Shalom, dragonfly.
Umm.... from across the Atlantic.... what are 'brass brads', please?
Sure. They are brass buttons that have two flat, brass tabs extending below the button that can be inserted through the holes in three-hole-punched paper (for instance), and then the flat tabs can be folded away from each other on the other side to bind the pieces of paper together. I don't know what they might be called in your country, but I'm pretty sure that you probably have something like them in whatever stores you have that sell office supplies. My point was that these devices are highly malleable so they might be bent easily with the fingers and would NOT hold up as a common nail would if treated as a nail.
Going back to the beginning of your post, another question: you said: 'That is NOT what makes a person "of Isra'el!" '
So, how do you expound Paul's statements at the start of Romans 9, bearing in mind he is writing to a church which contains both Jews and Gentiles?
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Like this:
Romans 9:6-18
6 Ouch hoion de hoti ekpeptooken ho logos tou Theou. Ou gar pantes hoi ex Israeel houtoi Israeel:
7 oud' hoti eisin sperma Abraam pantes tekna, all': "En Isaak kleetheesetai soi sperma."
8 Tout' estin, ou ta tekna tees sarkos tauta tekna tou Theou alla ta tekna tees epaggelias logizetai eis sperma.
9 Epaggelias gar ho logos outos: "Kata ton kairon touton eleusomai kai estai tee Sarra huios."
10 Ou monon de, alla kai Rebekka ex henos koiteen echousa, Isaak tou patros heemoon:
11 meepoo gar genneethentoon meede praxantoon ti agathon ee faulon hina hee kat' eklogeen prothesis tou Theou menee, ouk ex ergoon all' ek tou kalountos,
12 errethee autee hoti Ho meizoon douleusei too elassoni,
13 kathoos gegraptai: "Ton Iakoob eegapeesa, ton de Eesau emiseesa."
14 Ti oun eroumen? mee adikia para too Theoo? Mee genoito.
15 Too Moo-usei gar legei: Ele-eesoo hon an eleoo kai oiktireesoo hon an oiktiroo.
16 Ara oun ou tou thelontos oude tou trechontos alla tou eleoontos Theou.
17 Legei gar hee grafee too Faraoo hoti eis auto touto exeegeira se hopoos endeixoomai en soi teen dunamin mou kai hopoos diaggelee to onoma mou en pasee tee gee.
18 Ara oun hon thelei eleei, hon de thelei skleerunei.
The Greek New Testament
6 Ouch = 6 Not
hoion = like/as-though
de = but
hoti = that/because
ekpeptooken = has-dropped-away
ho = the
logos = word/subject
tou = of-the
Theou. = God.
Ou = Not
gar = for
pantes = all
hoi = the-ones
ex = out-of
Israeel = Isra'el
houtoi = these/those
Israeel: = of-Isra'el:
7 oud' (oude) = 7 but-not
hoti = that/because
eisin = they-are
sperma = a-seed
Abraam = of-Avraham
pantes = all
tekna, = children,
all' (alla): = but:
"En = "In
Isaak = Yitschak (Isaac)
kleetheesetai = shall-be-called
soi = your (singular)/thy
sperma." = seed."
8 Tout' (Touto) = 8 That-thing
estin, = is,
ou = not
ta = the
tekna = children
tees = of-the
sarkos = flesh
tauta = these/those
tekna = children
tou = of-the
Theou = God
alla = but
ta = the
tekna = children
tees = of-the
epaggelias = announcment
logizetai = are-considered
eis = into/to
sperma. = seed.
9 Epaggelias = 9 Of-an-announcement
gar = for
ho = the
logos = word/message
outos: = this:
"Kata = "According-to/down
ton = the
kairon = time
touton = this
eleusomai = I-will-come
kai = and
estai = shall-have
tee = the
Sarra = Sarah
huios." = a-son."
10 Ou = 10 Not
monon = only
de, = but,
alla = but
kai = also
Rebekka = Rivkah (Rebekkah)
ex = out-of
henos = one
koiteen = union/conception/coitus
echousa, = had-acquired
Isaak = Yitschaq (Isaac)
tou = of-the
patros = father
heemoon: = of-us/our:
11 meepoo = 11 not-yet
gar = for
genneethentoon = being-born
meede = but-not/neither
praxantoon = having-done
ti = any
agathon = good-thing
ee = or
faulon, = bad-thing,
hina = so-that
hee = the
kat' (kata) = down/according-to
eklogeen = election/chosen
prothesis = purpose
tou = of-the
Theou = God
menee, = might-stay,
ouk = not
ex = out-of
ergoon = works
all' (alla) = but
ek = out-of
tou = the
kalountos, = caller,
12 errethee = 12 It-was-said
autee = to-her
hoti = that
"Ho = "The
meizoon = older-one
douleusei = shall-slave-for
too = the
elassoni," = younger-one,"
13 kathoos = 13 Like/As
gegraptai: = it-is-written:
"Ton = "The
Iakoob = Ya`aqov (Jacob)
eegapeesa, = I-have-loved,
ton = the
de = but
Eesau = `Esav (Esau)
emiseesa." = I-have-detested."
14 Ti = 14 What/Which/Who
oun = certainly/accordingly
eroumen? = we-shall-say?
mee = No
adikia = injustice
para = with
too = the
Theoo? = God?
Mee = No/Never
genoito. = let-it-be.
15 Too = 15 To-the
Moo-usei = Mosheh (Moses)
gar = for
legei: = he-says:
Ele-eesoo = I-will-be-compassionate
hon = on-whom
an = wish/supposition/possibility/uncertainty
eleoo = I-want-to-be-compassionate
kai = and
oiktireesoo = I-will-show-pity
hon = on-whom
an = wish/supposition/possibility/uncertainty
oiktiroo. = I-want-to-show-pity.
16 Ara = 16 So
oun = then
ou = not
tou = the
thelontos = one-who-chooses
oude = not-but/neither
tou = the
trechontos = one-who-runs/one-who-races
alla = but
tou = the
eleoontos = one-who-shows-compassion
Theou. = God.
17 Legei = 17 Says
gar = for
hee = the
grafee = Scripture/writing
too = to-the
Faraoo = Pharaoh
hoti = that
eis = into/to
auto = him
touto = this
exeegeira = I-have-fully-aroused
se = you (singular)/thee
hopoos = in-the-manner-that/what-how/whatever-how
endeixoomai = I-might-indicate
en = in
soi = you (singular)/thee
teen = the
dunamin = power
mou = of-me/my
kai = and
hopoos = in-the-manner-that/what-how/whatever-how
diaggelee = might-be-heralded-thoroughly
to = the
onoma = name/authority
mou = of-me/my
en = in
pasee = all
tee = the
gee. = earth.
18 Ara = 18 So
oun = certainly/accordingly
hon = on-whom
thelei = he-will
eleei, = he-has-compassion,
hon = on-whom
de = but
thelei = he-will
skleerunei. = he-makes-stubborn/he-makes-indurate.
6 Not like/as-though but that/because has-dropped-away the word/subject of-the God. Not for all the-ones out-of Isra'el these/those of-Isra'el:
7 but-not that/because they-are a-seed of-Avraham all children, but: "In Yitschak (Isaac) shall-be-called your (singular)/thy seed."
8 That-thing is, not the children of-the flesh these/those children of-the God but the children of-the announcment are-considered into/to seed.
9 Of-an-announcement for the word/message this: "According-to/down the time this I-will-come and shall-have the Sarah a-son."
10 Not only but, but also Rivkah (Rebekkah) out-of one union/conception/coitus had-acquired Yitschaq (Isaac) of-the father of-us/our:
11 not-yet for being-born but-not/neither having-done any good-thing or bad-thing, so-that the down/according-to election/chosen purpose of-the God might-stay, not out-of works but out-of the caller,
12 It-was-said to-her that "The older-one shall-slave-for the younger-one,"
13 Like/As it-is-written: "The Ya`aqov (Jacob) I-have-loved, the but `Esav (Esau) I-have-detested."
14 What/Which/Who certainly/accordingly we-shall-say? No injustice with the God? No/Never let-it-be.
15 To-the Mosheh (Moses) for he-says: I-will-be-compassionate on-whom wish/supposition/possibility/uncertainty I-want-to-be-compassionate and I-will-show-pity on-whom wish/supposition/possibility/uncertainty I-want-to-show-pity.
16 So then not the one-who-chooses not-but/neither the one-who-runs/one-who-races but the one-who-shows-compassion God.
17 Says for the Scripture/writing to-the Pharaoh that into/to him this I-have-fully-aroused you (singular)/thee in-the-manner-that/what-how/whatever-how I-might-indicate in you (singular)/thee the power of-me/my and in-the-manner-that/what-how/whatever-how might-be-heralded-thoroughly the name/authority of-me/my in all the earth.
18 So certainly/accordingly on-whom he-will he-has-compassion, on-whom but he-will he-makes-stubborn/he-makes-indurate.
6 However not as though the word of God has dropped away. For not all those of Isra'el [are] out of Isra'el:
7 nor because they are a seed of Avraham are all children, but: "In Yitschak (Isaac) a seed shall be called to thee."
8 That is, not the children of the flesh those children of God but the children of the announcment are considered for a seed.
9 For the message of this announcement: "According to this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."
10 But not only this, but also Rivkah (Rebekkah) out of one conception had acquired of our father Yitschaq (Isaac):
11 for not yet being born but neither having done any good thing or bad thing, so that the purpose of God might stay according to election, not out of works but out of the caller,
12 It was said to her that "The older one shall slave for the younger one,"
13 As it is written: "I have loved Ya`aqov (Jacob), but I have detested `Esav (Esau)."
14 What accordingly shall we say? No! Injustice with God? Never let it be!
15 For to Mosheh (Moses) he says: I will be compassionate on whom I wish to be compassionate and I will show pity on whom I wish to show pity.
16 So then not the one who chooses neither the one who races but God the one who shows compassion.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh that into/to him this I have fully aroused thee in the manner that I might indicate in thee my power and in the manner that my name might be heralded thoroughly in all the earth.
18 So accordingly he has compassion on whom he will, but he makes stubborn whom he will.
The point of all this is NOT that people who are not of the seed of Isra'el can be called "of Isra'el" but rather that God, though HIS compassion and HIS election chooses who would be the children of promise! The line would not be through any of the other children of Avraham, nor was it to be through `Esav (Esau). He IS, however, saying that not everyone who is from the seed of Isra'el is of Isra'el, i.e., an Isra'elite, because "he makes stubborn whom he will" ... like the P'rushiym (the Pharisees)!
Paul's point here was not the "broadening of God's selection as to who would be considered Isra'el," but the NARROWING of His selection ... at least in this passage.