Paul’s second Old Testament quote was lifted from a statement made by God more than one thousand years after Jacob and Esau had lived and died. Taken from Malachi 1:2–3, it appears in Romans 9:13: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” This amazing statement from the last book of the Old Testament has troubled many unnecessarily. God was not referring to loving Jacob personally while hating Esau personally. God was saying that at the beginning of Israel’s history He chose Jacob over Esau before
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