Romans 9:26 · Bible study
Romans 9:26 Commentary: From 'Not My People' to Children of God
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul applies Hosea's promise of restoration to show Gentiles are called children of the living God. A study of reversal and adoption.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul applies Hosea's prophecy of Israel's restoration to the inclusion of Gentiles as children of God.
- Key words: τόπος (place), κληθήσονται (they will be called), ζῶντος (living).
- Main debate: Whether Hosea directly prophesied Gentiles or Paul applies a general principle of divine reversal.
- Theological theme: Sovereign mercy, adoption, and the creation of a new people from those once excluded.
- Best use: Preaching the radical scope of God's grace that reaches beyond every human boundary.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And it shall be, thatin the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and it shall be--in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, Ye [are] not my people, there shall they be called Sons of [the] living God.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And it shalt be in the place where it was said unto them: you are not my people; there they shall be called the sons of the living God.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y será, que en el lugar donde|strong="G3739, G3757" les fué dicho: Vosotros no sois pueblo mío: allí serán llamados hijos del Dios viviente.
E será que, no lugar onde lhes foi dito: “Vós não sois meu povo, Aí serão chamados filhos do Deus vivo”.
et là où on leur disait: Vous n’ êtes pas mon peuple! Ils seront appelés fils du Dieu vivant.
“ Und soll geschehen: An dem Ort, da zu ihnen gesagt ward: ‘ Ihr seid nicht mein Volk’, sollen sie Kinder des lebendigen Gottes genannt werden.”
En het zal zijn, in de plaats, waar tot hen gezegd was: Gijlieden zijt Mijn volk niet, aldaar zullen zij kinderen des levenden Gods genaamd worden.
e avverrà che nel luogo ov’era loro stato detto: “Voi non siete mio popolo”, quivi saran chiamati figliuoli dell’Iddio vivente.
I stanie się, że na tem miejscu, gdzie im mawiano: Nie jesteście wy ludem moim, tam nazwani będą synami Boga żywego.
И на том месте, где сказано им: вы не Мой народ, там названы будут сынами Бога живаго.
從前 在 甚麼地方 對他們 說：你們 不是 我的 子民，將來就在那裡 稱他們為「永生 神的 兒子」。
And in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they will be named the sons of the living God.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 9:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul quotes Hosea 1:10 to confirm Gentile inclusion. Clarke and Gill read the prophecy as directly foretelling this; Barnes and Calvin argue Paul uses God's pattern of restoring a rejected people as a general principle now applied to the Gentiles. In both cases, the focus is God's sovereign mercy. The Greek verb κληθήσονται (klethesontai, “they will be called”) is future passive, emphasizing that God himself bestows the new identity. The phrase “children of the living God” stands out against the dead idols of the Gentile world (Gill notes the contrast). Paul's point is clear: the God who restored Israel after judgment now calls a people from every nation. There is no disagreement that the verse announces a radical reversal of status.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Direct prophecy of Gentiles: Clarke and Gill read the phrase 'in the place' as Gentile lands, making Hosea a direct prediction of the Gentile mission.
- General principle applied: Barnes and Calvin argue that Paul uses God's treatment of exiled Israel as a precedent; the same principle now applies to Gentiles.
- Typological fulfillment: Lange sees the call among the 'no-people' as creating a new people from Jews and Gentiles, fulfilling Hosea typologically in the church.
What is clear: Paul declares that those once called 'not my people' are now called 'children of the living God,' demonstrating God's mercy to all who believe.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Paul's use of Hosea | Paul uses the prophecy to demonstrate Gentile inclusion in God's people. | Clarke and Gill read it as a direct prophecy of Gentile calling; Barnes and Calvin see Paul applying a general pattern of restoration from Israel's history. |
| Meaning of 'in the place' | It emphasizes the location of the reversal, where rejection was declared, acceptance is announced. | Some (Clarke, Gill, Poole) identify it with Gentile lands; others (Fritzsche, cited by Lange) see it as the church or the ideal state of God's kingdom. |
| Identity as children of God | The phrase 'sons of the living God' signifies adoption into a personal relationship with the true God. | Gill emphasizes the contrast with dead idols; Wesley focuses on the fact that Gentiles do not need to come to Judea, God meets them wherever they are. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to a Roman church divided between Jewish and Gentile believers. Many Jewish Christians felt that God's promises to ethnic Israel excluded outsiders. To answer them, Paul turns to the prophet Hosea (Hosea 1:9, 10). In Hosea's day, God commanded the prophet to name his son Lo-Ammi, “not my people”, as a sign of judgment on the northern kingdom. Yet immediately after, God promised restoration: the same place where the declaration of rejection was spoken would become the place where they would be called “sons of the living God.”
The original prophecy addressed the ten tribes scattered among the nations. Paul sees a pattern: God's mercy first reverses Israel's own exile, and now that same mercy reaches to Gentiles who were never God's people. The word “place” (τόπος) has drawn debate. Lange notes that Hitzig explains it as “instead of,” while Matthew Henry and Poole take it as the very countries where Gentiles lived, hence “in the place where” idolatry reigned, there God would have a people. Clarke adds that the “decrease of numbers in the Church by God's taking away the ten tribes shall be well supplied by calling the Gentiles.” For Paul, the “living God” (theou zontos) contrasts with lifeless idols, underscoring that adoption comes from the true God alone. This verse thus functions as a powerful argument from Scripture that God's plan has always included the nations.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The quotation follows the Septuagint of Hosea 1:10 closely.
Reception History
Early Christian writers cited this verse to defend Gentile inclusion without requiring Jewish law. In the Reformation, interpreters on both sides of the Catholic‑Protestant divide saw it as evidence of God's sovereign freedom to create a people. Modern scholarship focuses on Paul's hermeneutical method, how he reads the Old Testament as bearing witness to the gospel. The verse is often featured in discussions of adoption, ecclesiology, and the extension of the covenant.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- “You are not my people” (Judgment). God has the right to reject as well as accept. The declaration at Lo-Ammi reminds us that sin separates us from God.
- “In that very place” (Transformation). Where rejection was pronounced, acceptance is announced. Paul emphasizes the location, the same spot, the same people, so the reversal is total.
- “Children of the living God” (Adoption). The new identity is not merely a status but a relationship. God becomes Father, and believers become sons and daughters.
Five-point outline
- God’s sovereign mercy. He is free to create a people where none existed.
- The universality of the call. No ethnic or geographical boundary limits God's invitation.
- The certainty of the promise. The future verb ἔσται (“it will happen”) underlines that God's plan is sure.
- A new geography of grace. The “place” is no longer Jerusalem or Israel but anyplace where the gospel is preached.
- The living God as Father. Idols cannot adopt; only the living God can give the right to become his children.
Illustration hooks
- A person who grew up told they were unwanted, then later adopted into a family that celebrates them.
- An immigrant community that is first shunned, then welcomed and honored as contributing members of a new country.
- The experience of someone who carried a label of shame, failure, outsider, and then discovered an identity in Christ.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does my past disqualify me from being part of God’s family?
- How can I trust that God accepts me when I feel far from him?
- If God can reverse “not my people” into “children,” what does that require of our church’s welcome?
Leading a Discussion
Paul takes words originally spoken to exiled Israel and uses them to announce that Gentiles are now full members of God’s family. This verse challenges us to consider who we might exclude and how God’s mercy reaches beyond every border.
Discussion questions
- Read Hosea 1:9, 10 alongside Romans 9:26. What was God’s original message to Israel, and how does Paul change the application?
- What does it mean to be called “children of the living God”? How is that different from simply being called “people of God”?
- The phrase “in the very place” emphasizes location. Why does that matter for our understanding of where God can work today?
- How does this verse shape your view of people outside the church? Does it affect how you pray for them?
- If God can reverse a sentence like “not my people,” what hope does that give for relationships you think are beyond repair?
- Paul’s argument depends on Scripture. How does this encourage you to read the Old Testament as part of the gospel story?
- How can your small group or church better embody the “place” where outsiders become insiders?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 43:6 | I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’ and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back! Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth— |
| Hosea 1:9 | He said, “Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I will not be yours. |
| Hosea 1:10 | Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can’t be measured or counted; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ |
| Matthew 16:16 | Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” |
| John 11:52 | and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. |
| Romans 8:16 | The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; |
| II Corinthians 6:18 | I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.” |
| Galatians 3:26 | For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the reversal in Hosea's prophecy: the Jewish people, once God's own, become "not my people," while the Gentiles, who were never His people, are brought in as children of the living God. He also notes that the Jews' dispersion across the Roman empire helped prepare the Gentiles to receive the Gospel.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Paul quotes Hosea not as a direct prophecy about Gentiles but to establish a general principle from God's past dealings: if God once restored rejected Jews, the same pattern applies to Gentiles now. He also highlights that "shall be called" means God's favorable judgment, not just existence.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that God's elect are perpetually His children in eternal counsel, but Scripture only counts as children those whose election has been proven by their calling. Until God adopts them and manifests His love, they remain alienated and not beloved. We must never judge God's election except by its own clear evidences.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator reads the phrase "in the place where" as carrying two distinct references. It points first to the Sanctuary, from which restored Israel would no longer be excluded. Second, it points to the Church and the family of the Promise, viewed as a spiritual locality.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note observes that God's call transforms the very place of rejection into the place of adoption. Where the people once heard they were not God's people, in that same setting they are now named children of the living God.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes the dramatic reversal: in the very places where Gentiles once worshipped lifeless idols and were called "not my people," they are now declared children of the living God. He grounds this in eternal predestination to adoption, secured in the covenant, and applied by the Spirit's witness through faith.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the phrase "in the place where" as a deliberate emphasis on the dramatic reversal. The very location that once heard the declaration of exclusion becomes the site where they are called sons of God, underscoring the complete and gracious change from rejection to full acceptance.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Paul presents three distinct stages—election, ordination, and call—not a single absolute decree. Hardening is not God's arbitrary act but a judicial response to human self-hardening, and God's sovereignty always conditions itself by personal conduct, making His freedom consistent with His character, not capricious.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that the inclusion of the Gentiles was not a break from God's promises but was foretold in the Old Testament. He notes that former unworthiness is no obstacle to God's grace, as Hosea prophesied that those who were not God's people would be called His beloved.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley's point is that the promise of being called sons of God is not tied to a physical location. Those who receive this honor do not need to leave their homeland and travel to Judea. God's blessing comes to them wherever they are.