By quoting Malachi 1:2-3 Paul raised his discussion from the level of personal election to national election. Malachi was speaking of nations, as the context of this Malachi quotation shows. Paul"s point was that God does not wait until He sees how individuals or nations develop and what choices they make before He elects them. God chose Jacob and the nation of Israel for reasons that lay within Himself, not because they merited election (cf. Deuteronomy 7:6-8). This is a powerful refutation of the claim that election results from prior knowledge, that God chooses a person for salvation having foreseen that he or she will believe the gospel. [source][source][source]
"The connection of this quotation with Romans 9:12 suggests that God"s love is the same as his election: God chose Jacob to inherit the blessings promised first to Abraham.... If God"s love of Jacob consists in his choosing Jacob to be the "seed" who would inherit the blessings promised to Abraham, then God"s hatred of Esau is best understood to refer to God"s decision not to bestow this privilege on Esau. It might best be translated "reject." "Love" and "hate" are not here, then, emotions that God feels but actions that he carries out." [1][source]
"The strong contrast is a Semitic idiom that heightens the comparison by stating it in absolute terms." [2][source]
"As to "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated," a woman once said to Mr. Spurgeon, "I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau." "That," Spurgeon replied, "is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob!" [3][source]
In Romans 9:6-13 Paul established that Israel was the object of God"s choice for special blessing because of His own gracious will. He did not choose Israel because of the Israelites" natural descent from Abraham or because of their superior qualities. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Romans 9:1-13 - Longing For His Kinsmen
Our consciences should be continually bathed in the light and warmth of the Holy Spirit, Romans 9:1, that the inward witness may be maintained in its integrity. We must love as Moses and Paul did, Romans 9:3, before we can understand Exodus 32:32 and Galatians 3:10. The Hebrew nation was marvelously privileged by adoption as God's firstborn, by having the Shekinah glory and by being called to maintain the witness of the Temple and its services, Romans 9:4. But these privileges were granted, not for the nation itself, but for the blessing of mankind. This is the meaning of election. There are elect races, elect nations, elect souls, that they may be able to impart of what they have received, and communicate whatever advantages have been entrusted.
The sorrowful admission must be made that a very large proportion of the Hebrew race had missed the privileges to which they were entitled, because they had regarded these merely as intended for their own comfort and enrichment, Romans 9:6. This was the outstanding difference between Esau and Jacob. It is plain that the hatred in Romans 9:13 means nothing more than relative repudiation, as it does in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 14:26. No personal animosity can obtain in the nature of the God of love except that He withholds from the recreant soul the full manifestation and outflow of His love. [source]
Chapter Summary: Romans 9
1Paul is sorry for the Jews 7All of Abraham not of the promise 18God's sovereignty 25The calling of the Gentiles and rejecting of the Jews, foretold 32The cause of their stumbling
Greek Commentary for Romans 9:13
But Esau I hated [τον δε Εσαυ εμισησα] This language sounds a bit harsh to us. It is possible that the word μισεω miseō did not always carry the full force of what we mean by “hate.” See Matthew 6:24 where these very verbs (μισεω miseō and αγαπαω agapaō) are contrasted. So also in Luke 14:26 about “hating” (μισεω miseō) one‘s father and mother if coming between one and Christ. So in John 12:25 about “hating” one‘s life. There is no doubt about God‘s preference for Jacob and rejection of Esau, but in spite of Sanday and Headlam one hesitates to read into these words here the intense hatred that has always existed between the descendants of Jacob and of Esau. [source]
Hated [ἐμίσησα] The expression is intentionally strong as an expression of moral antipathy. Compare Matthew 6:24; Luke 14:26. No idea of malice is implied of course. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 9:13
Romans 16:7Kinsmen [συγγενεις] Probably only fellow-countrymen as in Romans 9:13. Fellow-prisoners (συναιχμαλωτυς sunaichmalōtus). Late word and rare (in Lucian). One of Paul‘s frequent compounds with συν sun Literally, fellow captives in war. Perhaps they had shared one of Paul‘s numerous imprisonments (2 Corinthians 11:23). In N.T. only here, Philemon 1:23; Colossians 4:10. Of note Stamped, marked Old word, only here and Matthew 27:16 (bad sense) in N.T. Among the apostles (εν τοις αποστολοις en tois apostolois). Naturally this means that they are counted among the apostles in the general sense true of Barnabas, James, the brother of Christ, Silas, and others. But it can mean simply that they were famous in the circle of the apostles in the technical sense. Who have been in Christ before me Andronicus and Junias were converted before Paul was. Note γεγοναν gegonan (Koiné{[28928]}š form by analogy) instead of the usual second perfect active indicative form γεγονασιν gegonasin which some MSS. have. The perfect tense notes that they are still in Christ. [source]
Hebrews 1:6And again, when he bringeth in, etc. [ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ] Const. again with bringeth in. “When he a second time bringeth the first-begotten into the world.” Referring to the second coming of Christ. Others explain again as introducing a new citation as in Hebrews 1:5; but this would require the reading πάλιν δὲ ὅταν andagain, when. In Hebrews, πάλιν , when joined to a verb, always means a second time. See Hebrews 5:12; Hebrews 6:1,Hebrews 6:2. It will be observed that in this verse, and in Hebrews 5:7,Hebrews 5:8, God is conceived as spoken of rather than as speaking; the subject of λέγει saithbeing indefinite. This mode of introducing citations differs from that of Paul. The author's conception of the inspiration of Scripture leads him to regard all utterances of Scripture, without regard to their connection, as distinct utterances of God, or the Holy Spirit, or the Son of God; whereas, by Paul, they are designated either as utterances of Scripture in general, or of individual writers. Very common in this Epistle are the expressions, “God saith, said, spake, testifieth,” or the like. See Hebrews 2:11,Hebrews 2:13; Hebrews 3:7; Hebrews 4:4,Hebrews 4:7; Hebrews 7:21; Hebrews 10:5,Hebrews 10:8,Hebrews 10:15,Hebrews 10:30. Comp. with these Romans 1:17; Romans 2:24; Romans 4:17; Romans 7:7; Romans 9:13; Romans 10:5,Romans 10:16,Romans 10:20,Romans 10:21; Romans 11:2. Ὅταν εἰσαγάγῃ wheneverhe shall have brought. The event is conceived as occurring at an indefinite time in the future, but is viewed as complete. Comp. John 16:4; Acts 24:22. This use of ὅταν with the aorist subjunctive never describes an event or series of events as completed in the past. [source]
Greek Commentary for Romans 9:13
This language sounds a bit harsh to us. It is possible that the word μισεω miseō did not always carry the full force of what we mean by “hate.” See Matthew 6:24 where these very verbs (μισεω miseō and αγαπαω agapaō) are contrasted. So also in Luke 14:26 about “hating” (μισεω miseō) one‘s father and mother if coming between one and Christ. So in John 12:25 about “hating” one‘s life. There is no doubt about God‘s preference for Jacob and rejection of Esau, but in spite of Sanday and Headlam one hesitates to read into these words here the intense hatred that has always existed between the descendants of Jacob and of Esau. [source]
See Genesis 25:23. Representing their respective nations, as often in the Old Testament. Numbers 23:7, Numbers 23:10, Numbers 23:23; Numbers 24:5; Jeremiah 49:10; compare also the original of the citation, Malachi 1:2, Malachi 1:3, the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel. Compare also Edom in Malachi 1:4, synonymous with Esau in Malachi 1:3; and Israel, Malachi 1:5, synonymous with Jacob, Malachi 1:2. [source]
The expression is intentionally strong as an expression of moral antipathy. Compare Matthew 6:24; Luke 14:26. No idea of malice is implied of course. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 9:13
Probably only fellow-countrymen as in Romans 9:13. Fellow-prisoners (συναιχμαλωτυς sunaichmalōtus). Late word and rare (in Lucian). One of Paul‘s frequent compounds with συν sun Literally, fellow captives in war. Perhaps they had shared one of Paul‘s numerous imprisonments (2 Corinthians 11:23). In N.T. only here, Philemon 1:23; Colossians 4:10. Of note Stamped, marked Old word, only here and Matthew 27:16 (bad sense) in N.T. Among the apostles (εν τοις αποστολοις en tois apostolois). Naturally this means that they are counted among the apostles in the general sense true of Barnabas, James, the brother of Christ, Silas, and others. But it can mean simply that they were famous in the circle of the apostles in the technical sense. Who have been in Christ before me Andronicus and Junias were converted before Paul was. Note γεγοναν gegonan (Koiné{[28928]}š form by analogy) instead of the usual second perfect active indicative form γεγονασιν gegonasin which some MSS. have. The perfect tense notes that they are still in Christ. [source]
Const. again with bringeth in. “When he a second time bringeth the first-begotten into the world.” Referring to the second coming of Christ. Others explain again as introducing a new citation as in Hebrews 1:5; but this would require the reading πάλιν δὲ ὅταν andagain, when. In Hebrews, πάλιν , when joined to a verb, always means a second time. See Hebrews 5:12; Hebrews 6:1, Hebrews 6:2. It will be observed that in this verse, and in Hebrews 5:7, Hebrews 5:8, God is conceived as spoken of rather than as speaking; the subject of λέγει saithbeing indefinite. This mode of introducing citations differs from that of Paul. The author's conception of the inspiration of Scripture leads him to regard all utterances of Scripture, without regard to their connection, as distinct utterances of God, or the Holy Spirit, or the Son of God; whereas, by Paul, they are designated either as utterances of Scripture in general, or of individual writers. Very common in this Epistle are the expressions, “God saith, said, spake, testifieth,” or the like. See Hebrews 2:11, Hebrews 2:13; Hebrews 3:7; Hebrews 4:4, Hebrews 4:7; Hebrews 7:21; Hebrews 10:5, Hebrews 10:8, Hebrews 10:15, Hebrews 10:30. Comp. with these Romans 1:17; Romans 2:24; Romans 4:17; Romans 7:7; Romans 9:13; Romans 10:5, Romans 10:16, Romans 10:20, Romans 10:21; Romans 11:2. Ὅταν εἰσαγάγῃ wheneverhe shall have brought. The event is conceived as occurring at an indefinite time in the future, but is viewed as complete. Comp. John 16:4; Acts 24:22. This use of ὅταν with the aorist subjunctive never describes an event or series of events as completed in the past. [source]