I have deep sorrow
Paul expresses profound emotional pain, reflecting his intense concern for the spiritual state of his fellow Israelites. This sorrow is rooted in his understanding of their rejection of Christ, which he sees as a tragic loss given their rich spiritual heritage. The depth of his sorrow is reminiscent of the prophets in the Old Testament, such as Jeremiah, who lamented over Israel's unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 9:1). This phrase highlights the personal and emotional investment Paul has in the salvation of his people, showing his pastoral heart and deep empathy.

and unceasing anguish
The term "unceasing" indicates that Paul's distress is constant and persistent. This ongoing anguish underscores the seriousness with which he views the spiritual condition of Israel. It reflects a burden that is not momentary but a continual weight on his heart. This mirrors the heart of God, who desires all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Paul's anguish can also be seen as a type of Christ, who wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), showing a deep love and longing for the people to recognize their Messiah.

in my heart
The heart, in biblical terms, is the center of emotions, will, and intellect. Paul's use of "heart" indicates that his sorrow and anguish are not superficial but deeply rooted in his innermost being. This phrase emphasizes the sincerity and authenticity of his feelings. It connects to the broader biblical theme of the heart as the seat of true devotion and concern, as seen in the Shema, where believers are called to love God with all their heart (Deuteronomy 6:5). Paul's heartfelt sorrow is a model of genuine love and concern for others' spiritual well-being.

1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the Book of Romans, Paul is expressing his deep emotional burden for his fellow Israelites who have not accepted Christ.

2. Israelites
The ethnic and religious group to whom Paul is referring, highlighting his sorrow over their unbelief and separation from the promises of God.

3. Rome
The city to which the letter is addressed, where a diverse Christian community, including both Jews and Gentiles, resides.The Heart of an Intercessor
Paul’s sorrow reflects the heart of an intercessor who deeply cares for the spiritual well-being of others. As believers, we are called to carry a similar burden for those who do not know Christ.

The Reality of Spiritual Anguish
The Christian life involves sharing in the sufferings of Christ, which includes experiencing sorrow for the lost. This sorrow should drive us to prayer and action.

The Importance of Compassion
Paul’s anguish is rooted in love and compassion. We are encouraged to cultivate a heart that genuinely cares for the salvation of others, moving beyond indifference.

Balancing Sorrow with Hope
While Paul experiences deep sorrow, he also holds onto the hope of God’s promises. Christians are called to balance their sorrow for the lost with the hope of redemption through Christ.1. What is the meaning of Romans 9:2?

2. How does Romans 9:2 challenge us to empathize with others' spiritual struggles?

3. What does Paul's "great sorrow" teach about love for the lost?

4. How can we cultivate a heart like Paul's in Romans 9:2?

5. Connect Romans 9:2 with Jesus' compassion in Matthew 9:36.

6. How can Romans 9:2 inspire our prayers for unbelieving friends and family?

7. What does Romans 9:2 reveal about Paul's emotional state regarding Israel's unbelief?

8. How does Romans 9:2 challenge the concept of divine justice and mercy?

9. Why does Paul express "great sorrow" in Romans 9:2 for his fellow Israelites?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Romans 9?

11. What does the Bible say about seeking forgiveness?

12. In 2 Corinthians 2:4, is Paul’s emotional distress genuine or a literary device to manipulate his readers?

13. If God wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), why does He deliberately harden people's hearts (Romans 9:18)?

14. What does the Bible say about heartbreak?I have

Paul’s words are intensely personal. He is not speaking in generalities; he is taking ownership of the burden.

• Romans 9:3 continues the thought: “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers...”. That willingness to sacrifice underscores how real the burden is to him.

• In 2 Corinthians 11:28–29 he admits a “daily pressure” for all the churches; here the concern narrows to Israel.

• Galatians 4:19 shows the same parental tone: he is “in pains of childbirth” until Christ is formed in others.

Paul’s example invites every believer to own a similar compassion for those still outside God’s saving grace.

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deep sorrow

The phrase describes grief that runs far below the surface.

• Jesus displayed it when He “wept over” Jerusalem (Luke 19:41–42), grieving that His people did not recognize their visitation.

• Jeremiah voiced it: “Oh, that my head were a fountain of tears…” (Jeremiah 9:1); the prophet’s heart broke over national rebellion.

• Psalm 119:136 echoes the emotion: “My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.”

Paul’s sorrow springs from the same well: Israel’s unbelief despite her privileges (Romans 9:4–5).

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and unceasing anguish

The grief never lets up; it is ongoing.

• Romans 10:1 shows the perseverance of his burden: “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation”.

• Acts 20:31 records that for “three years” he warned with tears “night and day.”

• 2 Corinthians 2:4 reveals that even corrective letters flowed from “great distress and anguish of heart…with many tears.”

The gospel mission is not a hobby to Paul; it is a constant ache that propels his ministry.

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in my heart

The anguish lives at the core of his being—it is not a public performance but an inner reality.

• 2 Corinthians 6:11–12 shows a heart “wide open” toward believers, proving authenticity.

• Philippians 1:8: “I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus,” mirroring Christ’s own heart (Matthew 9:36).

• 1 Thessalonians 2:8 speaks of sharing “not only the gospel… but our very lives.” Genuine love lodges in the heart before it reaches the lips.

Such inward grief reflects God’s own desire that none perish (2 Peter 3:9).

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summary

Romans 9:2 reveals Paul’s personal, profound, relentless heartache over Israel’s unbelief. His ownership (“I have”), the depth (“deep sorrow”), the persistence (“unceasing anguish”), and the location (“in my heart”) paint a picture of Christlike compassion. The verse challenges believers to carry a similarly heartfelt, ongoing concern for the lost, praying and laboring until they come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Verses 2, 3. - That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. He does not say what for, leaving it to appear in what follows. The broken sentence is significant of emotion. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. None of the ways that have been suggested for evading the obvious meaning of this assertion are tenable. One such way is to take the imperfect ηὐχόμην as expressing what he once wished, viz. before his conversion; so that the meaning would be, "My interest in my own people is such that, in my zeal for them, I once myself desired to be entirely apart from Christ; I myself said, Ἀνάθεμα (1 Corinthians 12:3), and persecuted his followers." Neither the natural force of the imperfect here (as to which cf. Acts 25:22; Galatians 4:20), nor that of ἀνάθεμα εῖναι, nor the context, allow this subterfuge. Another way is to understand ἀνάθεμα εῖναι as implying only devotion to temporal destruction, i.e. to a violent death. In Leviticus 27, every animal devoted to the Lord (in the LXX. ἀνάθεμα) is surely to be put to death; and this has been conceived as all that is implied here. So Jerome, 'Quaest. 9, ad Algas.,' and Hilary, 'Ad Psalm 8.' But how then about ἀπὸ Ξριστοῦ? The words ἀνάθεμα and ἀνάθημα, from ἀνατίθημι, both denote primarily what is offered or set apart; the latter being applied to things devoted to God's honour and service (cf. Luke 21:5), the latter always in the New Testament used to denote rejection or devotion to evil. It occurs in Acts 23:14; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Galatians 1:8, 9. It certainly means here separation from the communion of Christ, in the same sense as κατηργήθστε ἀπὸ τοῦ Ξριστοῦ (Galatians 5:4). Even if the expression ἀνάθεμα εῖναι be understood as meaning in itself excommunication only (as ανάθεμα ἐστω in ecclesiastical usage), the addition of ἀπὸ τοῦ Ξριστοῦ evidently implies more than mere separation from outward Church communion. The apostle can hardly mean otherwise than that he would forfeit his own communion with Christ on behalf of (ὑπὲρ) his countrymen, if so they as a nation could be brought to accept the gospel. This certainly was a strong thing to say, and it may seem to us to imply an impossibility, if we compare it, for instance, with Romans 8:38, "I am persuaded," etc. But we need not understand a passing expression of feeling, however real, as a deliberate utterance. The imperfect ηὐχόμην implies only that the fact had passed through his mind in the intensity of his desire for the salvation of his brethren. It corresponds with the saying of Moses under the like strong emotion, "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin -; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou hast written" (Exodus 32:32). Bengel remarks well," Ex summa fide (cap. 8) nunc summum ostendit amorem, ex amore divine accensum. Res non poterat fieri, quam optarat: sed votum erat pium et solidum, quamlibet cum tacita conditione, si fieri posset." Also, "De mensura amoris in Mose et Paulo non facile est existimare. Eum enim modulus ratiocinationum nostrarum non capit; sieur heroum bellicorum animos non capit parvulus." St. Paul proceeds, in the spirit of a patriotic Jew, which he ever retained, to enumerate the peculiar privileges of the chosen people, their possession of which rendered their present failure to realize their purpose so peculiarly disappointing and distressing.

Parallel Commentaries ...


I
μοί (moi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

have
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

deep
μεγάλη (megalē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

sorrow
λύπη (lypē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3077: Pain, grief, sorrow, affliction. Apparently a primary word; sadness.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

unceasing
ἀδιάλειπτος (adialeiptos)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 88: Unceasing, unremitting. Unintermitted, i.e. Permanent.

anguish
ὀδύνη (odynē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3601: Pain, sorrow, distress, of body or mind. From duno; grief.

in
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

my
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

heart.
καρδίᾳ (kardia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2588: Prolonged from a primary kar; the heart, i.e. the thoughts or feelings; also the middle.


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NT Letters: Romans 9:2 That I have great sorrow and unceasing (Rom. Ro)