Romans 9:11

“For [the children] being not yet born, So says f176 the Chaldee paraphrast, “the prophet said unto them, was it not said of Jacob, dylyta ald d[, “when he was not yet born”, that he should be greater than his brother?” the Syriac version supplies, “his children”, that is, Isaac's; and the Arabic version, “his two children”. This shows, that the apostle designs not the posterity, but the very persons of Jacob and Esau; since as he speaks of their conception in the verse preceding, so of their birth in this: and though in the words of God to Rebecca, and which are urged in favour of the other sense, it is said, “two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy…”

“For the children being not yet born - It was not, therefore, by any works of theirs. It was not because they had formed a character and manifested qualities which made this distinction proper. It was laid back of any such character, and therefore had its foundation in the purpose or plan of God. Neither having done any good or evil - That is, when the declaration Romans 9:12 was made to Rebecca. This is a very important passage in regard to the question about the purposes of God. (1) They had done nothing good or bad; and when that is the case, there can be, properly speaking, no moral character, for “a character is not formed when the person has not acquired stable and distinctive…”

“the children: Rom 4:17; Psa 51:5; Eph 2:3 that the: Rom 8:28-30; Isa 14:24, Isa 14:26, Isa 14:27, Isa 23:9, Isa 46:10, Isa 46:11; Jer 51:29; Eph 1:9-11; Eph 3:11; Ti2 1:9 according: Rom 11:5, Rom 11:7; Eph 1:4, Eph 1:5; Th1 1:4; Pe2 1:10 not of works: Rom 11:6; Eph 2:9; Tit 3:5 but of: Rom 8:28; Th1 2:12; Th2 2:13, Th2 2:14; Pe1 5:10; Rev 17:14 Romans 9:12”