οὐχ … ἐκπέπτωκεν ὁ λόγος … ἡ κατʼ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις … ἐμίσησα (9:6–13)

Says Οὐχ οἷον δὲ ὅτι ἐκπέπτωκεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ (ekpeptōken, "has fallen," 9:6): "It is not as though God’s word has failed" (BSB; lex.G1601). The reason follows: οὐ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, οὗτοι Ἰσραήλ, "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" (BSB). Israel names both the people by descent and the people of the promise.

Says τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας λογίζεται εἰς σπέρμα, "it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring" (9:8, BSB). λογίζεται (logizetai) is the reckoning verb of Rom 4 (lex.G3049); on Abraham's offspring see the Rom 4 records.

Says Before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, ἵνα ἡ κατʼ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις τοῦ θεοῦ μένῃ (katʼ eklogēn, "according to election," 9:11), "in order that God’s plan of election might stand" (BSB), not from works but from him who calls (9:11–12; lex.G1589). For πρόθεσις see lex.G4286 and 8:28.

Implies τὸν δὲ Ἠσαῦ ἐμίσησα (emisēsa, "I hated," 9:13, from Mal 1:2–3) is a Semitic idiom of choosing one and not the other: the same contrast of love and hate marks preference in Gen 29:30–31 and Deut 21:15–16, and Malachi speaks of Edom as a nation. The stronger reading takes it as God's active rejection, since Malachi goes on to his judgment on Edom (Mal 1:3–4). See lex.G3404; the Hebrew notes treat Malachi. On the views of election see note.language.Rom.9.14-Rom.9.18.eleos-sklerynei.