Romans 9:27

Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Esaias {G2268} also {G1161} crieth {G2896} concerning {G5228} Israel {G2474}, Though {G1437} the number {G706} of the children {G5207} of Israel {G2474} be {G5600} as {G5613} the sand {G285} of the sea {G2281}, a remnant {G2640} shall be saved {G4982}:

But Yesha‘yahu, referring to Isra’el, cries out,

“Even if the number of people in Isra’el is as large
as the number of grains of sand by the sea,
only a remnant will be saved.

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.

And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved:

Romans 9:27 introduces a pivotal concept in Paul's argument concerning Israel's standing before God. Here, the Apostle Paul quotes from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, specifically Isaiah 10:22-23, to underscore that God's promises to Israel are not invalidated by the nation's widespread rejection of Christ, but rather fulfilled through a chosen minority.

Context

This verse is part of Paul's profound discourse in Romans chapters 9-11, where he grapples with the perplexing question of Israel's unbelief and God's faithfulness. Having established the universal need for salvation through faith in Christ for both Jews and Gentiles (as seen in Romans 3:23 and Romans 10:9), Paul addresses how God's promises to His chosen people, Israel, fit into this new covenant reality. He argues that God's choice is sovereign, not based on human merit or lineage, illustrating this with examples like Jacob over Esau. The quote from Isaiah serves as a prophetic confirmation that God's plan always included saving a "remnant," not the entire nation by default.

Key Themes

  • God's Sovereign Choice and Faithfulness: The passage highlights that God's plan of salvation is not dependent on human numbers or national identity, but on His divine election. Despite Israel's vast population, God's faithfulness is demonstrated in preserving a chosen few who respond to His call.
  • The Doctrine of the Remnant: This is the central theme. The concept of a "remnant" (Greek: leimma or kataleimma, meaning "that which is left over" or "a surviving portion") is a significant biblical idea, appearing throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Isaiah 1:9, Isaiah 11:11). It signifies that even in times of widespread apostasy or judgment, God preserves a faithful core who remain true to Him. Paul reiterates this in Romans 11:5, emphasizing that it is "according to the election of grace."
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: Paul's use of Isaiah demonstrates how Old Testament prophecies, even those seemingly grim, are being fulfilled in the present. The promise of countless descendants to Abraham (Genesis 22:17) is affirmed, but with the crucial clarification that spiritual salvation is for a remnant, not merely for all biological descendants.

Linguistic Insights

The name "Esaias" is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew prophet "Isaiah." The phrase "as the sand of the sea" is a common biblical idiom representing an innumerable multitude, often used in God's promises of blessing and progeny, particularly to Abraham. The word "remnant" (Greek: kataleimma in the Septuagint version of Isaiah Paul quotes) is key, denoting a small, surviving group chosen by God, contrasting with the vast majority.

Practical Application

Romans 9:27 offers several profound implications for believers today. It reminds us that salvation is always a work of God's grace and sovereign choice, not a matter of human lineage, ethnicity, or numerical strength. It encourages us to understand that God's purposes will always prevail, even when the majority seem to reject Him. For those who feel like a minority standing for truth, the concept of the "remnant" provides comfort and assurance that God always preserves a faithful people. It underscores the importance of individual faith and spiritual rebirth over mere affiliation with a religious group or national identity, echoing Jesus' words about the need to be "born again" to enter the Kingdom of God.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Isaiah 10:20

    ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

  • Isaiah 10:23

    For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

  • Romans 11:4

    But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of] Baal.

  • Romans 11:6

    And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

  • Isaiah 1:9

    Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, [and] we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

  • Hosea 1:10

    Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people, [there] it shall be said unto them, [Ye are] the sons of the living God.

  • Genesis 22:17

    That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

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