ROM 9:6-29

Godʼs Sovereign Choice

6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are from Israel are Israel, [9:7] nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants — but 'In Isaac shall your descendants be called.' [9:8] That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are God's children, but the children of the promise who are counted as descendants. [9:9] For this is the word of promise: 'About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.' [9:10] And not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived children from one man — our father Isaac — [9:11] though the children had not yet been born and had done nothing either good or bad, so that God's purpose according to election might stand, [9:12] not from works but from him who calls — it was said to her: 'The older will serve the younger.' [9:13] As it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' [9:14] What then shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! [9:15] For he says to Moses: 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' [9:16] So then it is not of the one who wills nor of the one who runs, but of God who shows mercy. [9:17] For the scripture says to Pharaoh: 'For this very purpose I raised you up — that I might display my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed throughout all the earth.' [9:18] So then he has mercy on whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills. [9:19] You will say to me then, 'Why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his will?' [9:20] But who are you — O man — to talk back to God? Will the thing formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me this way?' [9:21] Or does the potter not have authority over the clay — out of the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? [9:22] What if God, wishing to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with great long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction — [9:23] and this in order to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory — [9:24] even us whom he called, not from Jews only but also from Gentiles? [9:25] As he says also in Hosea: 'I will call those who were not my people, my people; and the one who was not beloved, beloved.' [9:26] 'And it will be in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people — there they will be called sons of the living God.' [9:27] And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved. [9:28] For the Lord will carry out his word upon the earth, completely and decisively.' [9:29] And as Isaiah predicted: 'Unless the Lord of hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, and been made like Gomorrah.'

In the world it was spoken into

In the 1st-century Jewish and Greco-Roman world, lineage and divine favor were deeply intertwined. Jewish identity was rooted in being descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with the covenant promises tied to this lineage. However, Paul challenges this assumption by invoking the concept of (election), a term familiar in both Jewish and Hellenistic contexts. In Jewish thought, election often referred to Israel’s chosen status, while in Greco-Roman philosophy, it could denote a divine selection for a specific role. Paul argues that God’s (purpose) is not bound by physical descent but operates through His sovereign choice, as seen in the stories of Isaac and Jacob. The metaphor of the potter shaping clay underscores humanity’s creaturely dependence on God’s will. This would have been jarring to Jewish listeners accustomed to privileging ethnic identity, while Gentile listeners might have resonated with the idea of divine prerogative overriding human expectations. Paul’s emphasis on God’s (long-suffering) further highlights His patience in executing His purposes.

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How other translations render this

ROM 9:6

KJV: Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
BSB: It is not as though Godʼs word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
Koinōnos: But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are from Israel are Israel,

ROM 9:7

KJV: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
BSB: Nor because they are Abrahamʼs descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
Koinōnos: nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants — but 'In Isaac shall your descendants be called.

ROM 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.
BSB: So it is not the children of the flesh who are Godʼs children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
Koinōnos: That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are God's children, but the children of the promise who are counted as descendants.

ROM 9:9

KJV: For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
BSB: For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
Koinōnos: For this is the word of promise: 'About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.

ROM 9:10

KJV: And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
BSB: Not only that, but Rebeccaʼs children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.
Koinōnos: And not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived children from one man — our father Isaac —

ROM 9:11

KJV: (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
BSB: Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that Godʼs plan of election might stand,
Koinōnos: though the children had not yet been born and had done nothing either good or bad, so that God's purpose according to election might stand,

ROM 9:12

KJV: It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
BSB: not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
Koinōnos: not from works but from him who calls — it was said to her: 'The older will serve the younger.

ROM 9:13

KJV: As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
BSB: So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Koinōnos: As it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

ROM 9:14

KJV: What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
BSB: What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!
Koinōnos: What then shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!

ROM 9:15

KJV: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
BSB: For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
Koinōnos: For he says to Moses: 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

ROM 9:16

KJV: So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
BSB: So then, it does not depend on manʼs desire or effort, but on Godʼs mercy.
Koinōnos: So then it is not of the one who wills nor of the one who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

ROM 9:17

KJV: For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
BSB: For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Koinōnos: For the scripture says to Pharaoh: 'For this very purpose I raised you up — that I might display my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed throughout all the earth.

ROM 9:18

KJV: Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
BSB: Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
Koinōnos: So then he has mercy on whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills.

ROM 9:19

KJV: Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
BSB: One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
Koinōnos: You will say to me then, 'Why does he still find fault? For who has resisted his will?

ROM 9:20

KJV: Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
BSB: But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
Koinōnos: But who are you — O man — to talk back to God? Will the thing formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me this way?

ROM 9:21

KJV: Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
BSB: Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?
Koinōnos: Or does the potter not have authority over the clay — out of the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

ROM 9:22

KJV: What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
BSB: What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?
Koinōnos: What if God, wishing to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with great long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction —

ROM 9:23

KJV: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
BSB: What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—
Koinōnos: and this in order to make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory —

ROM 9:24

KJV: Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
BSB: including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?
Koinōnos: even us whom he called, not from Jews only but also from Gentiles?

ROM 9:25

KJV: As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
BSB: As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”
Koinōnos: As he says also in Hosea: 'I will call those who were not my people, my people; and the one who was not beloved, beloved.

ROM 9:26

KJV: And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
BSB: and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
Koinōnos: And it will be in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people — there they will be called sons of the living God.

ROM 9:27

KJV: Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
BSB: Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
Koinōnos: And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.

ROM 9:28

KJV: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
BSB: For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth thoroughly and decisively.”
Koinōnos: For the Lord will carry out his word upon the earth, completely and decisively.

ROM 9:29

KJV: And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
BSB: It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
Koinōnos: And as Isaiah predicted: 'Unless the Lord of hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, and been made like Gomorrah.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

ROM 9:11

election:The word translated 'election' here refers to a deliberate choice or selection, often with the nuance of picking out the best or most suitable from a group, similar to selecting officials or levying troops.
purpose:The term translated 'purpose' carries the sense of something publicly set forth or displayed, like a public notice or the laying out of a corpse for viewing, indicating a clear, declared intention.

ROM 9:20

thing formed:The phrase 'thing formed' comes from a word that describes anything molded or shaped, like a clay figure or a wax-work, emphasizing its created nature and the power of the one who formed it.

ROM 9:22

patience:The word translated 'patience' here specifically means 'long-suffering' or 'forbearance,' describing a sustained endurance and slowness to anger, rather than merely waiting calmly.