Joseph Benson commentary on Romans 9:9-19
Verses 9-13 Observe, reader, Isaac is not brought forward in this chapter as a type, or example, of persons personally elected by God from eternity, but as a type of those, how few or how many soever they may be, that shall be counted God's children, and judged meet to inherit his kingdom. And not only this, &c. And that God's blessing does not belong to all the descendants of Abraham, appears not only by this instance, but by that of Esau and Jacob, the latter of whom was chosen to inherit the blessing of being the progenitor of the Messiah, and other blessings connected therewith, before either of them had done good or evil—The apostle mentions this to show, that neither did their ancestors receive their advantages through any merit of their own; that the purpose of God according to election might stand whose purpose was to elect to superior blessings, particularly to church privileges; not of works—Not for any preceding merit in him he chose; but of him that ...