SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:4
que son israelitas, de los cuales es la adopcin (como hijos), y la gloria, y los Pactos, y la data de la ley y el culto y las promesas;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 9:4
Verse 4. Who are Israelites] Descendants of Jacob, a man so highly favoured of God, and from whom he received his name Israel-a prince of God, Gen. xxxii. 28; from which name his descendants were called Israelites, and separated unto God for his glory and praise. Their very name of Israelites implied their very high dignity; they were a royal nation; princes of the most high God. The adoption] The Israelites were all taken into the family of God, and were called his sons and first-born, Exod. iv. 22; Deut. xiv. 1; Jer. xxxi. 9; Hos. xi. 1; and this adoption took place when God made the covenant with them at Horeb.
The glory] The manifestation of God among them; principally by the cloud and pillar, and the Shekinah, or Divine presence, appearing between the cherubim over the mercy-seat. These were peculiar to the Jews; no other nation was ever thus favoured.
The covenants] The covenants made with Abraham, both that which relates to the spiritual seed, and that which was peculiar to his natural descendants, Gal. iii. 16, 17; which covenants were afterwards renewed by Moses, Deut. xxix. 1. Some suppose that the singular is here put for the plural, and that by covenants we are to understand the decalogue, which is termed tyrb berith, or covenant, Deut. iv. 13.
But it is more likely that the apostle alludes to the great covenant made with Abraham, and to its various renewals and extensions at different times afterwards, as well as to its twofold design-the grant of the land of Canaan, and the rest that remains for the people of God.
The giving of the law] The revelation of God by God himself, containing a system of moral and political precepts. This was also peculiar to the Jews; for to no other nation had he ever given a revelation of his will.
The service] latreia. The particular ordinances, rites, and ceremonies of their religious worship, and especially the sacrificial system, so expressive of the sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God.
The promises] The land of Canaan, and the blessings of the Messiah and his kingdom; which promises had been made and often repeated to the patriarchs and to the prophets.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. Who are Israelites , etc..] Which were their national name, as descended from Jacob, whose name was Israel; and it was accounted a very honourable one; (see Philippians 3:5 2 Corinthians 11:22); and the very name they bore gave the apostle some concern that they should be cut off; and then he proceeds to enumerate the several distinguishing favours and privileges they had been partakers of: to whom pertaineth the adoption ; not that special adoption, which springs from eternal predestination, is a blessing of the covenant of grace, comes through the redemption of Christ, and is received and enjoyed only by believers in him; for all that were Israelites, were not in this sense the children of God; but national adoption is here meant, by which the whole body of the people, as nation, were the sons of God, his firstborn: and the glory ; either the ark of the covenant, which is so called in ( Psalm 63:2), according to Kimchi; or the clouds in the tabernacle and temple, which were called the glory of the Lord, and were symbols of his presence, the same with the Shekinah; and so Aben Ezra interprets power, the ark, and glory, the Shekinah, ( Psalm 63:2), and the covenants ; not the two Testaments, Old and New, but the covenant of circumcision, made with Abraham their father, and the covenant at Sinai they entered into with the Lord; some copies, and the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, read, the covenant: and the giving, of the law : hrwt tm , a way of speaking the Jews make use of when they take notice of this privilege; for it was peculiarly given to them with great solemnity by God himself, through the disposition of angels into the hands of Moses the mediator, and by him to them; and on account of this, they reckoned themselves more beloved of God than the rest of mankind f167 and the service of God ; or the service, as in the Greek text. So the Jews are used to call it hdwb[ , the service; and false worship is called by them hrz hdwb[ , strange service, which is the title of one of their Misnic tracts; and here it signifies the whole worship of God, in the whole compass of it, sacrifices, prayer, praise, etc.. daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly: and the promises ; both temporal and spiritual, especially such as related to the Messiah, and which now had their accomplishment.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Being about to discuss the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and to show that the whole agrees with the sovereign electin love of God, the apostle expresses strongly his affection for his people. He solemnly appeals to Christ; and his conscience, enlightene and directed by the Holy Spirit, bore witness to his sincerity. He would submit to be treated as "accursed," to be disgraced, crucified and even for a time be in the deepest horror and distress; if he coul rescue his nation from the destruction about to come upon them for their obstinate unbelief. To be insensible to the eternal condition of our fellow-creatures, is contrary both to the love required by the law and the mercy of the gospel. They had long been professed worshipper of Jehovah. The law, and the national covenant which was grounde thereon, belonged to them. The temple worship was typical of salvatio by the Messiah, and the means of communion with God. All the promise concerning Christ and his salvation were given to them. He is not onl over all, as Mediator, but he is God blessed for ever.
Greek Textus Receptus
οιτινες 3748 R-NPM εισιν 1526 5748 V-PXI-3P ισραηλιται 2475 N-NPM ων 3739 R-GPM η 3588 T-NSF υιοθεσια 5206 N-NSF και 2532 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF δοξα 1391 N-NSF και 2532 CONJ αι 3588 T-NPF διαθηκαι 1242 N-NPF και 2532 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF νομοθεσια 3548 N-NSF και 2532 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF λατρεια 2999 N-NSF και 2532 CONJ αι 3588 T-NPF επαγγελιαι 1860 N-NPF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Who (oitinev). The double relative characterizes the Israelites with their call and privileges as such that for them he could even wish himself accursed.Israelites. See on Acts iii. 12.
Adoption. See on ch. viii. 15. Israel is always represented as the Lord's son or first-born among all peoples. Exod. iv. 22; Deut. xiv. 1; Hosea xi. 1.
The glory. The visible, luminous appearance of the divine presence was called by the Israelites the glory of Jahveh, or, in rabbinical phrase, the Shekinah. See Exod. xxiv. 16; xl. 34, 35; Ezek. i. 28; Heb. ix. 5. Not the final glory of God's kingdom; for this belongs to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews.
The covenants (ai diaqhkai). See on Matt. xxvi. 28. Those concluded with the patriarchs since Abraham. See Gal. iii. 16, 17; Eph. ii. 12. The plural never occurs in the Old Testament. See on Heb. ix. 16. The giving of the law (h nomoqesia). The act of giving, with a secondary reference to the substance of the law; legislation.
The service (h latreia). See on John xvi. 2; Luke i. 74; Apoc. xxii. 3; Philip. iii. 3. Here the sum total of the Levitical services instituted by the law.
The promises. The collective messianic promises on which the covenants were based. The word originally means announcement. See on Acts i. 4.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:4 {Who} (hoitines). The very ones who, inasmuch as they. {Israelites} (Israleitai). Covenant name of the chosen people. {Whose} (hwn). Predicate genitive of the relative, used also again with hoi pateres. For "the adoption" (h huiothesia) see #8:15. {The glory} (he doxa). The shekinah Glory of God (#3:23) and used of Jesus in #Jas 2:1. {The covenants} (hai diathkai). Plural because renewed often (#Ge 6:18; 9:9; 15:18; 17:2,7,9; Ex 2:24). {The giving of the law} (h nomothesia). Old word, here only in N.T., from nomos and tiqemi. {The service} (h latreia). The temple service (#Heb 9:1,6). {The fathers} (hoi pateres). The patriarchs (#Ac 3:13; 7:32).
