Romans 9:5

5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!^[a] Amen.

Romans 9:5 in Other Translations

5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

5 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.

5 to say nothing of being the race that produced the Messiah, the Christ, who is God over everything, always. Oh, yes!

5 The forefathers are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Romans 9:5 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 9:5

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F1 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 16. 2. & Gloss. in ib.
F2 Targum in Isa. xvi. 1, 5. Mic. iv. 8.

Romans 9:5 In-Context

3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,

4 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.

5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

7 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.”

Cross References

• 1. Romans 11:28
• 2. Matthew 1:1-16; Romans 1:3
• 3. John 1:1; Colossians 2:9
• 4. Romans 1:25; 2 Corinthians 11:31

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Messiah, who is over all. God be forever praised!" Or "Messiah. God who is over all be forever praised!"