Paul's Sorrow and God's Sovereign Election
Romans 9:1-29
Rom.9.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Αληθειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- λεγω: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,sg
- εν: PREP
- Χριστω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- ου: PART,neg
- ψευδομαι: VERB,pres,mid,ind,1,sg
- συμμαρτυρουσης: PART,pres,act,gen,sg,f
- μοι: PRON,dat,sg,1
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- συνειδησεως: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- εν: PREP
- πνευματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- αγιω: ADJ,dat,sg,n
Parallels
- Galatians 1:20 (verbal): Paul's exact oath-formula appears: 'I do not lie' (or 'I lie not')—an explicit claim of truthfulness before God similar to 'I am telling the truth in Christ, I do not lie.'
- 2 Corinthians 11:31 (verbal): Another Pauline assertion of honesty: 'The God and Father of the Lord Jesus... knows that I am not lying.' Mirrors Rom 9:1's denial of falsehood and appeal to divine witness.
- 2 Corinthians 1:23 (verbal): Paul again invokes God as witness ('God knows that I do not lie'), using the same oath-like structure to certify the truth of his claim, paralleling Rom 9:1's assurance.
- Romans 2:15 (thematic): Uses the language of 'conscience bearing witness'—the same idea in Rom 9:1 where Paul says his conscience also testifies, linking divine/ethical witness and internal testimony.
Alternative generated candidates
- I speak the truth in Christ—I do not lie; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—
- I speak the truth in Christ—I do not lie; my conscience bearing witness with me by the Holy Spirit—
Rom.9.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- οτι: CONJ
- λυπη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- μοι: PRON,dat,sg,1
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- μεγαλη: ADJ,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- αδιαλειπτος: ADJ,nom,sg,f
- οδυνη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- καρδια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- μου·: PRON,gen,sg,1
Parallels
- Rom.9.3 (structural): Immediate continuation: Paul explains the depth of his sorrow by declaring he would be willing to be accursed for his brothers—shows the same intense inward anguish described in 9:2.
- Rom.10.1 (thematic): Same pastoral concern for Israel: Paul's 'heart's desire and prayer' for their salvation corresponds to the sorrow and inner pain he expresses in 9:2.
- 2 Cor.2.4 (verbal): Paul speaks of writing 'out of much affliction and anguish of heart'—uses similar language of heart-anguish and persistent sorrow over others.
- Jer.4.19 (verbal): Prophetic lament: 'My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart'—an Old Testament expression of inward pangs that parallels Paul's imagery of continual pain in the heart.
Alternative generated candidates
- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
Rom.9.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ηυχομην: VERB,impf,mid,ind,1,sg
- γαρ: PART
- αναθεμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ειναι: VERB,pres,act,inf
- αυτος: PRON,nom,sg,3,m
- εγω: PRON,nom,sg,1
- απο: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- Χριστου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- υπερ: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- αδελφων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- συγγενων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- κατα: PREP
- σαρκα: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Rom.10.1 (thematic): Paul explicitly states the same pastoral motive here—his 'heart's desire and prayer to God' that Israel might be saved, which underlies the extreme wish expressed in Rom 9:3.
- Exod.32.32 (structural): Moses offers himself in the place of sinful Israel—'blot me out of Your book'—a precedent for an intercessor expressing willingness to be removed or punished for the people's sake, parallel to Paul's 'accursed... cut off' language.
- Gal.1.8-9 (verbal): Uses the same term anathema/'accursed' (ἀνάθεμα) for one who perverts the gospel; parallels Rom 9:3 in Paul's use of 'anathema' language and its forceful tone.
- Gal.3.10-13 (thematic): Discusses being 'under a curse' (from the law) and Christ's bearing of that curse (Gal 3:13); connects to the idea of being 'cut off' or cursed and the soteriological framework informing Paul's language in Rom 9:3.
- 2 Cor.12.15 (thematic): Paul expresses willingness to 'be spent' for the spiritual good of others—an expression of self-sacrificial pastoral concern that echoes the extreme wish of Rom 9:3 to undergo loss for his kinsmen.
Alternative generated candidates
- For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers—my kinsmen according to the flesh.
- For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Rom.9.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- οιτινες: PRO,rel,nom,pl,m
- εισιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- Ισραηλιται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- ων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- υιοθεσια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- δοξα: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- αι: ART,nom,pl,f
- διαθηκαι: NOUN,nom,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- νομοθεσια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- λατρεια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- αι: ART,nom,pl,f
- επαγγελιαι: NOUN,nom,pl,f
Parallels
- Romans 3:1-2 (thematic): Paul elsewhere asks what advantage the Jew has and answers that to them were committed the oracles (the law/promises), echoing Rom 9:4's catalogue of Israel's special privileges (law, promises).
- Romans 11:28-29 (thematic): Affirms that God's gifts and calling to Israel are irrevocable—echoing Rom 9:4's enumeration of Israel's divine gifts (adoption, covenants, promises).
- Galatians 3:16-19 (thematic): Contrasts the promises given to Abraham and his seed with the law given later, relating to Rom 9:4's listing of covenants, law, and promises belonging to Israel.
- Exodus 19:5-6 (allusion): God's declaration of Israel as a treasured/holy people and a kingdom of priests parallels Rom 9:4's emphasis on Israel's unique status, worship and covenantal relationship.
- Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (allusion): Describes Israel as chosen and loved and the recipient of statutes and covenantal blessings—background for Paul’s inventory of Israel’s privileges in Rom 9:4.
Alternative generated candidates
- They are Israelites; to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
- They are Israelites; to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
Rom.9.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- πατερες: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- εξ: PREP
- ων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- χριστος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- κατα: PREP
- σαρκα: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- επι: PREP
- παντων: ADJ,gen,pl,m
- θεος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ευλογητος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- εις: PREP
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- αιωνας·αμην: NOUN,acc,pl,m+INTJ
Parallels
- John 1:1 (verbal): Affirms the Word's deity ('the Word was God'), paralleling Paul’s explicit designation of Christ as 'God… blessed forever.'
- John 1:14 (verbal): 'The Word became flesh' echoes Paul’s phrase 'Christ according to the flesh,' linking incarnation language to Jesus’ divine identity.
- Philippians 2:6 (thematic): Speaks of Christ's preexistent divine status ('who, though he was in the form of God'), resonating with Romans' claim that Christ 'is over all' and is God.
- Colossians 2:9 (thematic): 'For in him dwells all the fullness of the deity bodily' parallels Romans' attribution of full divine status to Christ even as he is described 'according to the flesh.'
- Rom.1:3-4 (structural): Within the same letter Paul describes Jesus 'according to the flesh' (human descent) and also vindicated as Son of God—directly related to the lineage and divine affirmation in Rom 9:5.
Alternative generated candidates
- to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
- to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is over all—God blessed forever. Amen.
Rom.9.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ουχ: PART
- οιον: PART
- δε: CONJ
- οτι: CONJ
- εκπεπτωκεν: VERB,perf,act,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- λογος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ου: PART,neg
- γαρ: PART
- παντες: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- εξ: PREP
- Ισραηλ: NOUN,voc,sg,m
- ουτοι: PRO,nom,pl,m
- Ισραηλ·: NOUN,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Romans 9:7-8 (structural): Immediate continuation of Paul’s argument: physical descent from Abraham/Israel does not guarantee inclusion—‘not all the children of Abraham are children of the promise’; distinguishes fleshly and promise-lineage.
- Romans 2:28-29 (thematic): Same theological move that true ‘Jew’/Israel is inward (a matter of heart and Spirit) rather than merely ethnic or external descent, echoing ‘not all Israel are Israel.’
- Galatians 3:7, 29 (thematic): Paul elsewhere defines the true children of Abraham (the true Israel) as those of faith and those in Christ, reinforcing that ethnicity alone does not constitute God’s people.
- Isaiah 10:22-23 (quotation): Isaiah’s remnant theme—‘though your people be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved’—is cited by Paul (Rom. 9:27) to show God’s purposes and the non-uniform fate of ethnic Israel, supporting Rom. 9:6.
- Hosea 1:9-10 (cf. Hosea 2:23) (allusion): Hosea’s reversal language (‘not my people... yet afterward I will call them my people’) underlies Paul’s use of prophetic texts in Romans 9–11 to argue that corporate identity is determined by God’s covenantal choice, not mere descent.
Alternative generated candidates
- It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
- It is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel;
Rom.9.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ουδ᾽οτι: CONJ
- εισιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- σπερμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- Αβρααμ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- παντες: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- τεκνα: NOUN,acc,pl,neut
- αλλ᾽·Εν: CONJ
- Ισαακ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- κληθησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
- σοι: PRON,dat,sg,2
- σπερμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
Parallels
- Genesis 21:12 (quotation): Paul directly cites God's words to Abraham about Isaac — 'In Isaac shall your offspring be called' — which is the source text he quotes in Rom 9:7.
- Galatians 3:16 (verbal): Paul's argument that the promise was to 'one seed' (singular) — interpreted as Christ — builds on the same Abraham‑Isaac promise language and reinterprets 'seed' typologically.
- Romans 9:8 (thematic): Closely connected within the same argument: Paul distinguishes physical descent from the children of promise, reiterating that the true 'seed' is defined by promise (not mere biology).
- Hebrews 11:18 (allusion): Hebrews recalls God's promise concerning Isaac ('through Isaac shall your offspring be named') in its recounting of Abraham's faith, echoing the same scriptural grounding Paul cites in Romans.
Alternative generated candidates
- and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring; but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
- nor are they all children because they are Abraham's offspring; but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."
Rom.9.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- τουτ᾽εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ου: PART,neg
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- τεκνα: NOUN,acc,pl,neut
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- σαρκος: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ταυτα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- τεκνα: NOUN,acc,pl,neut
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- αλλα: CONJ
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- τεκνα: NOUN,acc,pl,neut
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- επαγγελιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- λογιζεται: VERB,pres,mid/pass,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- σπερμα·: NOUN,acc,sg,n
Parallels
- Galatians 4:22-31 (thematic): Paul contrasts the offspring of the slave woman (flesh) and the free woman (promise); Gal.4:28 explicitly calls believers 'children of promise,' echoing Rom.9:8's distinction between fleshly children and children of the promise.
- Galatians 3:29 (verbal): 'If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise' parallels Rom.9:8's idea that membership in God's family is defined by the promise (seed/heirs), not by natural descent.
- John 1:12-13 (thematic): Emphasizes becoming 'children of God' by reception of Christ and a new birth 'not of blood nor of the will of the flesh,' echoing Rom.9:8's contrast between physical descent and being children by God's promise.
- Romans 2:28-29 (thematic): Paul's statement that true 'Jew' is one inwardly, not merely by outward descent, parallels Rom.9:8's argument that true membership in God's family is defined spiritually (promise/faith) rather than by fleshly lineage.
Alternative generated candidates
- This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
- 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.
Rom.9.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- επαγγελιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- γαρ: PART
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- λογος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ουτος·Κατα: PRON,nom,sg,m
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- καιρον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- τουτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- ελευσομαι: VERB,fut,mid,ind,1,sg
- και: CONJ
- εσται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- Σαρρα: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- υιος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Genesis 18:10 (quotation): Direct source of Paul's citation — God’s promise: “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Paul quotes this promise verbatim/contextually.)
- Genesis 17:15-19 (allusion): Earlier covenant promise to Sarah that she would bear a son (Isaac); Paul’s reference echoes the covenantal promise given to Abraham concerning Sarah’s offspring.
- Genesis 21:1-2 (structural): Narrates the fulfillment of the promise when Sarah conceives and gives birth to Isaac — shows the promise‑word became reality, which Paul appeals to in Romans.
- Galatians 4:22-31 (thematic): Paulic development of the same promise motif: contrasts the child of promise (Isaac/Sarah) with the child of the flesh (Ishmael/Hagar) to illustrate covenant inheritance by promise.
- Romans 4:18-21 (verbal): Paul’s discussion of Abraham’s faith in the promise despite barrenness and death; parallels the theme of trusting God’s ‘word of promise’ that produces offspring against human expectation.
Alternative generated candidates
- For this is what the promise said: “About this time I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”
- For this is what the promise said: "About this time I will return, and Sarah shall have a son."
Rom.9.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ου: PART,neg
- μονον: ADV
- δε: CONJ
- αλλα: CONJ
- και: CONJ
- Ρεβεκκα: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- εξ: PREP
- ενος: NUM,gen,sg,m
- κοιτην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- εχουσα: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,f,sg
- Ισαακ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- πατρος: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ημων·: PRON,gen,pl,NA
Parallels
- Genesis 25:21-23 (verbal): Rebekah conceives; God tells her two nations are in her womb — the immediate OT narrative background for Paul’s reference to Rebekah and the birth of Jacob and Esau.
- Genesis 24:62-67 (thematic): Account of Isaac meeting and marrying Rebekah — establishes Rebekah as Isaac’s wife and the household context Paul invokes ('Rebekah, from one man, Isaac our father').
- Malachi 1:2-3 (quotation): ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau’ — the prophetic wording Paul later cites (Rom 9:13) to illustrate divine election applied to Rebekah’s children.
- Galatians 4:22-31 (allusion): Paul’s allegory of Abraham’s two sons (Hagar/Isaac) uses the same tradition of children of promise vs. flesh, echoing the theological point drawn from Rebekah’s offspring.
- Hebrews 11:20 (thematic): Notes Isaac’s faith in blessing Jacob and Esau — connects to the significance of Rebekah’s sons for the unfolding of God’s purposes and election.
Alternative generated candidates
- And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our father Isaac—
- And not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one man, our father Isaac,
Rom.9.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- μηπω: ADV
- γαρ: PART
- γεννηθεντων: PART,aor,pass,gen,pl,m
- μηδε: CONJ
- πραξαντων: PART,aor,act,gen,pl,m
- τι: PRON,int,nom,sg,n
- αγαθον: ADJ,acc,sg,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- φαυλον: ADJ,acc,sg,n
- ινα: CONJ
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- κατ᾽εκλογην: PREP
- προθεσις: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- μενη: VERB,pres,act,subj,3,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 25:23 (quotation): Paul builds on the OT case of twins (Jacob and Esau — “the older shall serve the younger”) to illustrate election exercised before birth, a point anticipated in Rom 9:11.
- Malachi 1:2-3 (quotation): Quoted explicitly in Rom 9:13 (“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated”); supports the claim that God’s choice operates prior to any human deeds.
- Jeremiah 1:5 (allusion): “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” expresses the motif of divine knowledge/calling prior to birth, paralleling Rom 9:11’s emphasis on election antecedent to works.
- Ephesians 1:4-5 (thematic): Speaks of being chosen/predestined before the foundation of the world; parallels Paul’s theme in Rom 9:11 that God’s elective purpose precedes human action.
- Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (thematic): Affirms God’s choice of Israel was not due to their works or size but God’s love and promise, echoing Rom 9:11’s stress that election is not grounded in human merit.
Alternative generated candidates
- though the children were not yet born and had done nothing either good or evil, in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—
- for though the children were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might stand, not by works but by him who calls—
Rom.9.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ουκ: PART,neg
- εξ: PREP
- εργων: NOUN,gen,pl,n
- αλλ᾽εκ: CONJ+PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- καλουντος: PART,pres,act,gen,sg,m
- ερρεθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- αυτη: PRON,dat,sg,f
- οτι: CONJ
- Ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- μειζων: ADJ,comp,nom,sg,m
- δουλευσει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- ελασσονι·: ADJ,dat,sg,m,comp
Parallels
- Genesis 25:23 (quotation): Paul cites the oracle to Rebekah: “Two nations are in your womb... the older shall serve the younger,” which he uses as the scriptural basis for God’s sovereign choice not being based on works.
- Genesis 27:40 (allusion): In Isaac’s blessing to Esau the older is told he will serve his brother (“you shall serve your brother”), a narrative instance of the older-serving-younger motif that Paul invokes.
- Exodus 33:19 (verbal): God’s declaration “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (quoted by Paul in Romans 9:15) parallels the theme that divine election depends on God’s calling, not human works.
- Malachi 1:2-3 (quotation): “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” is quoted by Paul in Romans 9:13 and reinforces the same theological point about God’s sovereign choice reflected in the older/younger reversal.
Alternative generated candidates
- she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
- it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger."
Rom.9.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- καθως: CONJ
- γεγραπται·Τον: VERB,perf,pas,ind,3,sg
- Ιακωβ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ηγαπησα: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- Ησαυ: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εμισησα: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,sg
Parallels
- Malachi 1:2–3 (quotation): Paul is directly quoting this OT text (LXX/Hebrew): 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' It is the source of his example of divine election.
- Genesis 25:23 (allusion): God’s prenatal word to Rebekah ('two nations... the older shall serve the younger') provides the narrative basis for the election of Jacob over Esau cited by Paul.
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (thematic): Statements that God chose Israel not for their greatness but by his love/choice parallel Paul's argument about divine elective choice independent of human merit.
- Romans 9:10–13 (structural): Immediate Pauline context that frames the Jacob/Esau citation—arguing that God’s purpose in election precedes birth and works, culminating in the quotation in v.13.
Alternative generated candidates
- As it is written, “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”
- As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Rom.9.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Τι: PRON,nom,sg,neut
- ουν: CONJ
- ερουμεν: VERB,fut,act,ind,1,pl
- μη: PART
- αδικια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- παρα: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- θεω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- μη: PART
- γενοιτο·: VERB,aor,mid,opt,3,sg
Parallels
- Romans 3:5-6 (structural): Paul raises the same rhetorical charge (Is God unjust?) and answers emphatically (May it never!), defending God’s righteousness—same argumentative move and conclusion.
- Ezekiel 18:25 (verbal): People complain that the Lord’s way is not just; Ezekiel retorts with a question about God’s justice—closely parallels the complaint-and-denial formula of Rom 9:14.
- Job 34:12 (verbal): Elihu affirms that God will not act wickedly or pervert justice, echoing the denial that there is injustice with God found in Romans 9:14.
- Isaiah 45:9 (allusion): God rebukes those who contend with their Maker (Who are you to argue with God?), a similar rejection of challenging God’s fairness or sovereign decisions.
Alternative generated candidates
- What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!
- What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!
Rom.9.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- Μωυσει: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- γαρ: PART
- λεγει·Ελεησω: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg|VERB,fut,act,ind,1,sg
- ον: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- αν: PART
- ελεω: VERB,pres,act,subj,1,sg
- και: CONJ
- οικτιρησω: VERB,fut,act,ind,1,sg
- ον: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- αν: PART
- οικτιρω: VERB,pres,act,subj,1,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 33:19 (quotation): Direct OT source Paul cites — God’s words to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.”
- Exodus 34:6-7 (verbal): Declaration of God’s character as merciful and gracious, providing the theological background for selective divine mercy.
- Romans 9:18 (structural): Paul’s immediate argument restates the same principle: “So then he has mercy on whom he wills,” applying the Exodus citation to his point about God’s sovereign choice.
- Acts 13:48 (allusion): Describes divine appointment/bringing to faith (‘as many as were ordained to eternal life believed’), thematically linked to God’s sovereign mercy and election that Rom. 9:15 highlights.
Alternative generated candidates
- For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
- 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 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- αρα: PART
- ουν: CONJ
- ου: PART,neg
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θελοντος: VERB,pres,act,ptcp,gen,sg,m
- ουδε: CONJ,neg
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- τρεχοντος: VERB,pres,act,ptcp,gen,sg,m
- αλλα: CONJ
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- ελεωντος: VERB,pres,act,ptcp,gen,sg,m
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Exodus 33:19 (quotation): God's declaration 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy' — the OT foundation Paul appeals to for divine mercy as God's choice.
- Romans 9:15 (structural): Immediate context: Paul quotes Exodus to argue that God's mercy, not human will, determines election.
- Titus 3:5 (verbal): Uses nearly identical contrast: salvation 'not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy,' emphasizing God's mercy over human effort.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 (thematic): Affirms salvation is by grace through faith and not from human works or effort, echoing the same principle as Rom 9:16.
- 2 Timothy 1:9 (verbal): Speaks of God's calling 'not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace,' paralleling the idea that salvation depends on God's choice and mercy.
Alternative generated candidates
- So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.
- So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
Rom.9.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- λεγει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- γαρ: PART
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- γραφη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- Φαραω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- οτι: CONJ
- Εις: PREP
- αυτο: PRON,acc,sg,neut
- τουτο: PRON,nom,sg,n
- εξηγειρα: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,sg
- σε: PRON,acc,sg,2
- οπως: CONJ
- ενδειξωμαι: VERB,aor,mid,subj,1,sg
- εν: PREP
- σοι: PRON,dat,sg,2
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- δυναμιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- και: CONJ
- οπως: CONJ
- διαγγελη: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- ονομα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- εν: PREP
- παση: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- γη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
Parallels
- Exodus 9:16 (quotation): Direct OT source Paul cites — God tells Pharaoh he was raised up so God’s power would be displayed and his name declared throughout the earth (the exact quotation behind Rom 9:17).
- Isaiah 10:5-7 (thematic): Portrays a foreign king (Assyria) as an instrument of God’s anger sent to accomplish divine purposes — parallels the theme of God raising rulers to fulfill his will.
- Daniel 4:17 (thematic): Declares that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men and sets up over them whom he will, emphasizing divine sovereignty over human rulers similar to Rom 9:17.
- Proverbs 21:1 (thematic): ‘The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD’ — echoes the idea that God directs or raises rulers’ actions for his purposes.
- Romans 13:1 (structural): Paul’s teaching that governing authorities are instituted by God connects to the argument in Rom 9:17 that God raises up rulers to accomplish his ends.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
- For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
Rom.9.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- αρα: PART
- ουν: CONJ
- ον: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- θελει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ελεει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ον: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- θελει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- σκληρυνει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Exod.33.19 (verbal): Nearly identical wording in the divine declaration, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,' providing the OT source Paul echoes for God's sovereign choice in showing mercy.
- Exod.4.21 (verbal): God's announcement that he will harden Pharaoh's heart (see also Exod.9:12), a concrete OT example of divine hardening that Paul invokes to illustrate God's freedom to harden whom he wills.
- Isa.29.10 (allusion): Isaiah speaks of the Lord pouring out a spirit of deep sleep/stupor—language Paul elsewhere (Rom.11:8) uses to explain divine hardening and judicial blindness, thematically linked to Rom.9:18.
- John 6.44 (thematic): Jesus' statement that no one can come to him unless drawn/granted by the Father parallels Paul's emphasis on divine initiative and sovereign determination in who receives mercy or is hardened.
- Eph.1.4-5 (thematic): Pauline teaching on divine election and predestination (God choosing and predestining before the foundation of the world) resonates with Rom.9's focus on God's sovereign choice in mercy and hardening.
Alternative generated candidates
- So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
- So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
Rom.9.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ερεις: VERB,fut,act,ind,2,sg
- μοι: PRON,dat,sg,1
- ουν·Τι: PART
- ουν: CONJ
- ετι: ADV
- μεμφεται: VERB,pres,mid/pass,ind,3,sg
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- γαρ: PART
- βουληματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- ανθεστηκεν: VERB,perf,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Romans 9:20 (structural): Immediate continuation/answer to the objection in v.19 — the rhetorical reply 'Who are you, O man...' directly follows and engages the same challenge about resisting God's will.
- Isaiah 45:9 (allusion): OT parallel: 'Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker' and the imagery of disputing with the one who formed you echoes Paul's question about who can resist God's will.
- Isaiah 29:16 (verbal): Close verbal and thematic resonance: Isaiah's rhetorical reversal ('Shall the pot be accounted as the potter? / Shall the thing made say to him who made it...') is echoed in Paul's address to human complaint about God's purpose.
- Jeremiah 18:1-6 (thematic): Potter/clay imagery and the theme of God's sovereign right over the formed object (the potter's authority to shape or remake) undergird Paul's argument about resisting God's will.
Alternative generated candidates
- You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”
- You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
Rom.9.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- ανθρωπε: NOUN,m,sg,voc
- μενουνγε: PART
- συ: PRON,nom,sg,2
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ανταποκρινομενος: VERB,pres,mid,ptcp,nom,sg,m
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- θεω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- μη: PART
- ερει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- πλασμα: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- πλασαντι: VERB,aor,act,ptcp,dat,sg,m
- Τι: PRON,nom,sg,neut
- με: PRON,acc,sg,1
- εποιησας: VERB,aor,act,ind,2,sg
- ουτως: ADV
Parallels
- Isaiah 29:16 (verbal): Paul echoes the prophetic rhetorical question found in Isaiah (LXX), where the work questions the one who made it—language and motif closely parallel Romans 9:20.
- Isaiah 45:9 (allusion): Another prophetic rebuke against contending with the Creator ('Woe to him who strives with his Maker') that supplies the same divine‑sovereignty rationale behind Paul's question.
- Jeremiah 18:1-6 (thematic): The potter/clay imagery (God shaping and having authority over the clay) undergirds Paul's argument about creaturely subordination to the Creator in Romans 9:20–21.
- Job 10:3, 8–9 (thematic): Job's complaint and God's workmanship language ('Your hands fashioned me') reflect the existential and rhetorical dimension of questioning God about one's formation, a theme Paul invokes in addressing objections to divine sovereignty.
Alternative generated candidates
- But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me thus?”
- But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is formed say to its former, "Why did you make me thus?"
Rom.9.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- ουκ: PART,neg
- εχει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- εξουσιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- κεραμευς: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- πηλου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εκ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- φυραματος: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- ποιησαι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- μεν: PART
- εις: PREP
- τιμην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- σκευος: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- εις: PREP
- ατιμιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Jeremiah 18:1-6 (allusion): The explicit potter-and-clay image: God as potter shaping clay and relenting or reworking vessels—background for Paul's use of divine sovereignty over forms and destinies.
- Isaiah 29:16 (verbal): Uses the potter/clay motif and the rhetorical challenge to human presumption (’shall the potter be regarded as the clay?’), language Paul echoes to defend divine authority.
- Isaiah 45:9 (thematic): Warns against disputing with the Creator (’Woe to him who contends with his Maker… shall the clay say to him who fashioned it?’), a thematic parallel about Creator–creature relations.
- Romans 9:20 (verbal): Immediate literary parallel within the same argument—Paul’s preceding rhetorical question (‘Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?’) and the molded/molder language lead directly into the potter analogy.
- Matthew 20:15 (thematic): Parable of the laborers: owner’s right to deal as he wills with his property (‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own things?’) parallels Paul’s claim of God’s prerogative over vessels and honor/ignominy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
- Has not the potter a right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
Rom.9.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- δε: CONJ
- θελων: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θεος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ενδειξασθαι: VERB,aor,mid,inf
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- οργην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- γνωρισαι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- δυνατον: ADJ,nom,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- ηνεγκεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- πολλη: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- μακροθυμια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- σκευη: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- οργης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- κατηρτισμενα: VERB,perf,pass,ptc,acc,pl,n
- εις: PREP
- απωλειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Rom.2:4-5 (thematic): Both verses link God’s forbearance/longsuffering with the eventual revelation of his wrath and judgment, showing patience that precedes divine retribution.
- 2 Tim.2:20-21 (verbal): Uses household/vessel imagery (vessels for honorable and dishonorable use) comparable to Paul’s 'vessels of wrath' language about objects prepared for destruction.
- Jer.18:6 (allusion): Potter-and-clay sovereignty language (God shaping clay/vessels) underlies Rom 9’s metaphor of created 'vessels' disposed toward honour or destruction.
- 2 Pet.3:9 (thematic): Highlights the tension between God’s patience (not wishing any to perish) and the reality of final judgment — a conceptual counterpoint to the idea of vessels 'fitted to destruction.'
- Rom.1:18 (thematic): Speaks of the revelation of God’s wrath against ungodliness; Rom 9:22 echoes this motif of wrath being shown and made known.
Alternative generated candidates
- What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
- What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
Rom.9.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ινα: CONJ
- γνωριση: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- πλουτον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- δοξης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- επι: PREP
- σκευη: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- ελεους: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- α: PRON,nom,sg,n
- προητοιμασεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- δοξαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Romans 9:22 (structural): Immediate contrast in the same verse cluster: God endures 'vessels of wrath prepared for destruction' versus 'vessels of mercy' which he prepared beforehand for glory—clarifies the purposive distinction Paul is making.
- 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (verbal): Uses household vessel imagery (vessels for honor and dishonor) and the idea of being prepared/cleansed for noble use, echoing the 'vessels of mercy... prepared for glory' language.
- Ephesians 2:7 (thematic): Speaks of God showing 'the immeasurable riches of his grace' in the ages to come toward believers—parallels the theme of God making known the 'riches of his glory' through mercy.
- Ephesians 1:4-5 (allusion): Describes divine choosing and predestination 'that we should be holy and blameless' and adoption 'according to the purpose of his will,' paralleling the idea of those 'prepared beforehand for glory.'
Alternative generated candidates
- in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
- in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
Rom.9.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- εκαλεσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- ημας: PRON,acc,pl,1
- ου: PART,neg
- μονον: ADV
- εξ: PREP
- Ιουδαιων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- αλλα: CONJ
- και: CONJ
- εξ: PREP
- εθνων;: NOUN,gen,pl,n
Parallels
- Romans 9:25-26 (quotation): Immediate continuation of the thought — Paul quotes Hosea to show that God's calling extends to Gentiles ('I will call them my people...') and applies the prophecy to Gentile inclusion.
- Hosea 1:10 (cf. Hosea 2:23 LXX) (quotation): Old Testament oracle Paul cites: the reversal from 'not my people' to 'sons of the living God' provides the scriptural basis for calling people from the nations as well as Israel.
- Galatians 3:28-29 (verbal): Same Pauline theme that ethnic distinctions (Jew/Greek) are overcome in Christ and that Gentiles share in the promises — echoes 'not only from Jews but also from Gentiles.'
- Acts 15:14-17 (thematic): Peter's report at the Jerusalem Council that God 'took from among the Gentiles a people for his name,' paralleling Paul's claim that God's call embraces the nations.
- Ephesians 3:6 (thematic): Pauline statement that the Gentiles are 'fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise' — same theological point about Gentile inclusion under God's call.
Alternative generated candidates
- even us whom he called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
- even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
Rom.9.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ως: ADV
- και: CONJ
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- Ωσηε: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- λεγει·Καλεσω: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg; VERB,fut,act,ind,1,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- ου: PART,neg
- λαον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- λαον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- και: CONJ
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ηγαπημενην: ADJ,perf,pass,acc,sg,f
- ηγαπημενην·: ADJ,perf,pass,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Hosea 2:23 (Hebrew) / Hosea 2:25 (LXX) (quotation): Paul directly quotes Hosea’s promise — “I will call them my people who were not my people… I will call her ‘beloved’ who was not beloved” — using the LXX wording to show Gentile inclusion.
- Hosea 1:10 (Hebrew) / Hosea 2:1 (LXX) (allusion): Closely related Hosea material (often paired with the verse Paul cites) that speaks of those once ‘not my people’ being reckoned God’s people — background for Paul’s argument about Gentile inclusion.
- 1 Peter 2:10 (verbal): Peter echoes Hosea’s language — “you were not a people, but now you are the people of God” — applying the same prophetic motif (formerly not a people → now God’s people) to believers.
- Romans 9:26 (structural): The immediately following verse in Romans continues the Hosea citation (“…in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called ‘sons of the living God’”), showing Paul’s full use of the Hosea text to include Gentiles.
Alternative generated candidates
- As he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
- As he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’"
Rom.9.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εσται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- τοπω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- ου: PART,neg
- ερρεθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις·Ου: PRON,dat,pl,3+PART,neg
- λαος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- υμεις: PRON,nom,pl,2
- εκει: ADV
- κληθησονται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,pl
- υιοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ζωντος: PART,pres,act,gen,m,sg
Parallels
- Hosea 2:23 (quotation): Paul directly echoes Hosea’s promise — ‘I will say to those who were not my people, You are my people’ — to show God’s calling of outsiders.
- Hosea 1:10 (quotation): Parallel wording (‘they shall be called children/sons of the living God’) which Paul uses to justify calling former non‑people ‘sons of the living God.’
- 1 Peter 2:10 (quotation): Peter likewise cites Hosea’s language (‘you were not a people but now you are God’s people…’), applying the Hosea text to Gentile inclusion and mercy.
- John 1:12 (verbal): Shares the theme and language of becoming ‘children/sons of God’ through reception of Christ — a New Testament expansion of the status Paul attributes to Gentile believers.
- Galatians 3:26 (verbal): Paul elsewhere states believers are ‘all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,’ echoing the same sonship language and theological point about inclusion by faith.
Alternative generated candidates
- And, “In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called children of the living God.”
- And in the very 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 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ησαιας: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- κραζει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- υπερ: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- Ισραηλ·Εαν: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- αριθμος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- υιων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- Ισραηλ: NOUN,voc,sg,m
- ως: ADV
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- αμμος: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- θαλασσης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- υπολειμμα: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- σωθησεται·: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 10:22-23 (quotation): Direct source of Paul's line: Isaiah speaks of Israel 'like the sand of the sea' and that only a remnant will be saved—Paul quotes this passage verbatim/thematically.
- Isaiah 10:20-21 (structural): Immediate Isaianic context describing the remnant returning to the Lord and being supported by him, which frames the quotation in Rom 9:27.
- Isaiah 1:9 (thematic): Another Isaianic statement of the remnant motif—'If the LORD had not left us a remnant...'—used elsewhere by Paul (Rom 9:29) and thematically parallels Rom 9:27.
- Romans 11:5 (thematic): Paul's own later development of the same idea: 'a remnant has been chosen by grace,' applying the prophetic remnant motif to Israel in the present era.
- Hosea 2:23 (allusion): Hosea passages cited nearby in Romans (9:25–26) share the theme of a faithful remnant and God's restoration of Israel—background to Paul's appeal to prophetic promises about Israel's survival.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved;
- And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved;"
Rom.9.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- λογον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- γαρ: PART
- συντελων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- συντεμνων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- ποιησει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- κυριος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- επι: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- Isaiah 10:22-23 (quotation): Romans 9:27–28 directly echoes and cites Isaiah 10:22–23 (LXX/MT): the image of Israel as sand and the statement that the Lord will 'finish' or 'make a short work' upon the earth is taken from this Isaiah passage.
- Isaiah 10:16-23 (structural): The wider Isaiah context describes Israel's decline, the remnant motif and God's decisive, limited judgment—paralleling Paul's use of the passage to explain election, remnant, and the Lord’s swift action.
- Zephaniah 1:14-18 (thematic): Zephaniah's 'day of the LORD' is portrayed as near, swift and decisive—an abrupt consummating act of judgment on the land—resonating with Paul's language of the Lord making a short/finished work on the earth.
- Ezekiel 7:2-4 (thematic): Ezekiel proclaims an imminent 'end' and sudden destruction coming upon the land; thematically this matches Paul's emphasis on God's prompt, decisive execution of judgment upon the earth.
- Acts 17:31 (thematic): Paul in Acts affirms that God 'has fixed a day' to judge the world by a man he appointed—a related theme of God’s decisive, world-directed act of judgment that corresponds to the idea of the Lord completing a short work upon the earth.
Alternative generated candidates
- for the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively.”
- for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and decisively.
Rom.9.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- καθως: CONJ
- προειρηκεν: VERB,perf,act,ind,3,sg
- Ησαιας·Ει: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- μη: PART
- κυριος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- Σαβαωθ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εγκατελιπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- ημιν: PRON,dat,pl,1
- σπερμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ως: ADV
- Σοδομα: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- αν: PART
- εγενηθημεν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,1,pl
- και: CONJ
- ως: ADV
- Γομορρα: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- αν: PART
- ωμοιωθημεν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,1,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 1:9 (quotation): Direct source of Paul's citation—Isaiah states that if the LORD had not left a remnant, Judah would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 10:20-22 (thematic): Speaks of a surviving remnant of Israel after judgment; develops the same theme of judgment and a preserved remnant as the basis for Israel's future.
- Isaiah 6:13 (allusion): Isaiah's image of a holy seed/stump (a remnant) surviving judgment parallels Paul's reliance on Isaiah's remnant theology in Romans 9–11.
- Romans 11:5 (thematic): Paul returns to the concept of a faithful remnant chosen by grace, explicitly applying the remnant motif to his argument about Israel's present and future.
- Luke 17:28-29 (thematic): References Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of divine judgment; parallels Paul's use of those cities as images of what Israel would have become without the LORD leaving a remnant.
Alternative generated candidates
- And as Isaiah said further, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”
- And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us a remnant, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah."
I tell the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—
that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
They are Israelites; the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises belong to them.
To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is over all, God 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 because they are Abraham's offspring; but 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.'
This means: it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
For this is what the promise said: 'About this time I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.' And not only so; Rebekah also conceived by one man, our father Isaac.
Though the children were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not by works but by him who calls—
it was said to her, 'The older will serve the younger.'
'As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!
For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
You will say to me then, 'Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?' But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me thus?'
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
even us whom he has called, not from Jews only but also from Gentiles?
As he says also in Hosea, 'I will call those who were not my people, 'my people,' and her who was not beloved, 'beloved.'' And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they shall be called 'sons of the living God.'
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 'Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved.'
For the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth fully and quickly. And as Isaiah said earlier, 'If the Lord of hosts had not left us a remnant, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.'