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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
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OET (OET-LV) And Aʸsaias/(Yəshaˊyāh) is_crying_out concerning the Israaʸl/(Yisrāʼēl):
If may_be the number of_the sons of_Israaʸl/(Yisrāʼēl), as the sand of_the sea, the remnant will_be_being_saved.
OET (OET-RV) The prophet Yeshayah called out about Yisrael: ‘Even though the Israelis are as numerous as grains of sand, only the minority of them will be saved
In this section, Paul began by asking if God acts unjustly when he chooses some people and not others. Paul answered his own question with a strong “No!” All God’s choices depend on his mercy and not on anything about the people he chooses. God made Pharaoh the way he was when he wanted the Jews to leave Egypt.
Paul spoke to a possible complaint about no one ultimately being able to resist God’s will. He said that complaining to God about that is futile.
God shows his anger and power against people he has hardened. He does this to show how great his mercy is to other people. Both Jews and Gentiles are eligible to receive his mercy.
Here are other possible headings for this section:
God’s choices/will are/is sovereign/supreme
God chooses whom he wants for both Jews and Gentiles
These words are from Isaiah 10:22–23, but it is not an exact quote. However, Isaiah spoke in 9:27b–28b, so quote marks are needed in English. If you indicate the location of quotes from the Old Testament with cross-references, you may want to do so here.
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
And/But long ago Isaiah called out about the people of Israel,
The prophet Isaiah said in Scripture about the Israelites,
The Greek of 9:27a begins with a word that can be translated “and” or “but.” A number of English versions want to indicate that Paul quoted the Old Testament again, so they use “and” (ESV). It is also possible to see contrast between God speaking of only a remnant of Israel being saved and some Gentiles being called “sons of the living God.” For example:
But (REB)
In some languages it is more natural to omit this word and allow the context to indicate the correct meaning, as the BSB does.
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: This clause introduces an Old Testament quote that Isaiah wrote hundreds of years before Paul wrote Romans. In some languages some or all of this must be explained. For example:
in Scripture Isaiah cried out about Israel long ago
Isaiah: Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet, and his book has many prophecies. In some languages it is more clear for the readers to indicate that Isaiah was a prophet. For example:
the prophet Isaiah (CEV)
cries out: The phrase cries out indicates speaking strongly with urgency. In some languages a literal translation would refer only to weeping or wailing. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:
exclaims (GNT)
makes this proclamation (REB)
said loudly/urgently
The Greek and the BSB use the present tense here, as in 9:15. Greek scholars call it the historical present. In many languages the normal way of referring to a past event must be used, as in the last example above.
Israel: Here this word refers to the people group called Israel.
“Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea,
“Even if the count of the people of Israel is as the count of the grains of sand of the seashore,
“One day the Israelite people might become very many like the number of the grains of sand at the edges of the oceans.
Though: The form of this Greek clause expresses something that is possible but not certain. Here, in the case where the number of the people of Israel might become as much as the sand of the seashore, only a portion (the remnant) will be saved (9:27c).
the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea: This clause compares the number of the people of Israel to the number of grains of sand on the seashore. It is a poetic exaggeration to say “very, very many.” Here are other ways to translate this clause:
the people of Israel are as many as the grains of sand by the sea (GNT)
the people of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand along every beach
the number (lit. manyness) of the descendants of Israel is like the sand on the edge of the oceanKankanaey Back Translation on TW.
sand of the sea: This refers to the sand on the ocean beaches around the world. See the above examples.
only the remnant will be saved.
only a portion of them will be saved.
But God will save only the remaining ones of them.
only the remnant will be saved: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
God will save only the remnant
remnant: This word means “the portion left behind” or “the portion still remaining.” God will save only some Israelites.
saved: This word refers to being rescued from something harmful or dangerous.
See how you translated this word in 5:10 or 8:24.
Note 1 topic: writing-quotations
Ἠσαΐας δὲ κράζει ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ
Isaiah (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἠσαΐας Δέ κράζει ὑπέρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ Ἐάν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμός τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης τό ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται)
This phrase indicates that what follows in this verse and the next verse is a quotation from an Old Testament book ([Isaiah 10:22–23](../isa/10/22.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: [But, as recorded in the Scriptures, Isaiah cries out concerning Israel]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture
κράζει
˓is˒_crying_out
Here Paul uses the present tense verb cries out to refer to something that happened in the past. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: [cried out]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
Ἰσραήλ
Israel
Here, Israel refers to the Israelites. They are the descendants of Jacob, whom God also called Israel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Israelites] or [the descendants of Israel]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks
ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται.
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἠσαΐας Δέ κράζει ὑπέρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ Ἐάν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμός τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης τό ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται)
This sentence is the beginning of a quotation from [Isaiah 10:22–23](../isa/10/22.md). It may be helpful to your readers to indicate this with an opening quotation mark or with whatever other punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate the beginning of a quotation.
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ
˱of˲_the sons (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἠσαΐας Δέ κράζει ὑπέρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ Ἐάν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμός τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης τό ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται)
Here, the word sons means refers to descendants. Paul quotes Isaiah identifying the Israelites as descendants of their ancestor Jacob, who was also known as Israel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the people of Israel]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης,
as the sand ˱of˲_the sea
Paul quotes Isaiah leaving out some of the words that a clause would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply these words from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: [as the number of the grains of sand of the sea]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης
as the sand ˱of˲_the sea
Here Paul quotes Isaiah comparing the number of Israelites to the number of grains of sand beside the sea in order to emphasize how numerous they are. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [too many to count]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης
the sand ˱of˲_the sea
Paul quotes Isaiah using the possessive form to describe the sand that is next to the sea. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [the sand by the sea]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τὸ ὑπόλειμμα
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἠσαΐας Δέ κράζει ὑπέρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ Ἐάν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμός τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης τό ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of remnant, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [those who remain]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
σωθήσεται
˓will_be_being˒_saved
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [God will save]
OET (OET-LV) And Aʸsaias/(Yəshaˊyāh) is_crying_out concerning the Israaʸl/(Yisrāʼēl):
If may_be the number of_the sons of_Israaʸl/(Yisrāʼēl), as the sand of_the sea, the remnant will_be_being_saved.
OET (OET-RV) The prophet Yeshayah called out about Yisrael: ‘Even though the Israelis are as numerous as grains of sand, only the minority of them will be saved
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.