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the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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New Living Translation

Romans 9:8

This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adoption;   Circumcision;   Covenant;   Predestination;   Righteous;   Wicked (People);   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Adoption;   Church of Israel;   Promises of God, the;   Titles and Names of Saints;   Titles and Names of the Wicked;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Church;   Election;   Isaac;   Israel;   Remnant;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christians, Names of;   Paul the Apostle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Calvinists;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Esau;   Son of God;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Family;   Israel, Spiritual;   Justification;   People of God;   Promise;   Romans, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Children (Sons) of God;   Election;   Evil;   Paul the Apostle;   Predestination;   Promise;   Romans, Epistle to the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Children of God, Sons of God;   Election;   Guilt (2);   Isaac ;   Old Testament;   Seed;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Esau;   Plagues of egypt;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Prophecy;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Encampment at Sinai;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Flesh;   Heredity;  

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
Remember, Abe (or Abraham as he's known in the old ways) had other kids too.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
Legacy Standard Bible
That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are considered as seed.
Bible in Basic English
That is, it is not the children of the flesh, but the children of God's undertaking, who are named as the seed.
Darby Translation
That is, [they that are] the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned as seed.
Christian Standard Bible®
That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.
World English Bible
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
That is, not the children of the flesh are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Weymouth's New Testament
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
King James Version (1611)
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Literal Translation
That is: Not the children of flesh are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for a seed.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
vnto the, that is, They which are children after the flesh, are not the children of God, but the children of the promes are counted for the sede.
Mace New Testament (1729)
that is, the children by natural descent are not thereby the children of God: but the children of the promise are alone considered as his posterity.
Amplified Bible
That is, it is not the children of the body [Abraham's natural descendants] who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are counted as [Abraham's true] descendants.
American Standard Version
That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
Revised Standard Version
This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned as descendants.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
that is to saye they which are the chyldren of the flesshe are not the chyldren of god. But the chyldren of promes are counted the seede.
Update Bible Version
That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
Webster's Bible Translation
That is, They who are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Young's Literal Translation
that is, the children of the flesh -- these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;
New Century Version
This means that not all of Abraham's descendants are God's true children. Abraham's true children are those who become God's children because of the promise God made to Abraham.
New English Translation
This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.
Berean Standard Bible
So it is not the children of the flesh who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
Complete Jewish Bible
In other words, it is not the physical children who are children of God, but the children the promise refers to who are considered seed.
English Standard Version
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
That is, they which are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God: but the children of the promes, are counted for the seede.
George Lamsa Translation
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; but the children of the promise who are reckoned as descendants.
Hebrew Names Version
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.
International Standard Version
That is, it is not the children of natural descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as descendants.Galatians 4:28;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
but that is, the children of the flesh are not the children of Aloha, but the children of the promise are reckoned the seed.
Murdock Translation
That is, it is not the children of the flesh, who are the children of God; but the children of the promise, are accounted for the seed.
New King James Version
That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
New Life Bible
This means that children born to Abraham are not all children of God. Only those that are born because of God's promise to Abraham are His children.
English Revised Version
That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
New Revised Standard
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 descendants.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
That is - not the children of the flesh, the same are children of God; but, the children of the promise, are reckoned as a seed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh are the children of God: but they that are the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.
King James Version
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Lexham English Bible
That is, it is not the children by human descent who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That is to say: They which are the chyldren of the fleshe, are not the chyldren of God: But they which be the childre of promise, are counted the seede.
Easy-to-Read Version
This means that not all of Abraham's descendants are God's true children. Abraham's true children are those who become God's children because of the promise he made to Abraham.
New American Standard Bible
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
Good News Translation
This means that the children born in the usual way are not the children of God; instead, the children born as a result of God's promise are regarded as the true descendants.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that is to seie, not thei that ben sones of the fleisch, ben sones of God, but thei that ben sones of biheeste ben demed in the seed.

Contextual Overview

6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God's people! 7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children. 9 For God had promised, "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." 10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, "Your older son will serve your younger son." 13 In the words of the Scriptures, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

They which: Romans 4:11-16, Galatians 4:22-31

are counted: Genesis 31:15, Psalms 22:30, Psalms 87:6, John 1:13, Galatians 3:26-29, Galatians 4:28, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 3:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:2 - the sons Genesis 12:7 - Unto thy Genesis 15:5 - tell Genesis 17:7 - And I Genesis 18:10 - Sarah Genesis 21:12 - in Isaac Genesis 48:17 - displeased him Deuteronomy 14:1 - the children Isaiah 43:6 - bring Isaiah 48:1 - which are Isaiah 65:23 - for Matthew 3:9 - We Luke 16:24 - Father Romans 4:16 - the father Galatians 3:7 - they Galatians 3:29 - Abraham's Galatians 4:23 - born Ephesians 2:12 - the covenants

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That is, they which are the children of the flesh,.... This is an explanation of the foregoing verse, and shows, that by "the seed of" Abraham are meant, the natural seed of Abraham, who are born after the flesh, or descend from him by carnal generation:

these are not the children of God; that is, not all of them, nor any of them, on account of their being children of the flesh, or Abraham's natural seed; for adoption does not come this way; men do not commence children of God by their fleshly descent; they are not "born of blood", but of God, who are the sons of God:

but the children of the promise are counted for the seed; בני ברית "children of the covenant", is a common phrase with the Jews; who reckoned themselves as such, because they were the seed of Abraham: thus in their prayers they say e to God,

"we are thy people, בני בריתך, "the children of thy covenant", the children of Abraham thy friend.''

And so they were the children of the covenant, or promise, which God made with Abraham and his natural seed, respecting the land of Canaan, and their enjoyment of temporal good things in it; but they were not all of them the children of the promise, which God made to Abraham and his spiritual seed, whether Jews or Gentiles, respecting spiritual and eternal things; to whom alone the promises of God, being their God in a spiritual sense, of spiritual and eternal salvation by Christ, and of the grace of the Spirit of God, and of eternal life belong; and who are the seed which were promised to Abraham by God, saying, "thou shalt be a father of many nations",

Genesis 17:4: for which reasons, because these spiritual promises belong to them, and because they themselves were promised to Abraham, as his children, therefore they are called "children of the promise": or rather, because as Isaac was a child of promise, being born after the Spirit, by virtue of the promise of God, through his divine power and goodness, when there were no ground or foundation in nature, for Abraham and Sarah to hope for a son; so these are called "children of promise", Galatians 4:28, because they are born again, not through the power of nature, and strength of their own free will; they are not born of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, according to the will of God and his abundant mercy, by the word of truth, through his power, Spirit, and grace; and by faith receive the promises made unto them; and are counted and reckoned as "Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise", Galatians 3:29, whether they be Jews, or whether they be Gentiles: and since now the promises of God are all made good to these persons, the word of God is not without effect, or is not made void, by the casting off the children of the flesh, or the carnal seed of Abraham, who were not children of the promise in the sense now given.

e Seder Tephillot, fol. 3. 2. Ed. Basil. fol. 6. 1. Ed. Amstelod.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They which are the children of the flesh - The natural descendants.

These are not the children of God - Are not of necessity the adopted children of God; or are not so in virtue of their descent merely. This was in opposition to one of the most settled and deeply cherished opinions of the Jews. They supposed that the mere fact of being a Jew, entitled a man to the blessings of the covenant, and to be regarded as a child of God. But the apostle shows them that it was not by their natural descent that these spiritual privileges were granted; that they were not conferred on people simply from the fact that they were Jews; and that consequently those who were not Jews might become interested in those spiritual blessings.

But the children of the promise - The descendants of Abraham on whom the promised blessings would be bestowed. The sense is, that God at first contemplated a distinction among the descendants of Abraham, and intended to confine his blessings to such as he chose; that is, to those to whom the promise particularly appertained, to the descendants of Isaac. The argument of the apostle is, that “the principle” was thus established that a distinction might be made among those who were Jews; and as that distinction had been made in former times, so it might be under the Messiah.

Are counted - Are regarded, or reckoned. God reckons things as they are; and therefore designed that they should be his true children.

As the seed - The spiritual children of God; the partakers of his mercy and salvation. This refers, doubtless, to spiritual privileges and to salvation; and therefore has relation not to nations as such, but to individuals.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 9:8. That is, They which are the children of the flesh — Whence it appears that not the children who descend from Abraham's loins, nor those who were circumcised as he was, nor even those whom he might expect and desire, are therefore the Church and people of God; but those who are made children by the good pleasure and promise of God, as Isaac was, are alone to be accounted for the seed with whom the covenant was established.


 
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