Audio commentary on this verse

Note 2 at Rom. 9:8: Paul cites six Old Testament references to make his point that God's promises to Abraham and his "seed" were made to the spiritual offspring of Abraham, not the physical.

First, Isaac was not the firstborn son of Abraham entitled to the birthright and blessing, yet he obtained both because he was chosen by God. Next, Jacob was not the firstborn either, yet he was chosen by God. These two examples confirm that God's promise was not inherited by birth.

Paul also points out that before Jacob and his twin brother Esau were born, God told Rebecca that the elder would serve the younger. They weren't even born yet, so they had not done any good or evil that caused God to make this choice. This meant that the blessing of Abraham was not obtained by individual performance either, but was based solely on God's choosing by grace.