⁴They are Israelites, ^qand to them belong the adoption, ^rthe glory, ^sthe covenants, ^tthe giving of the law, ^uthe temple service, ^vand the promises. ^w⁵The ancestors are theirs, ^xand from them, by physical descent, ^ycame the Messiah, ^zwho is God ^aover all, ^bpraised forever. ^c^dAmen.

God’s Gracious Election of Israel

⁶But it is not as though the word of God has failed. ^eFor not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. ^f⁷Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants. ^g^hOn the contrary, your offspring will be traced ⁱthrough Isaac. ^j^k⁸That is, it is not the children by physical descent ^lwho are God’s children, ^mbut the children of the promise ⁿare considered to be the offspring.

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Footnotes

y9:5 them, according to the flesh
c9:5 Or the Messiah, the One who is over all, the God who is blessed forever, or Messiah. God, who is over all, be blessed forever
g9:7 seed
i9:7 called
l9:8 children of the flesh

Cross references

q9:4 Rm 8:6
r9:4 Ex 4:22; Rm 8:15
s9:4 Ex 40:34; 1Kg 8:11; Ezk 1:28; Heb 9:5
t9:4 Gn 17:2; Dt 29:14; Lk 1:72; Ac 3:25; Eph 2:12
u9:4 Dt 4:13–14; Ps 147:19
v9:4 Dt 7:6; 14:1; Heb 9:1, 6
w9:4 Ac 2:39; 13:32; Eph 2:12
x9:5 Ac 3:13; Rm 11:28
z9:5 Mt 1:1–16; Rm 1:3
a9:5 Jn 1:1; Col 2:9
b9:5 Col 1:16–19
d9:5 Rm 1:25
e9:6 Nm 23:19
f9:6 Jn 1:47; Rm 2:28–29; Gl 6:16
h9:7 Jn 8:33, 39; Gl 4:23
j9:7 Gn 21:12; Heb 11:18
k9:7 Gn 21:12
m9:8 Rm 8:14
n9:8 Rm 4:13, 16; Gl 3:29; 4:28; Heb 11:11

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 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.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.

Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.

NLTNew Living Translation

They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. 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.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the temple service, and the promises, to whom belong the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ according to human descent, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.

But it is not as if the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are they all children because they are descendants of Abraham, but “In Isaac will your descendants be named.” That is, it is not the children by human descent who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.

KJV 1900King James Version

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 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.

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