Romans 9:29

King James Version (KJV)

And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

And as Esaias said before - What God designs to do with the Jews at present, because of their obstinacy and rebellion, is similar to what he has done before, to which the same prophet refers, Isaiah 1:9; : Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrha: i.e. had not God, who commands and overrules all the powers in heaven and earth, in mercy preserved a very small remnant, to keep up the name and being of the nation, it had been quite cut off and extinct, as Sodom and Gomorrha were. Thus we learn that it is no new thing with God to abandon the greatest part of the Jewish nation, when corrupt, and to confine his favor and blessing to a righteous, believing few.

Instead of remnant, שריד sarid, both the Septuagint and the apostle have σπερμα, a seed, intimating that there were left just enough of the righteous to be a seed for a future harvest of true believers. So the godly were not destroyed from the land; some remained, and the harvest was in the days of the apostles.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

The rejecting of the Jews, and the taking in the Gentiles, were foretold in the Old Testament. It tends very much to the clearing of a truth, to observe how the Scripture is fulfilled in it. It is a wonder of Divine power and mercy that there are any saved: for even those left to be a seed, if God had dealt with them according to their sins, had perished with the rest. This great truth this Scripture teaches us. Even among the vast number of professing Christians it is to be feared that only a remnant will be saved.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

29. Said before. Some take this to mean “foretold,” or “predicted” (cf. Matt. 24:25; Acts 1:16). Others understand it to mean simply “said at an earlier time” (cf. 2 Cor. 7:3; Gal. 1:9). The decision rests upon whether Isaiah’s words are to be regarded as a prediction or as a description of the state of Israel in his time. In the latter case Paul would simply be making Isaiah’s words his own and using them as a description applicable to the similar condition of Israel in his day. In either case the quotation is suitable to Paul’s argument. Still a third interpretation takes “before” to mean “in an earlier passage.” The statement referred to is from an earlier part of Isaiah’s writings (Isa. 1:9).

Except the Lord. The quotation is from Isa. 1:9.

Sabaoth. Gr. Sabaoth, a transliteration of the Heb. á¹£eba’oth, “hosts,” “armies.” The KJV translates this Hebrew word in the OT as “host” but leaves á¹£eba’oth untranslated in the NT (cf. James 5:4). For the significance of the title “Lord of hosts” see on Jer. 7:3.

A seed. Or, “children,” “descendants.” These are the “remnant” of v. 27. The Hebrew of Isa. 1:9 reads “a little remnant.” The LXX. like Paul, represents these as “seed,” from which the nation shall spring up again (cf. Isa. 6:13; Hosea 2:23). The point of the quotation is that except for this remnant the rejection of Israel would be as utter and complete as was that of Sodom and Gomorrah. But throughout the centuries a little remnant had maintained its integrity. Despite the prevailing unfaithfulness and apostasy, this unbroken line of witnesses has remained true to God and to conditions of His promises to Abraham (Rom. 11:4, 5; cf. Ps. 22:30, 31; Isa. 6:12, 13).

As Sodoma. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is frequently mentioned in the OT as an example of a violent overthrow (see also Deut. 29:23; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 49:18; 50:40; Lam. 4:6; Amos 4:11; Zeph. 2:9). Jesus also refers to these cities when speaking of the divine judgment (Matt. 11:23, 24; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12).

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Ellen G. White
The Acts of the Apostles, 379

Thus Paul shows that God is abundantly able to transform the hearts of Jew and Gentile alike, and to grant to every believer in Christ the blessings promised to Israel. He repeats Isaiah's declaration concerning God's people: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: for He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma and been made like unto Gomorrah.” AA 379.1

At the time when Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple laid in ruins, many thousands of the Jews were sold to serve as bondmen in heathen lands. Like wrecks on a desert shore they were scattered among the nations. For eighteen hundred years the Jews have wandered from land to land throughout the world, and in no place have they been given the privilege of regaining their ancient prestige as a nation. Maligned, hated, persecuted, from century to century theirs has been a heritage of suffering. AA 379.2

Notwithstanding the awful doom pronounced upon the Jews as a nation at the time of their rejection of Jesus of Nazareth, there have lived from age to age many noble, God-fearing Jewish men and women who have suffered in silence. God has comforted their hearts in affliction and has beheld with pity their terrible situation. He has heard the agonizing prayers of those who have sought Him with all the heart for a right understanding of His word. Some have learned to see in the lowly Nazarene whom their forefathers rejected and crucified, the true Messiah of Israel. As their minds have grasped the significance of the familiar prophecies so long obscured by tradition and misinterpretation, their hearts have been filled with gratitude to God for the unspeakable gift He bestows upon every human being who chooses to accept Christ as a personal Saviour. AA 379.3

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Cross References

Except

Sabaoth

we had been