Romans 9:7

Romans 9:7. Neither; ‘and also not,' extending the same thought to physical relationship with Abraham, the father of the faithful.

Because they; either, ‘all those of Abraham,' or, referring to the subject in Romans 9:6: ‘they who are of Israel.' The former suits the immediate context (Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau), but the latter is grammatically more exact

The seed of Abraham. A well-known phrase, here meaning, as the context shows, ‘the physical posterity of Abraham'; in Galatians 3:29, the phrase is used of his true spiritual descendants.

All children; in the true, spiritual sense, inheritors of the promise made to him.

But; on the contrary, the Scripture itself shows that this was the design.

In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Spoken to Abraham (Genesis 21:12), at the time when Hagar and Ishmael were sent away. Explanations: 1. In the person of Isaac shall thy seed be named. 2. Through Isaac shall the race be born which shall be truly and properly called thy seed. Both are true in fact, but as the Apostle is choosing historical illustrations, it seems better to accept (1.) which refers to the historical person. ‘Called' is here = ‘ named,' not, ‘called into being,' or, ‘chosen.' ‘Paul finds in this divine declaration the idea enunciated (Romans 9:8), that not on bodily descent (which was also the case with Ishmael), but on divine promise (which was the case with Isaac, Romans 9:9), the true sonship of Abraham is founded' (Meyer)