“Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;”
King James Version (KJV)
9:4 Whose is the adoption, &c. - He enumerates six prerogatives, of which the first pair respect God the Father, the second Christ, the third the Holy Ghost. The adoption and the glory - That is, Israel is the first - born child of God, and the God of glory is their God, #Deut 4:7|; Psalm 106:20. These are relative to each other. At once God is the Father of Israel, and Israel are the people of God. He speaks not here of the ark, or any corporeal thing. God himself is the glory of his people Israel. And the covenants, and the giving of the law - The covenant was given long before the law. It is termed covenants, in the plural, because it was so often and so variously repeated, and because there were two dispositions of it, #Gal 4:24|, frequently called two covenants; the one promising, the other exhibiting the promise. And the worship, and the promises - The true way of worshipping God; and all the promises made to the fathers.
Ro 9:4 Who are Israelites. He now enumerates some of the glories of the Jewish race. Jacob, their ancestor, had been called Israel by the angel (Ge 32:28). This means a Prince with God, and this proud title was borne by his descendants. To whom [pertaineth]. Six high privileges of the chosen people are named in Ro 9:4,5. The adoption. They were adopted as the chosen people (De 7:6). The glory. The presence of the ark of God and the glory of the Divine Presence (1Sa 4:21). The covenants. The covenants made with Abraham (Ge 17:7) and at Sinai (Ex 19:5). The giving of the law. The law of Moses given to the children of Israel (Ex 24:12). The service [of God]. The worship of the tabernacle and temple (Ex 30:16 Ezr 6:18 Heb 9:6). And the promises. Especially the blessed promise of Christ. (Ac 2:38,39).