Romans 9:5

5 to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever. 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 accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race.

4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;

5 to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,

7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but "Through Isaac shall your descendants be named."