Romans 9:12

Romans 9:12

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

1. “It was said unto her…”

a. [Strong: 3754 hoti hot'-ee neuter of 3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:--as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.]

b. It was said [Strong: 4483 rheo hreh'-o, for certain tenses of which a prolonged form ereo er-eh'-o is used; and both as alternate for 2036 perhaps akin (or identical) with 4482 (through the idea of pouring forth); to utter, i.e. speak or say:--command, make, say, speak (of).]

c. [unto] her [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

2. “…The elder shall serve the younger.”

a. The [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

b. elder [Strong: 3187 meizon mide'-zone irregular comparative of 3173; larger (literally or figuratively, specially, in age):--elder, greater(-est), more.]

     

c. shall serve [Strong: 1398 douleuo dool-yoo'-o from 1401; to be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary):--be in bondage, (do) serve(-ice).]

d. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

e. younger [Strong: 1640 elasson el-as'-sone or elatton el-at-tone' comparative of the same as 1646; smaller (in size, quantity, age or quality):--less, under, worse, younger.]

1). Genesis 25:20-23   And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

25:21 And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

25:22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.

25:23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

a). Meyer’s NT Commentary: “…The greater and the smaller [elder and younger], refer to the two nations represented by the elder and younger twin sons, of which they were to be ancestors; and this prediction was fulfilled first under David, who conquered the Edomites (2 Samuel 8:14); then, after they had freed themselves in the time of Joram (2 Kings 8:21), under Amaziah (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Chronicles 25:11) and Uzziah (2 Kings 14:22; 2 Chronicles 26:2), who again reduced them to slavery; and lastly, after they had once more broken loose in the time of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:17; according to 2 Kings 16:6, they had merely wrested the port of Elath from the Jews), under Johannes Hyrcanus, who completely vanquished them, forced them to be circumcised, and incorporated them in the Jewish state (Joseph. Ant. xiii. 9. 1).