And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
Parallel translations
- WEB Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
- BSB Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.
- ESV And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,
- NKJV And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac
- NASB And not only that, but there was also Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
- NLT This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul advances his argument to Rebekah, who conceived twins by one father, Isaac. This sets up an even clearer case of God's electing choice between Jacob and Esau.
Overview
Anticipating an objection that Isaac was chosen over Ishmael merely because of different mothers, Paul points to Rebekah's twins, who shared the same father and mother. Jacob and Esau had identical parentage, removing any human basis for distinguishing them. This prepares the way for the decisive demonstration in the next verses that God's choice rests on his own purpose, not on human qualifications.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Gen 25:21–23And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
- Luke 16:26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
- Rom 5:11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
- Rom 5:3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 9:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.