Romans 9:12
New International Version
not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

New Living Translation
he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”

English Standard Version
she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

Berean Standard Bible
not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

Berean Literal Bible
not of works, but of the One calling, it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger."

King James Bible
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

New King James Version
it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”

New American Standard Bible
it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”

NASB 1995
it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”

NASB 1977
it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”

Legacy Standard Bible
it was said to her, “THE OLDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”

Amplified Bible
it was said to her, “THE OLDER (Esau) WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER (Jacob).”

Christian Standard Bible
not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
not from works but from the One who calls—she was told: The older will serve the younger.

American Standard Version
it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For it was said, “The elder shall be a Servant to the younger”,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said to her: The elder shall serve the younger.

English Revised Version
it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
a choice based on God's call and not on anything people do.

International Standard Version
according to his calling and not by actions), Rebecca was told, "The older child will serve the younger one."

Literal Standard Version
it was said to her, “The greater will serve the less”;

Majority Standard Bible
not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

New American Bible
not by works but by his call—she was told, “The older shall serve the younger.”

NET Bible
it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger,"

New Revised Standard Version
not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.”

New Heart English Bible
it was said to her, "The elder will serve the younger."

Webster's Bible Translation
It was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger.

Weymouth New Testament
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."

World English Bible
it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”

Young's Literal Translation
'The greater shall serve the less;'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Sovereign Choice
11Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, 12not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”…

Cross References
Genesis 25:23
and He declared to her: "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.


Treasury of Scripture

It was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger.

The elder.

Genesis 25:22,23
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD…

2 Samuel 8:14
And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

1 Kings 22:47
There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

younger.

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Romans 9
1. Paul is sorry for the Jews.
7. All of Abraham not of the promise.
18. God's sovereignty.
25. The calling of the Gentiles and rejecting of the Jews, foretold.
32. The cause of their stumbling.














(12) The elder shall serve the younger.--The margin gives as an alternative rendering, "the greater shall serve the lesser." The quotation is taken from the LXX., in which there is the same ambiguity.

This ambiguity also appears to exist in the Hebrew, where it is a disputed question whether the words refer to age or to the comparative strength of the two peoples. In either case, it is the nations that should spring from Esau and Jacob that are meant.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

by
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

works
ἔργων (ergōn)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 2041: From a primary ergo; toil; by implication, an act.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

by
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

Him who
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

calls,
καλοῦντος (kalountos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'.

she
αὐτῇ (autē)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

was told,
ἐρρέθη (errethē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2046: Probably a fuller form of rheo; an alternate for epo in certain tenses; to utter, i.e. Speak or say.

“The
(Ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

older
μείζων (meizōn)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

will serve
δουλεύσει (douleusei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1398: To be a slave, be subject to, obey, be devoted. From doulos; to be a slave to.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

younger.”
ἐλάσσονι (elassoni)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 1640: Less, smaller; poorer, inferior. Or elatton el-at-tone'; comparative of the same as elachistos; smaller.


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NT Letters: Romans 9:12 It was said to her The elder (Rom. Ro)
Romans 9:11
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