Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 9:5

"whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." — Romans 9:5 (ASV)

Whose are the fathers. They have been honored with such an illustrious ancestry, being descended from Abraham, Isaac, and so on. On this, they highly valued themselves, and, in a certain sense, not unjustly.

Of whom. This means, of whose nation. This is presented as the crowning and most exalted privilege: that their nation had given birth to the long-expected Messiah, the hope of the world.

As concerning the flesh. This means, so far as His human nature was concerned. The use of this language implies that there was a higher nature, in respect to which He was not of their nation. (See the notes on Romans 1:3).

Christ came. He had already come, and it was their high honor that He was one of their nation.

Who is over all. This is a title that belongs only to the true God. It implies supreme Divinity; and is full proof that the Messiah is Divine.

Much effort has been made to show that this is not the true rendering, but without success. There are no various readings in the Greek manuscripts of any consequence, and the connection here evidently requires us to understand this of a nature that is not "according to the flesh"—that is, as the apostle here shows, of the Divine nature.

God blessed for ever. This is evidently applied to the Lord Jesus; and it proves that He is Divine. If the translation is fairly made—and it has never been proved to be erroneous—it demonstrates that He is God as well as man.

The doxology "blessed for ever" was usually added by Jewish writers after mentioning the name God, as an expression of reverence. (See the various interpretations that have been proposed on this passage, examined in Professor Stuart's notes on this verse.)