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Romans Commentary Chapters 9-16  /  Romans 9:10-13 the Two Nations from Jacob and Esau Part Two  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
Clifton argues “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated” in Malachi refers to nations (Israel/Edom) and a “before and after” fulfillment, not God emotionally hating a baby; how does that interpretation change the emotional tone many people bring to Romans 9, and what does it reveal about God’s patience across centuries in judging peoples based on persistent character and actions?
Another way to ask: If “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated” is about nations over time and not God hating a baby, how does that change the way Romans 9 feels emotionally? What does it show about God being patient for centuries before judging people based on repeated character and actions?

Direct Answer According to the transcript, this reading removes the picture of God “emotionally hating a baby” and instead frames Romans 9:13 as a long-history judgment on nations, which softens the emotional shock and highlights God’s measured, historically vindicated justice. It reveals a “before and after” patience: God spoke prophecy early, then centuries later judged in line with persistent national behavior.

Support from Transcript:

  • Terry: many “misread… and imagine Paul is saying that God arbitrarily loved Jacob and hated Esau before they were even born.”
  • He insists Malachi’s words are “not about the two brothers… They are about the two earthly nations, Israel and Edom.”
  • “Paul is no longer quoting from Genesis, but from Malachi,” written “over a thousand years after” Genesis—Jacob/Esau were “long since… dead.”
  • Malachi is quoted with national judgment language: “I have made his mountains a desolation… given his heritage to the jackals.”
  • God’s hatred of Edom is said to be “by no means” arbitrary; Edom “wickedly mistreated their brothers,” and Obadiah cites “violence done to your brother Jacob.”
  • Terry summarizes: Paul shows “first the original prophecy and then its fulfillment,” and God is “vindicated” because foreknowledge proves true in actions over time.
Discussion Follow-ups How does reading Romans 9 with the “before/after” timeline change your picture of God’s character? What does it suggest about how God evaluates peoples—and not just individuals—over long periods?

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