Romans 9:5
Read Romans 9:5 Using Other Translations
What does Romans 9:5 mean?
Whose are the fathers
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for, according to the F1 Jewish
writers,
``they call none in Israel (twba) , "fathers", but three, and they are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and they call none "mothers" but four, and they are, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah:''their descent from these fathers was a privilege, though they valued themselves too highly upon it; but what was the crown and glory of all, and which they took the least, though the apostle took the most notice of, is,
and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ
came;
that is, either of the fathers, or of the Israelites, from whom
Christ, according to his human nature, sprung; being a son of
Abraham, of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of David, and the son
of Mary; hence the Messiah is called (larvyd ahyvm) , "the Messiah or Christ of Israel"
F2:
who
is described as
over all,
angels and men, being the creator, upholder, and governor of
them; and as having another nature, a divine one, being
God,
truly and properly God,
blessed for evermore;
in himself, and to be blessed and praised by all creatures. The
apostle alludes to that well known periphrastic name of God so
much used by the Jews, (awh Kwrb
vwdqh) , "the holy, blessed God"; to which, by way of
assent and confirmation, the apostle puts his
Amen.
Now all these particular privileges are mentioned by him, as what
heightened his concern for these people; it filled him with
heaviness and sorrow of heart, when he considered, that persons
who had been partakers of such favours, and especially the last,
that the Messiah should spring from them, be born of them, and
among them, and yet that they should be given up to ruin and
destruction.
F1 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 16. 2. & Gloss. in ib.
F2 Targum in Isa. xvi. 1, 5. Mic. iv. 8.
