 4:19 | "He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead..." | Abraham's faith in God's ability to create life. |
| Rom 4:20-21 | "...no distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God... fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." | Assurance in God's faithfulness and power. |
| Rom 5:6 | "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." | God's perfect timing in fulfilling His greatest promise. |
| Lk 1:37 | "For nothing will be impossible with God." | Reiterates God's omnipotence to fulfill promises. |
| Jn 1:13 | "who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." | Spiritual birth is not by human means, but divine. |
| Isa 55:11 | "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty..." | God's word is powerful and accomplishes its purpose. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind." | God's unchanging truthfulness regarding promises. |
| Eph 1:4-5 | "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy..." | God's election and purpose predates creation. |
| 2 Tim 1:9 | "who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace..." | Salvation and calling by God's purpose, not human works. |
| Acts 7:8 | "And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day..." | Covenant lineage established through Isaac. |
| Gal 3:16 | "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, 'And to offsprings,' referring to many, but referring to one, 'And to your offspring,' who is Christ." | The ultimate Seed of the promise is Christ. |
| Acts 13:23 | "From among this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised." | God fulfills promises, ultimately in Christ. |
| Titus 1:2 | "in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began..." | God's unwavering faithfulness across all time. |
| Rom 1:2 | "which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures..." | Emphasizes God's historical pattern of making and keeping promises. |
Romans 9 verses
Romans 9 9 Meaning
This verse quotes Genesis 18:10, emphasizing that God's promise of a son, Isaac, to Sarah was specific, time-bound, and entirely of divine origin. It serves as a pivotal illustration in Paul's argument that the true "children of promise," who inherit God's blessings, are determined by God's sovereign choice and unfailing word, not by mere physical descent or human will.
Romans 9 9 Context
Romans chapter 9 begins Paul's defense of God's faithfulness to Israel despite their widespread rejection of the Messiah. He grieves over his people's unbelief (Rom 9:1-5) and then addresses the crucial question: has God's word failed? His answer is an emphatic "no," asserting that "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" (Rom 9:6). Romans 9:7-8 establishes that "children of the flesh" are not God's children, but only the "children of the promise" are counted as offspring. Verse 9 then serves as the scriptural foundation for this distinction, quoting the specific promise given for Isaac's birth. This illustrates that God's selection of a specific lineage within Abraham's family was always by divine choice and promise, rather than a universal right based on physical lineage alone. Historically and culturally, Paul confronts the Jewish belief that their natural descent from Abraham guaranteed their status as God's chosen people.
Romans 9 9 Word analysis
- For this is: (Greek: Hoútos gà r) – Establishes the quoted verse as the authoritative foundation or reason for the preceding statement in Romans 9:8. "For" (gar) introduces explanatory support.
- the word: (Greek: ho lógos) – Not just a casual utterance, but a weighty, authoritative divine declaration. Logos here signifies a profound pronouncement, a binding message from God. It conveys certainty and power.
- of promise: (Greek: tÄ“s epangelÃas) – Specifies the nature of this logos. Epangelia carries the strong connotation of a divine pledge or guarantee, implying God's unwavering commitment and trustworthiness to perform what He has stated.
- 'At this time I will come: (Greek: Kata ton kairòn toūton eleúsomai) –
- At this time: (Kata ton kairòn toūton) – Crucially emphasizes a precise, divinely appointed moment, an opportune season (kairos), rather than mere chronological passage (chronos). It underscores God's perfect timing and sovereign control over events, independent of human will or natural limitations.
- I will come: (eleúsomai) – Highlights God's active, personal, and direct involvement in fulfilling the promise. It signifies His physical or decisive intervention, emphasizing His initiative and agency in bringing about the miracle.
- and Sarah will have a son.': (Greek: kai éstai tē Sárrai huiós) – The specific, miraculous outcome guaranteed by God. The phrasing éstai ("it will be") indicates a certain, future reality assured by divine decree. The direct mention of Sarah underscores the miraculous nature given her barrenness and advanced age, showing that the son was purely God's gift and fulfillment of His promise, not a natural outcome of Abraham's lineage or Sarah's ability.
Words-group analysis
- "For this is the word of promise": This phrase introduces the Old Testament citation as definitive evidence. It elevates the text as God's sure and authoritative pronouncement, emphasizing that God's word, especially when it is a promise, carries undeniable power and certainty of fulfillment. It serves as the bedrock for Paul's argument about divine election.
- "'At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.'": This entire quoted promise from Genesis directly supports Paul's point about God's sovereign choice. It highlights:
- Divine Initiative: "I will come" shows God acting first and decisively.
- Precise Timing: "At this time" demonstrates God's controlled and exact execution of His plan.
- Miraculous Outcome: The birth of a son to aged Sarah reveals that the outcome is dependent on God's power, not human capability or natural law. This composite phrase illustrates how the "child of promise" is a result of God's direct, supernatural intervention at His chosen moment, clearly distinct from natural descent.
Romans 9 9 Bonus section
- The original context of the Gen 18:10 quote in Abraham's narrative also includes Sarah's laughter of disbelief (Gen 18:12), which further emphasizes the human impossibility and divine omnipotence that God overcomes to fulfill His word. This highlights that God's promise transcends human doubt and natural barriers.
- Paul uses this verse as a critical stepping stone to elaborate on God's broader principle of election, laying the groundwork for the Jacob and Esau example that immediately follows in Rom 9:10-13, which further reinforces that election is based on God's choosing rather than human works or merit.
- The emphasis on "promise" here stands in contrast to "law" in Paul's broader theology (e.g., in Galatians), illustrating that salvation and belonging to God's family has always been a matter of divine grace and promise, not adherence to works.
Romans 9 9 Commentary
Romans 9:9 functions as irrefutable biblical proof for Paul's central argument that God's promises are secure, but their recipients are determined by God's sovereign election, not solely by physical lineage from Abraham. By quoting the specific promise concerning Isaac, Paul establishes that even within Abraham's household, a distinction was made by God's own choice. Isaac, not Ishmael, was the designated "child of promise" due to a divine pronouncement marked by specific timing and a miraculous nature. This highlights God's unassailable freedom and purpose in choosing. The phrase "At this time I will come" powerfully communicates that God is the primary agent, orchestrating events according to His perfect will and timetable, overriding natural impossibilities. The birth of Isaac was a testament to God's miraculous power and faithfulness to His own declared word, solidifying the idea that the true heirs of the promise are those born by God's power and choice, reflecting His call rather than human effort or inheritance.