L '^L\'Ki'i^'fiiMJ^^\i C. U. C. A. Biblical Reference Library. PRESENTED BY ALFRED C. BARNES. NOT TO BE TAKEN FROM THE ROOM. CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 924 092 350 499 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924092350499 G N I N THE NEW TESTAMENT JOHN ALBERT BEN6EL. NOW FIRST TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH. OKISINAL NOTES EXPLANATOEY AND ILLTJSTEATIVE. REVISED AND EDITED BY KEV. ANDKEW E. PAUSSET, M.A., OF TBINITt COtLEGE, DDBLIN. VOL. III. " TO GIVE SUBTILTT TO THE MMPIE, TO THE YOCNG MAN KNOWLEDGE AND DIS- CKETION. A WISE MAN WILL HEAB, AND WILL INOKEASE LEAKNING ; AND A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING SHALL ATTAIN UNTO WISE COUNSELS." — PEOV. 1. 4, 5. EDINBUEGH: T. & T. CLARK, 38, GEORGE STREET. MDCCCLXXVir, rrJNTED BY MURKAY AND GIBB, FOE T. & T. CLARK, EDINBUEGH. * LONDON, . . . HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND 00. DUBLIN, . JOHN KOBEETSON AND CO. NEW YOr.K, . SOKIBNEE, WELFOED, AND AEMSTEONG. G N I N THE NEW TESTAMENT JOHN ALBERT BENGEL. ACCORDING TO THE EDITION OEIGIN ALLY BKOnOHT OUT BY HIS SON, I. ERNEST BENGEL; AND SUBSEQUENTLY COMPLETED BY J. C. I. STEUDEL. WITH COKKECTIONS AND ADDITIONS FROM THE ED. SECUNDA OF 175P. VOLUME III. CONTAINING THE COMMENTARY ON THE ROMANS, I. CORINTHIANS, AND II. CORINTHIANS, TRANSLATED BY rev". JAMES BEYCE, IL.D. SEVENTH EDITION. EDINBUEGH: T. & T. CLARK, 38. GEORGE STREET. MDCCCLXXVII. ANNOTATIONS PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE EOMANS. CHAPTER I. 1. IiauXos, Paul. The beginning of the Epistle, the inscription.^ The Scriptures of the New Testament, as compared with the books of the Old Testament, have the epistolary form ; and in those, not merely what has been written by Paul, Peter, James, and Jude, but also both the treatises of Luke, and all the writ- ings of John. Nay, it is of more consequence, that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself wrote seven letters in His own name, by the hand of John (Eev. ii. and iii.) ; and the whole Apocalypse is equivalent to an epistle written by Himself. Epistles were usually sent, not to slaves, but to free men, and to those espe- cially who had been emancipated ; and the epistolary style of writing is better suited, than any other, for extending, as widely as possible, the kingdom of God, and for the most abundant edification of the souls of men. Moreover, Paul alone laboured in this field more than all the other apostles put together ; for ' [The Address, or Heading. — ^Bd.] The ancient Greeks and Eomans used to put, at the beginning of their letters, those things which now, ac- cording to our mode of Subscription, come under the name of the Address and previous Salutation, and this generally very brief, as if it were to be said : Paul iDishes health (sends compliments') to the Christians at Borne. But the apostle expresses those things, from a very large measure of spiritual feeling, in great exuberance of style, while he chiefly preaches Jesus Christ and His gospel, and forcibly declares his evangelical office of Apostle. — V. G. VOL. III. A ROMANS I. 1. fourteen of his epistles are extant, of which various is the arrange- ment, various the division. He wrote one to the Hebrews, with- out prefixing his name to it; he added his name to the rest; and these were partly addressed to churches, partly to indivi- duals ; and in the present day they are arranged in volumes,^ in such a way as that the one with the greatest number of verses is put first. But the chronological order is much more worthy of consideration, of which we have treated in the Ordo temporum, cap. 6.'' When that matter is settled, both the apostohc history, and these very epistles, shed a mutual light on one another; and we perceive a correspondence of thoughts, and modes of expres- sion, in epistles written at one and the same time, and concern- ing the same state of affairs [as the apostolic history — the Acts — describes] ; and we also become acquainted with the spiritual growth of the apostle. There is one division, which, we think, ought to be particularly mentioned in this place. Paul wrote in one way to chm-ches, which had been planted by his own exer- tions, but in a different way to those churches, to which he was not known by face. The former class of epistles may be com- pared to the discourses, which pastors deliver in the course of their ordinary ministrations ; the latter class, to the discourses, which strangers deliver. The former are replete with the kind- ness, or else the severity, of an intimate friend, according as the state of the respective chm-ches was more or less consistent with the Gospel ; the latter present the truths of the Gospel as it were more unmixed, in general statements, and in the abstract ; the former are more for domestic and daily use, the latter are adapted to hoKdays and solemn festivals, — comp. notes on ch. xv. 30. This epistle to the Romans is mostly of this latter description. — douXog Ijiffou XpidTou, servant of Jesus Christ) This commence- ment and the conclusion correspond (xv. 15, etc.) Xpierdu — 0EOU, of Christ — of God) Everywhere in the epistles of Paul, and throughout the New Testament, the contemplation of God and of Christ is very closely connected ; for example. Gal. ii. 19, etc. [And it is also our privilege to have the same access to God in Christ. — V. g.] — xXjjrJs amsrokog, a called apostle), [called to he an apostle. — ^Eng. vers.] Supply, of Jesus Christ ; » i.e., in the collected form,— Ed. * See Life of Bengel, sec. 22 ROMANS ]. 2. 3 for the preceding clause, a servant of Jesus Christ, is now more particularly explained. It is the duty of an apostle, and of a called apostle, to write also to the Romans. \The whole world is cer- tainly under obligation to such a servant as this. — ^V. g.] The other apostles, indeed, had been trained by long intercourse with Jesus, and at first had been called to be followers and disciples, and had been afterwards advanced to the apostleship. Paul, who had been formerly a persecutor, by a call became suddenly [without the preparatory stage of discipleship] an apostle. So the Jews were saints [set apart to the Lord] in consequence of the promise ; the Greeks became saints, merely fi-om their being called, ver. 6, etc. There was therefore a special resemblance and connection between one called to he an apostle, and those whom he addressed, called to be saints. Paul applies both to himself and to the Corinthians a similar title (1 Cor. i. 1, 2) ; and that similarity in the designation of both reminds us of the {jitorbviiieiv, pattern, or living exhibition [of Christ's grace ia Paul himself, as a sample of what others, who should beUeve, might expect], which is spoken of in 1 Tim. i. 16. While Christ is calling a man. He makes him what He calls him to be, — comp. ch. iv. 17 ; and that, too, quickly. Acts ix. 3-15. — aipupig/iivog, separated) The root, or origin of the term Pharisee, was the same as that of this word ; but, in this passage Paul intimates, that he was separated by God not only from men, from the Jews, and from the disciples, but also from teachers. There was a separation in one sense before (Gal. i. 15), and another after his call (Acts xiii. 2) ; and he refers to this very separation in the passage before us. — I'lg svayyeXiov, to the Gospel) The conjugate verb follows ver. 2, •nrpoiirnyyii'ka.ro. He had promised before. The promise was the Gospel proclaimed [announced beforehand], the Gospel is the promise fulfilled. Acts xiii. 32. God promised the Gospel, that is. He comprehended it in the promise. The promise was not merely a promise of the Gospel, but was the Gospel itself. "^ 2. "O, which). The copiousness of Paul's style shows itself in the very inscriptions: and we must, therefore, watchftilly observe the thread of the parentheses. \_God promised that He would not. only display His grace in the Son, hit also that He ' i.e., in germ. — Ed. ROMANS I. wmiU publish that very fact to the whole world. Listen to it with the most profound attention.— V. g.j— ^^os^i/r^'^""' promisea afore) formerly, often, and solemnly. The truth of the promise, and the truth of its ftilfilment, mutually confirm each other.— d,& ra. ■^po«f/iov. — ^Acts ii. 22, Paul particu- larly extols the glory of the Son of God, when writing to those to whom he had been unable to preach it face to face. Comp. Heb. X. 8, etc., note, —h dvm/j,ii, in (or with) power), most power- fully, most fully; as when the sun shines in duvdfiti, in his strength. — Rev. i. 16. — xaT& tcnZfia. ayiuguvris, according to the spirit of holiness) The word W^p ayiog, hoi]/, when the subject under discussion refers to God, not only denotes that blameless rectitude in acting, which distinguishes Him, but the God- head itself, or, to speak with greater propriety, the divinity, or the excellence of the Divine nature. Hence aymeivfi has a kind of middle sense between ayiorriTo, and kytaeihiv. — Comp. Heb. xii. 10, 14. \^' His holiness,^' ayioTni; "without ayiasfiog sanctification, no man shall see the Lord."] So that there are, as it were, three degrees, sanctification (sanctificatio), sanctity (or sanctimony, " sanctimonia,") holiness (sanctitas) Holiness itself (sanctitas) is ascribed to God the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. And since the Holy Spirit is not mentioned in this passage, but the Spirit of holiness {sanctity, sanctimoniae), we must inquire farther, what that expression, which is evidently a singular one, denotes. The name Spirit is expressly, and that too, very often, given to the Holy Spirit; but God is also said to be a Spirit ; and the Lord, Jesus Christ, is called Spirit, in antithesis indeed to the letter, 2 Cor. iii. 17. But in the strict sense, it is of use to compare with the idea here the fact, that the antithesis _flesh and spirit occurs, as in this pas- sage, so rather frequently, in passages speaking of Christ, 1 Tim. ROMANS I. 4. iii. 16, 1 Pet. iii. 18. And in these passages that is called Spirit, whatever belongs to Christ, independently of the flesh \assy,med through His descent from David, Luke, i. 35. — V. g.]? although that flesh was pure and holy ; also whatever supenor to flesh belongs to Him, owing to His generation by the Father, who has sanctified Him, John x. 36 ; in short, the Godhead itself. For, as in this passage, /esA and spirit, so at chap. ix. 5,f^sh and Godhead stand in contradistinction to each other. This spirit is not called the spirit of holiness (sanctitatis ay/oVjjros), which is the peculiar and solemn appellation of the Holy Spirit, with whom, however, Jesus was most abundantly fiUed and anointed, Luke i. 35, iv. 1, 18 ; John iii. 34 ; Acts x. 38 ; but in this one passage alone, the expression used is the spirit of sanctity (sanctimonise ayitasLvrig), in order that there may be at once im- plied the efficacy of that holiness (sanctitatis ay/or^ros) or divinity, of which the resurrection of the Saviour was both a necessary consequence, and which it most powerfully illustrates ; and so, that .spiritual and holy, or divine power of Jesus Christ glorified, who, however, has still retained the spiritual body. Before the resurrection, the Spirit was concealed under the flesh ; after the resurrection the Spirit of sanctity [sanctimonise] entirely con- cealed the flesh, although He did not lay aside the flesh ; but aU that is carnal (which was also without sin), Luke xxiv. 39. In respect of the former [His state before the resurrection]. He once used frequently to call Himself the Son of Man; in respect of the latter [His state after the resurrection ; and the spirit of sanctity, by which He rose again]. He is celebrated as the Son of God. His [manifested or] conspicuous state [as presented to men's view before His resurrection] was modified in various ways. At the day of judgment. His glory as the Son of God shall ap- pear, as also His body in the highest degree glorified. See also John VI. 63, note. — If avaerdgiug vixpSiv, by means of the resurrec- tion of the dead) 'Ex. not. only denotes time, but the connection of things (for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is at once the source and the object of our faith. Acts xvii. 31). The verb avfar^fj,, is also used without a preposition, as in Herodotus, amgrdvTig rut ^aSpZv : therefore, amgTcceig vixpuv might be taken in this passage for the resurrection from the dead. But it is in reality taken in a more pregnant sense ; for it is intimated, th^t the resurrection ROMANS I. 5. 7 of all is intimately connected witli the resurrection of Ghrist Comp. Acts iv. 2, xxiii. 6, xxvi. 23. Artemonius conjectures that the reading should be If avaeTdgeae ix nxpo\ Part I., cap. 41, p. 214, etc., and this is his construction of the passage : •Kipi [ver. 3] l^avaeTdseiii iy- vexpZiv tov v'iou airou x.r.X. concerning the re- surrection of His Son from the dead, etc. But, I. There is a manifest Apposition, concerning His Son, Jesus Christ ; therefore, the words, which come between parenthetically, are all construed in an unbroken connection with one another. EC. There is an obvious antithesis : TOT yivojiinu EK KATA : TOT 6pis6hro; — KATA — EH. — m. avagraei;, not e^avdarag/c, if we are to have regard to Paul's style, is properly applied to Christ ; but Iga- avdgragig to Christians ; Comp. iiyiipi, i^iyipsT, 1 Cor. vi. 14. Ar- temonius objects that Christ was even previously the Son of G-od, Luke iii. 22 ; John x. 36 ; Acts ii. 22, x. 38. We answer, Paul does not infer the Sonship itself, but the opig/ihv, the [decla- ration] definitive marking of the Sonship by the resurrection. And in support of this point, Chrysostom compares with this the following passages : John ii. 19, viii. 28 ; Matt. xii. 39 ; and the preaching of the apostles follows close upon this opigiJ,6v, Luke xxiv. 47. Therefore, this mode of mentioning the resur- rection is exceedingly weU adapted to this introduction, as Gal. i. 1. 5. A/' o5, hy whom), by Jesus Christ our Lord. — sXd^of^ev, we have received), we, the other apostles and I. — %«/>/!' xul amgroXriv, grace and the apostolic mission) These two things are quite distinct, but very closely connected. Grace, nay, a singular raeasirre of grace, fell to the lot of the apostles, and from it, not only their whole mission, Eph. iii. 2, but also all their actions proceeded, Kom. xii. 3, xv. 15, 16, 18. The word drngroX^ occurs in this sense in Acts i. 25. With the LXX. it signifies, sending away, a gift sent, etc. Obedience to the faith corresponds to grace and apostleship. — ilg v'jrax.oriv irigrsiii;, for obedience to the faith), that all nations may become and continue submissively obedient to the word of faith and doctrine concerning Jesus (Acts vi. 7), and may therefore render the obedience, which consists in faith itself. From its relation to the Gospel, the nature of this obedience is evident, ch. x. 16, xvi. 26 ; 1 Peter i. 2 : and Waxoi), obedience, is a,Koii f/jiS ivorayris, hearing with submission, ch. x. 3, at the close of 8 ROMANS I. 6, 7. the verse. So, Maxy believing said, Behold, the handmaid of ilis Lord, Luke i. 38, 45 — h leaei roTg 'ihidiv, among all nations) As all nations outwardly obey the authority of the Eomans, so all nations, and so the Eomans themselves also ought, with their whole heart, to he obedient to the faith — b-Kip roU hmfiarog aurou), for the name of Him, even Jesus Christ our Lord. By Him grace has come, John i. 17 ; for Him, His ambassador's act ; 2 Cor. v. 20 ; by Him faith is directed towards God, 1 Peter i. 21. 6. 'Ek o/s), among which nations, that have been brought to the obedience of the faith by the calling of Jesus Christ — xocl v/itT;, ye also) Paul ascribes no particular superiority to the Eomans. — Comp. 1 Cor. xiv. 36. He, however, touches upon the reason for his writing to the Eomans. Presently, in the following verse, he directly addresses them — kXtitoI, called), ver. 7. V. 7. nam Tois ovgiv h 'Pw/ji,ri, to all that be in Home) Most of these were of the Gentiles, ver. 13, with whom, however, Jews were mixed. They had been either born and educated at Eome, or, at least, were residing there at that time. They were dwell- ing scattered throughout a very large city, and had not hitherto been brought into the form of a regularly constituted church. Only some of them were in the habit of assembhng in the house of Priscilla and Aquila, Eom. xvi. 5. What follows, beloved, etc., agrees with the word all ; for he does not address the idolaters at Eome — ayavYiToTs 0£oD, xXriToTs ayio/g) These two clauses want the copulative conjunction, and are parallel ; for he, who belongs to God, is holy [set apart]. Comp. Heb. iii. 1. The expression, the beloved of God, he particularly applies to the be- lieving Israelites, ch. xi. 28 ; called to be saints, to believers of the Gentiles. The Israelites are holy by descent from their fathers. Acts XX. 32, note. Comp. with annot. on ver. 1 of this chapter ; but believers of the Gentiles are said to be sanctified or called saints, holy by calhng, as Paul interprets it [' sanctified'], 1 Cor. i. 2. We have here a double title, and I have referred the first part to the Israelites, the second to the Gentiles. Comp. ver. 5, 6, and add the passages, which have just now been quoted. The celebrated Baumgarten, in his German exposition of this Epistle, to which we shall often have occasion to refer, writes thus : " Hiedurch wilrde der gottesdienstliche Unterschied der Gldubigen und eingebildete Vorzug der Israeliten zu sehr hestdtigei ROMANS I. 7. 9 warden seyn, den Paulus vielmelir bestreitet und ahgescliaffet oder aufgelioben zu seyn versichert." ^ We answer : The privilege of the Israelite (although he who is called holy, is as highly blessed, as he who is the beloved of God) is as appropriate to be mentioned in Paul's introduction, as the 'xpuTov, ch. i. 16 [to the 3 ew first], is appropriate in the Statement of his subject^ there ; which [the statement of the priority of the Jew, at ver. 16] Baumgarten de- fends enough and more than enough. — %a/>'s, grace, etc. This form of expression is the customary one in the writings of Paul. See the beginnings of his epistles, and also Eph. vi. 23. — u/i/i', to you) Supply, may there fall to your lot. — tlpm) peace) D1PK', peace : a form of salutation in common use among the Hebrews, before which is placed %ap;?, grace, a term altogether consonant to the New Testament, and to the preaching of the apostles. Grace comes from God ; then, in consequence, man is in a state of peace, ch. v. 2, note. — A-jrh ©sou '?ra.Tpbg nt'-uv xal Kvplou IrisZu XpisTou, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ) The solemn form of appellation used by the apostles, God and the Father, God our Father ; and, when they speak to one another, they do not often say Kvpiog, Lord, inasmuch as by it the proper name of God with four letters [nilT' were the four letters, tetra- grammatonl is intended ; but, in the Old Testament, they had said, Jehovah our God. The reason of the difference is : in the Old Testament they were, so to speak, slaves ; in the New Testa- ment they are sons ; but sons so know their father, as to render it unnecessary to call him often by his proper name. Comp. Heb. viii. 11. Farther, when Polytheism was rooted out, it was not so necessaiy, that the true God should be distinguished from false gods, by His proper name. Kvplou is construed, not with Viwv ; for God is declared to be the Father of Jesus Christ, and our Father, not, our Father, and the Father of Jesus Christ ; but [Kvpiou is construed] with a.'jrh, as is evident from 2 Tim, i. 2. There is one and the same grace, one and the same peace, from 1 Here lay the difference in divine services among believers, and the ima- ginary superiority of the Israelites would have been too strongly confirmed,, which Paul, to make quite' sure of it, would much rather have disputed and cancelled or abolished. 2 ' Proposition!' in the Latin : Cic. Inv. ii. 18, defines it as « per quem locus is breviter exponitur, ex quo vis omnis oportet emanet ratiocinationis." 10 ROMANS I. 8, 9. God and Christ. Our confidence and prayers are directed to God, inasmuch as He is the Father of our Lord ; and to Jesus Christ, inasmuch as He makes us, through Himself, stand in the presence of the Father. 8. lifiZTO),, first) A next does not always follow ; and in this passage, the affectionate feeling and emotion of the writer have absorhed it. — f/,h) The corresponding ds follows at ver. 13. You are, says he, already indeed in the faith ; but yet I am desirous to contribute something to your improvement. — evxapierZ, I give thanks) Even at the beginning alone [besides similar beginnings in other epistles] of this epistle, there are traces of all the spiritual emotions. Among these, thanksgiving takes the pre- eminence : and with it almost all the epistles commence. The categorical idea of the sentence is : You have found faith. Thanksgiving, which is an accessory idea, renders the discourse modal {i.e., shows the manner in which the subject and pre- dicate, in the categorical sentence, are connected), — comp. note to ch. vi. 17. Paul rejoices that, what he considered should be effected by him elsewhere, as a debtor to all, was already effected at Rome. — rffl 0£» i/,o\), my God) This phrase, my God, expresses faith, love, hope, and, therefore, the whole of true religion, Ps. cxliv. 15 ; Hab. i. 12. My God is the God whom I serve ; see next verse. — h&, through) The gifts of God come to us through Christ, our thanksgivings go to God through Christ. — 7] 'xiarii, faith) In congratulations of this kind, Paul describes either the whole of Christianity, Col. i. 3, etc., or some part of it, 1 Cor. i. 5. He therefore mentions faith in this passage, as suited to the object, which he has in view, ver. 12, 17. — ■/.arayyiWiTixi, is spoken of) An abbreviated mode of expression for, You have obtained faith ; I hear of it, for it is everywhere openly declared ; so, 1 Thess. i. 8, he says, that the faith of the Thessalonians is spread abroad in every place. — h oXwT(Z x6e/i(jj, throughout the whole world) The Divine good- ness and wisdom estabUshed the faith in the principal cities, especially in Jerusalem and Eome, from which it might be disseminated throughout the whole world. 9. Maprv;, witness) A pious asseveration respecting' a matter necessary [Paul's secret prayer for them], and hidden from men, especially from those, who were remote and unknown, — 2 Cor. EOMANS I. 10-12. 11 si. 31. — XarpeCoi, I serve), as an apostle, ch. xv. 16. The witness of God resounds [is often appealed to] in spiritual service ; and he who serves God, desires and rejoices, that as many as possible should serve God, 2 Tim. i. 3. — /ivelav i/^Sn, mention of you) Paul was wont to make distinct and explicit mention of the churches, and of the souls of their members. 10. "Ei'jru; 7\bri mrs, The accumulation of the particles in- timates the strength of the desire. 11. MeradSj, I may impart), in your presence, by the preach- ing of the Gospel, ver. 15, by profitable discourses, by prayers, etc. Paul was not satisfied with writing an epistle in the meantime, but retained this purpose, ch. xv. 24. There is much greater advantage in being present, than in sending letters, when the former falls out so [when one can be present in person]. — yafiei^a -jrviv/iaTixhn, spiritual gift) In these gifts, the Corinthians abounded, inasmuch as they had been favoured with the presence of Paul, 1 Cor. i. 7, xii. 1, xiv. 1 ; in like manner the Galatians, Gal. iii. 5. And those churches, which were gladdened by the presence of the apostles, had evidently distinguished privileges of this kind ; for example, fi:om the im- position of the apostles' hands. Acts xix. 2, 6, viii. 17, 18; and 2 Tim. i. 6. But hitherto, at least, the Romans were much inferior in this respect ; wherefore also the enumeration of gifts at ch. xii. 6, 7, is extremely brief. He is, therefore, desirous to go to their assistance, that they may he established, for the tes- timony of Christ was confirmed by means of the gifts. — 1 Cor. i. 6. Peter had not, any more than Paul, visited Rome, before this epistle was written, as we learn from this passage, and indeed from the whole tenor of the epistle ; since Peter, had he been at Rome, would have imparted, what Paul was desirous to impart, to the Romans. Furthermore, Baronius thinks that this epistle was written a.d. 58 ; whereas the martyrdom of Peter took place a.d. 67 ; therefore, if he was at Rome at all, he could not have remained long at Rome. — (STnfi-)(piva,i, to he esta- blished) He speaks modestly ; It is the province of God to esta- blish, ch. xvi. 25. Paul intimates, that he is only the instrument. 12. ToDro hi liri. Moreover, that is) He explains the words, to see you, etc. He does not say. Moreover, that is, that I may bring you into the form of a regularly constituted church. Pre- 12 ROMANS I. 13, 14. caution was taken [by Divine foresight] lest the Church of Rome should be the occasion of any mischief, which nevertheless arose in after-times. — i/^Sn rs xaTi/iou, both of you and me) He not only associates with himself the Romans, together with whom he longs to be comforted [or stirred up together with whorri], but he even puts them first in the order of words, before himself. The style of the apostle is widely different from that of the Papal court at Rome. 13. 'Ou — ayvoin, not — to be ignorant) A form of expression usual with Paul, which shows the candour of his mind. — adiX(poi, brethren) An address, frequent, holy, adapted to all, simple, agreeable, magnificent. It is profitable, in this place, to con- sider the titles, which the apostles use in their addresses. They rather seldom introduce proper names, such as Corinthians, Timothy, etc. Paul most fi'equently calls them brethren ; some- times, when he is exhorting them, beloved, or my beloved brethren. James says, brethren, my brethren, my beloved brethren ; Peter and Jude always use the word beloved ; John often, beloved ; once, brethren ; more than once, little, or my little children, as Paul, my son Timothy. — xap-jrhv eyu, I might have fruit) Have) a word elegantly placed midway between receive and give. What is profitable to others is a delight to Paul himself. He esteems that as th& fruit \ofhis labour'] (Phil. i. 22). In every place, he wishes to have something [a gift] put out at interest. He some- what modifies [qualifies] this desire of gain [spiritual gain], when he speaks of himself in the following verse as a debtor. He both demands and owes, ver. 12, 11. By the cords of these two forces, the 15th verse is steadied and strengthened. — xa^ws, even as) Good extends itself among as many as possible. 14. '^Wnei Ti xal ^ap^dpoig, alike to the Greeks and to the barbarians). He reckons those among the Greeks, to whom he is writing in the Greek language. This division into Greeks and barbarians comprehends the entire Gentile world. There follows another division, alike to the wise and to the unioise; for there were fools even among the Greeks, and also wise men even aniong the Barbarians. To all, he says, I am debtor, by virtue of my divine commission to all, as being the servant of all (2 Cor. iv. 5.) Though men excel in wisdom or in power, the Gospel is still necessary to them ; others [beside the wise and powerful! are not excluded. — (Col. i. 28, note.) ROMANS I. 15, 16. IS 15. oDt4), so), therefore. It is a sort of epiphonema [exclama- tion, which follows a train of reasoning], and a conclusion drawn from the whole to an important part. — rJ xar i/ie), that is, so fa?- as depends on me, or I for my part, so far as I am not prevented ; so !Ezra Vl.] 11, %ui 6 oTxog a'jrou ri xar i/is ^oitjdrjgirai, and his house, so far as it depends upon me, shall be made [a dunghill"]. — !!r^66v/ii,ov, ready) supply there is [readiness in me ; lam ready], 3 Mac. V. 23, (26.) — ro 'jrpoUvfiOi roH ^aeiXiui b ini/icii xiiirSai, [the readiness of the king to continue in a state of preparation] — h 'Pu/iji, at Rome), to the wise. — Comp. the preceding verse; to the powerful. — Comp. the following verse and 1 Cor. i. 24 ; therefore the following expression, at Rome, is emphati(;ally repeated. — (See ver. 7.) Eome, the capital and theatre of the whole world — ihayyi\ieaa6ai,to preach the Gospel) The Statement of the Subject of the epistle is secretly implied here ; I will write, what I would wish to have spoken in your presence concerning the Gospel. 16. OJ yii.i> i^a^av, they changed), with, the utmost folly, Ps. cvi. 20; Jer. ii. 11. The impiety being one and the same, and the punishment one and the same, have three successive stages. In the first, these words are the emphatic ones, viz., xapSla, in ver. 21 ; xapdiuv, in ver. 24 ; eSo^aeav, and So^av, and dTifii,d^egSci,i rd gwfiara,, in ver. 21, 23, 24. In the second stage, /Jur^xXa^ai is emphatic, and the repetition of this verb, not, however, without a difference between the simple and compound forms [iixxa^av r, ho^av, ver. 23 ; ixiTrikXa^av r. fvgixnv xf^i'^t ver. 26, the corres- ponding sin and punishment], gives the meaning of like for Hke \talionis, their punishment being like their sin], ver. 25, 26 ; as -rapa changes its meaning, when repeated in the same place [•ffafia T. xrisavTu, ver. 25 ; ffa^d puff/v, ver. 26]. In the third, cix sdoxifiaeav, and adoxifiov, ver. 28, are emphatic. In the several cases, the word ■jrapsSuxe expresses the punishment. If a man worships not God as God, he is so far left to himself, that he casts away his manhood, and departs as far as possible from God, after whose image he was made. — rfiv &6^av rou atpiaprov, the glory of the incorruptible) The perfections of God are expressed either in positive or negative terms. The Hebrew language abounds in positive terms, and generally renders negatives by a peri- phrasis. — h), Hebrew 3, [So, after the verb to change with, or for'] the Latin pro, cum; so, b, ver. 25 [changed the truth of God into a lie]. — d,v6pu>irt>u — sp-iriruv, like to man — to creeping things) A descending climax ; corruptible is to be construed also with birds, etc. They often mixed together the form of man, bird, quadruped, and serpent. — o/j,oiuftari ilxivog, in the likeness of an image) Image is the concrete ; likeness the abstract, opposed to 3og>i, the glory ; the greater the resemblance of the image to the creature, the more manifest is the aberration from the truth. 24. A/0, wherefore) One punishment of sin arises from its physical consequences, ver. 27, note, [that recompense of their error, which] was meet; another, moreover, from retributive jus- tice, as in this passage. — h raTg imiv/iHii.ig, in the lusts) h, not J/j. 'A/ emSuf/.lai, the lusts, were already present there. The men themselves were such as were the gods that they framed. — axa9a.pgiav, uncleanness) Impiety and impurity are frequently joined together, 1 Thess. iv. 5 ; as are also the knowledge of God and purity of mind, Matt. v. 8 ; 1 John iii. 2, etc. — 2i ROMANS I. 25-27. &Ti/j,i^i(fda.,, to dishonour) Honour is its opposite, 1 Thess. iv. 4. Man ought not to debase himself, 1 Cor. vi. 13, etc.— Jv faurt/f,' among their ownselves), by fornication, effeminacy, and other vices. They themselves furnish the materials of their own punishment, and are at the cost of it. How justly ! they, who dishonour God, inflict punishment on their ownselves. .-Joh. Cluverus. 25. T>iv akfihiav, tlie truth) which commands us to worship God AS God.— Iv r^ -^ibhi [into a fe— Engl, vers.] (exchanged) for a lie) the price paid for [mythology] idol worship ; h, the Lat. cmot. —Isifiadheav, they worshipped) implying internal worship. — iXarpiudav, they served)im^\j'm.g external worship. — 'Ttapa) in pre- ference to, more than, eh. xiv. 5 [r}/ji>ipa.v irap ij/i'spav]. 26. llaSri aT!/iiag,lusts of dishonour) [vile affections — ^Engl.vers.] See Gerheri lib. unerkannte siinden (unknown sins), T. i., cap. 92 ; Von der geheimen Unzucht (on secret vices). The writings of the heathen are full of such things. — ari/ila;, dishonour). Honour is its opposite, 1 Thess. iv. 4. — SfiXiiai women) In stig- matizing sins, we must often call a spade a spade. Those gener- ally demand from others a preposterous modesty [in speech], who are without chastity [in acts]. Paul, at the beginning of this epistle, thus writes more plainly to Rome, which he had not yet visited, than on any former occasion anywhere. The dignity and earnestness of the judicial style [which he employs], from the propriety of its language, does not offend modesty. — ^xp^ffiv, use) supply of themselves ; but it is eUiptical ; the reason is found, 1 Cor. xi. 9 ; we must use, not enjoy. Herein is seen the gravity of style in the sacred writings. 27. 'E^sxavSriaav, were all in a flame) [burned] with an abominable fire (rrvpdaii, viz., of lust.) — rsjp a,gxi/''i>(f!ivriv, that which is unseemly) against which the conformation of the body and its members reclaims. — ^v Uei) which it was meet [or properl, by a natural consequence. — r^s vXavm, of their error) by which they wandered away from God. — amXafi,j3a,vovrii), the antithetic word used to express the punishment of the Gentiles ; as amdtLe$i, that of the Jews, ii. 6. In both words, &-!r6 has the same force. 1 So, late corrections in D ; G Orig. 1, 260, e. — Vulg. and Rec. Text. But ABCA and Memph. Version read ccvroii. — Ed. ROMANS I. 28, 29. 23 28. "E^f/K to have) [or retain] the antithesis is -jrap'sdoi/.iv, [God] gave them over : 'ixn" e" imyvudu, to have [or retain] in knowledge, denotes more than smyivuexnv, to know) [to be acquainted with]. Knowledge was not altogether wanting to them ; but they did not so far profit in the possession of it, as to have [qr retain] God, ver. 32. — ad6xi/ji,ov) As ahivarog, amsrog, and such like, have both an active and passive signification, so also adoxi/icg. In this passage, there is denoted [or stigmatized], in an active sense, the mind, which approves of things, which ought by no means to be approved of ; to this state of mind they are con- signed, who have disapproved of, what was most worthy of ap probation. In this sense, the word &8o!tl//,ov is treated of at ver. 32 ; euHudoxou6i : and the words 'iroiiiv to, [t,fi xaSrixovra, at ver. 29—31. — TO, uri xaSrixovra), an example of the figure Meiosis [by which less is said, than the writer wishes to be understood]. 29. Ui'TrXripeii/ihovg) a word of large meaning; ^sirroCs foUows presently after. — adixlcf, with unrighteousness) This word, the opposite of righteousness, is put' in the first place ; unmerciful is put in the last [ver. 31]. Righteousness has [as its necessary fruit], life ; unrighteousness, death, ver. 32. The whole enumera- tion shows a' wise arrangement, as follows: nine members of it respecting the affections ; two in reference to men's conversa- tion ; three respecting God, a man's own self, and his neighbour ; two regarding a man's management of affairs ; and six respect- ing relative ties. Comp. as regards the things contrary to these, oh. xii. 9, etc. — vopmcf) I have now, for a long time, acknow- ledged that this word should be retained.-^ It does not appear certain, that it was not read by Clemens Eomanus. — mvriplif-^ xaxicf)^ -ffovripia is the perverse wickedness "of a man, who dehghts in injuring another, without any advantage to himself: xaxla, is the ' Although the margin of the larger edition (A. 1734), contains the opinion, that it should be omitted. The 2d ed. corresponds with the Gnomon and the German Version. — E.B. [AC, and apparently B, Memph. Version, omit ■?ropiiuet. But AGfg Vulg. insert it.-^ED.] ^ vor/ipla. Th. o ■7coi.p'i%m icomvi, "one who puts others to trouble," apt- ness in mischief. z«x/« is the evil habit of mind ; Troi/npia, the ontcoming of it: 0pp. to ^^i7(rTo'fj as x.ccx6; to dyados. Kaxo'ihix, as distinct from these, is not, as Engl. Vers. ' malignity,' but taMng everything in the evil pari; Arist. Rhet. ii. 13; arising from a baseness or evil ^h; in the man himself.— See Trench's Gr. Test. Syn.— Er. 24 ROMANS I, 30-32, vicious disposition,which. prevents a man from conferring any good on another. — ■^rXiovs^ia denotes avarice, properly so called, as we often find it in the -writings of Paul : otherwise [were -^Xeove^ia not taken in the sense avarice ] this sin would be blamed by him rather rarely. But he usually joins it with impurity ; for man [in his natural state] seeks his food for enjoyment, outside of God, in the material creature, either in the way of pleasure, or else avarice ; he tries to appropriate the good that belongs to an- other. — xaxotihiag), xaxofihia, xaxla Xixpvfifi'evri. Ammonras ex- plains this as " wickedly inveighing against all that belongs to others ; exhibiting himself troublesome to another." 30. '^iSvpiardg, whisperers), who defame secretly. — xaraXaXouj, back-biters), who defame openly. — hosTuyiTg) men who show then>- selves to be Jiaters of God — i^pier&g) those who insolently drive away from themselves all that is good and salutary. — u-!rspri(f>dvoug) those who exalt themselves above others. On this vice, and others which are here noticed, see 2 Tim. iii. 2, etc. — aXa^ovag) I' boasters,' Engl. vers. J, assuming, in reference to things great and good} — 'KpixipiT&g xaxuv, inventors of evil things) of new pleasures, of new methods of acquiring wealth, of new modes of injuring others, for example in war, 2 Mace. vii. 31. Antiochus is said to have been vaatig xaxiag lipir^g [an inventor of every kind of evil] against the Hebrews. 30. 31. Tovivsiv a'TTiiSitg, aauvsroug, aSvvSerovg, aeropyovg, afvovboug, anXtn/Mvag, disobedient to parents, without understanding, refrac- tory, [But covenanlhbreakers — Eng. vers.], without natural affec- tion, implacable, unmerciful) Two triplets [groups consisting of three each], the former referring to one's conduct to superiors, the latter to inferiors. 31. 'AgmSirovg). The Lxx. translate the Hebrew words 1J3, to act with perfidy, h)Ks, to prevaricate, by aguvSirin.^ 32. A/xa/w^a, \_judgment.—E,ng. ver.], the royal, divine, prin- ciple of justice, that God approves of virtues, hates vices, visits the wicked with the punishment of death, and justly and de- servedly so, in order that He may show that He is not unjust. ' A^cc^aii, boastful in words; imp^/pauoi, proud in thoughts; C/ipiori( insolent in acts See Trench Syn Ed. ' 2 The Vulg. translates iavvHtov; ' incompositos.'— Ed. ROMANS I. a2. 25 For ft'hilst He punishes the guilty with death, He Himself is justified [is manifested as just]. This Royal rule is acknowledged even among the Gentiles. — bri) viz. iliat. — irpaggovni- irpageouei) [those that commit or practise.] This verb, which is repeated after the interposition of iroiovah [do], accurately expresses the wantonness of profligate men, which is altogether opposed to divine justice, iromniii) — they do such things, even with the affec- tions, and with the reason. The same distinction between these two verbs occurs,^ ch. ii. 3. — ^amrov, of death) Lev. xviii. 24, etc. ; Acts xxviii. 4. From time to time every extremely wicked generation of men is extirpated, and posterity is entirely propagated from those, whose conduct has not been so immoral. — aXXa xal, but also.) It is a worse thing, suvivSoTiiiv, to approve [of the evil] ; for he, who perpetrates what is evil, is led away by his own desire, not without an argument of condemnation against himself, or even against others, — (Comp. thou that judgest, ii. 1), and at the same time shows his approbation of the law. — Comp. with this, ch. vii. 16 ; but he who, euviudoxii', or approves, with the heart and with the tongue [that which is evil], has as the fr^it of wickedness, wickedness itself; he feeds upon it ; he adds to the heap of his own guilt the guilt of others, and inflames others to the commission of sin. He is a worse man, who destroys both himself and others, than he who destroys him- self alone. This is truly a reprobate mind. — ddoxi/iov and euvivSo- t.a\)6i are conjugate forms. — See ver. 28, note. The judging, in ch. ii. 1, is the antithesis to the approving here. The Gentiles not only do these things, but also approve of them. The Jew judges indeed, thereby expressing disapproval ; but yet he does them. — ToTg irpdggovgi, them that do them) themselves, and others. — Comp. Is. iii. 9. ' Ttiiia to do or mahe. TCfauuo, to commit or practise. — Ed. $C ROMANS II. 1. CHAPTEE II. 1. A/J, wherefore). Paul passes from the Gentiles to the Jews, as the whole of the foUowing discourse clearly shows ; and yet he does not use the transitive, but the iUative particle, of which two the latter, as being the more powerful, absorbs the former. The Gentile does evil ; the Jew does evil. Then in the 6th and following verses, he comprehends both, Jews and Gentiles. — amm-k6ynT0i, inexcusable.) Man seeks to defend himself.— av^?£W£, man) In ch. i. he spoke of the Gentiles in the third person, but he deals with the Jew in the second person singular ; even as the law itself deals with the Jew, not in the second, but in the thitd person singular ; because it had no concern with any one but the Jew.— Comp. ch. iii. 19. But the apostle, who directs his discourse to Gentiles and Jews, addresses the Jew indeed in the second person singular, but calls him by the name [O manl common to all.— comp. ch. i. 18 ; nor does he acknow- ledge the Jew, as such, ver. 17, 28. The same diflPerence between the third and second persons occurs again, ver. 14, 17. It is a not dissimilar circumstance, that the Gentiles are put off [as to their condemnation] till the final judgment, ver. 16 ; but the Jews are threatened by the law with a present judgment also [besides the final one ver. 2.] — o %pim)i, thou that judgest) being removed [i.e. wherein thou art distinguished] from those that have pleasure in evil-doers, i. 32. Paul uses a weighty expression. The Jew esteems himself superior to the Greek, ver. 19, etc. Paul now calls that an act of judging, and by it opens up a way for him- self, with a view to show the judgment of God. It is mere self- love in a man, that, in proportion as he thinks others worse than himself, he thinks the better of himself, Gal. vi. 4. The figure paregmenon' occurs here ; for Haraxplvsis follows. — Comp. ch. xiv. 22, 23 ; 1 Cor. iv. 3, etc., xi. 29, etc. ; James ii. 4. — enpov, another) who is of no concern to thee ; whose more open unrighteousness profits thee nothing ; a heathen. ' A joining together of conjugate forms, or of simples and compounds, ex. gr. here, xpi'vei;, Kstntupiusis. — Ed. ROMANS 11. 2-5. 27 2. o7da/i,sv) we know; without tliy teaching, O man, that judgest [we know]. — rJ xpl/ia, roD ©eoD, the judgment of God); not thine, thou that exceptest thyself. — xara, akrikiav) according to the truth of the highest hind, without distinction ; just as His judgment is called dixxiov, righteous, at ver. 5, 6, 11 ; not merely having respect to external acts, but also to internal thoughts ver. 16 [the secrets of men]. 3. g\j, thou) as distinguished from the Gentile ; every one, even without a cause, makes his own self an exception [as regards condemnation] ; and flatters himself, although he knows not himself, on what grounds. — Jxpsufij, shalt thou escape?) through the loopholes, which thou seekest. Every one, that is arraigned, (psiyn, tries to escape [6 ipixiycav is the technical term for a defendant; o BkLkuv, the accuser] ; he who is acquitted, ix^iiyii, escapes. 4. "h, or). Men easily become despisers of goodness, while they are not sensible of the judgment of God. The particle V, or, properly acts as a disjunctive between the vain thought [on their part] of escape, and the palpable treasuring up of wrath in consequence of their abuse of goodness itself. — ;^p))(!'roV;)7-os, avo'x/ii, fiaxpoiu/iiag, goodness, forbearance, long-suffering) since thou hast both sinned, and art now sinning, and wilt sin. [By goodness, God restrains His wrath, ver. 5 : by forbearance. He as it were, keeps Himself unknown, until He is revealed, ver. 5 : by long-suffering He delays His righteous judgment, ibid. — V. g.] Presently after, rb p^p^orJc, the goodness of God, implies all these three. Even those, who shall be condemned hereafter, had the power, and it was their duty, to have repented. — ayvoSiv, ignorant). Paul wonders at this ignorance. — aysi) leads pleasantly ; does not" compel by necessity. 5. As, but) The antithesis is between the despising of the riches of His goodness, and the treasuring up of wrath. — gxXn- pornra, hardness) Its antithesis is ;^pj)irroi'. — afuravorirov xapdlav) The antithesis is /j^iToimav. He meant to say a//-ira,voyieiav : to which word, later writers show no aversion ; but Paul avoided an unusual term. — 6ripia, affliction and anxiety [tribulation and anguish']. 6Xi-^ig, affliction ox tribulation iov ih.e present; envo- X'^p'i"'^ anxiety or anguish, in regard to things future ; 6Xi-yii, affliction, or tribulation, -pvessesdown; eTevo^upia, frets and harasses [oestuat et urget], Job xv. 20, etc. In these words we have a proof of the avenging justice of God ; for the anger of God has for its object, to teach the sinful creature, who is experienc- ing wrath and every species of adversity, to hate himself, because in his whole conduct, he has set himself in opposition to God ; and so long as the creature shrinks from this most just hatred of himself, he continues under punishment. — •ir&gav -^v^rjii, every sout) This term adds to the universal character of the discourse, ch. xiii. 1, — -TTpurov, first). So Ps. xciv. 10 : He that chaslheth the nations, shall he not correct (you among the people ?). The Greek is a partaker [in the judgment] along with the Jew. , 10. Ai5f a he xal Ti/irj, but glory and honour. Glory, originatine ' Siftoi Th. tfi/ii, boiling indignation ; ipyii, abiding wrath, with a settled purpose of revenge, 'fri6vj*l* rifiupia;. — Ed, ROMANS II. 12. 81 in the Divine good pleasure ; honour, originating in the reward bestowed by God ; and peace, for the present and for ever. For the 8s, but, expresses the opposition between wrath, and glory ; indignation, and honour; affliction and anxiety [tribulation and anguisK\, and peace. Comp. ch. iii. 17, 16, of which catalogue the joys are viewed, as they proceed from God ; the sorrows as they are felt by man ; for the latter are put absolutely in the nominative, while the former, on the contrary, are put in the accusative in ver. 7, as being such things, as God bestows. But why are honour and sorrow set in opposition to each other, since disgrace is the converse of honour, sorrow of pleasure ? Ans. : In this passage, we must carefully attend to the word l;/>!j>)j, peace, which is here opposed to sorrow, that is to say, to tribula- tion and anguish. But at Isaiah Ixv. 13, joy (and honour) is opposed to shame (and grief), each of the two parts of the sen- tence being expressed in abbreviated form, and requiring to be suppKed from its own opposite. Besides, in the classification of goods, honour is the highest good, and, in the classification of punishments, sorrow is the greatest punishment ; and the highest degree on the one side, including all below it, is opposed to the highest degree on the other ; so we have glorying and woe, 1 Cor. ix. 16. 9, 10. Kars^ya^o/iEKou" spya^o/jdivui). The distinction between these words is more easily felt, than explained, more easily ridi- culed, than refuted. There is another distinction: s-!rt -^ux^vis said of the punishment ; for punishment /aZZs upon it, and the soul wiU bear it unwillingly ; rravr! roj if/a^ojihu, the dative of advantage, is said of the reward. 12. " Offo; yap, for as many) the Gentiles : and as many, the Jews. — avo^ws) This word occurs twice by antanaclasis,^ in the sense, not in the law, not iy the law, (oux b v6fi(jj, ou Si& vS/aov) as is evident from the antithesis. — i]/iapTov) sinned : the past tense, [past] in reference to the time of judgment [shall then be found to have sinned]. — xal avoXouvrai, they shall also perish) the word, also, denotes the correspondence between the mode of sinning, and the mode of perishing ; he says, they shall also perish ; for it was not convenient to say, in this instance, av6//,us, they shall be judged ' See Appendix. 82 ROMANS 11. 13, 14. without law, as he presently after says aptly, they shall be judged hy law.—h voiLu,) [in, or] with the law, not, [as the heathen], avo>ws, without law, i.e. shice they had the law. — Sia. vo/iou, by the law) ch. iii. 20. 13. Oi/ yap, for noO A Proposition [Statementof Subject] clearly standing forth, the words of which have respect also to the Gentiles, but are particularly adapted to the Jews ; concerning the former, ver, 14, etc. treats ; concerning the latter, ver, 17, etc. ; wherefore, also, ver. 16 depends on ver. 15, not on ver. 12. They have caused much confusion, who enclosed within a parenthesis the passage beginning at the 14th, nay, rather at the 13th verse, and ending with the 15. — o/ axpoaral, hearers), in- active, however sedulous [in hearing] they may be. — •Trapu rs> 0£ffl, before [with] Go^ ver. 2. — voiriral, doers) namely, if men have shown themselves to be doers, ch. x. 5. They may do things pertaining to the law, but they cannot prove [warrant] themselves to be the doers of the whole law. — dixai'/)S^(SovTai, shall be justified) This verb, in contradistinction to the noun dlxawi, which denotes men actually righteous, involves a condition, which is to be per- formed, and then [the condition being fulfilled] the declaration of their being righteous, as about to foUow [as the consequence] in the day of the divine judgment. 14. "Orav, when) After Paul has finished the refutation of the perverse judgment of the Jews against the Gentiles, he next proceeds to show the true judgment of God against the latter. He treats here of the Gentiles more directly, for the purpose of convicting them ; and yet, what is granted to them in passing, is granted with this end in view, that the Jew may be dealt with the more heavily; but ver. 26 treats of the GentUes quite in- cidentally, in order to convict the Jew. Wherefore, otuv, when, is used here [ver. 14] ; lAv, if, there [ver. 26]. — ydp for) He gives the reason, why the Gentiles should also be required to be the doers of the law ; for when they do ever so little of it, they recognise thek obligations to obey it. And yet he shows, that they cannot be justified by the law of nature, or by their own- selves. There are four sentences beginning with the words: when — these-r—who — the conscience bearing witness along witlu The second is explained by the third, the first by the fourth. Uvr!) Not, TO. Uvn ; some individuals of the Gentiles ; and yet there ROMANS 11. 15. 33 is no man, who does not fulfil some of the requirements of the law (Ix rSi\i roD v6/j,ov). He did not chocjse to say ihixol, which is usually taken rather in a bad sense. — /i^ i/6//.or v6//,ov /ifi, — not the law : the law not) Not even here is the change in the arrange- ment of the words without a reason ; in the former place, the not is the emphatic word, so that greater force may be given to the, have not; in the latter place, the word v6f/jov, the law, contains the emphasis, thus forming an antithesis to the eavToig, unto them- selves. So also, vo/iog, law, has sometimes the article, and some- times not, and not without a good reason in each in^ance, ver. 13, 23, 27, iii. 19-21, vii. 1., etc. — p-oaei, by nature) The construc- tion is, [i,Ti vo/jLov ixoira (pxisu, not having the law by nature^ pBut Engl. vers, joins nature with do, not with having] precisely as in ver. 27, ^ Jx pijaius axpo/Suor/a, the uncircumcision by nature, con- trary to the Syriac version of ver. 27, which connects the word nature with doing, " doing by nature the law." The Gentiles are by nature (that is, when left to themselves, as they are born, not as individuals, but as nations), destitute of the (written) law ; the Jews are by nature Sews, Gal. ii. 15, and therefore have by nature the (written) law, ch. xi. 24, the end of the ■i'erse. Nor yet, however, is there any danger, that the force of the construction, which most follow, do by nature those tMngs,. which are of [con- tained in] the law, should be lost ; for what the' Gentiles, who have not the law, do, they in reality do by nature. The term law, in the writings of tlie apostle, does not occur in the philo- sophical, but in the Hebrew use ; therefore, the phrase, natural law, is not found in sacred Scripture; ver. 12 shows, that the 'thing itself is true. — Twjj do), not only in actual performancej but also in their inmost thoughts, ver. 15, at the end, — ovroi, these) This little word turns the collective noun 'iStiri, Gentiles, to a distribu- tive sense [so far to wit as they really do it. — Y. g.J — v6/iog, a law) "What the law is to the Jews, that the Gentiles are to their own- selves. 15. ' Evdetx.vuvTot.1, they show) [demonstrate] to themselves, to others, and, in some respects, to God Himself. — rt 'ipyov roZ v6/jlou, 1 It may be thought by this interpretation, that the clause which precedes the words, von Natur, in the German version should be omitted to avoid the ambiguity, although, perhaps, the Author knowinffly and willingly made use of the ambiguous [equivocal] punctuation. — E. B. VOL. III. C 84 ROMANS 11. 16. the work of the law), the law itself, with its practical [active] opeij-ation. It is opposed to the letter, which is but an accident [not its essence]. — ypairriv, written), a noun, not a participle, much less an infinitive [to be written]. Paul, by way of con- trast, alludes to the tables of Moses. This writing is antecedent to the doing of those things, which are contained in the law ; but afterwards, when any one has done, or (has not done) the things commanded, [the demonstration, or] the allowing [of the work of the law] follows, and that permanent writing [viz., that on the heart] becomes more clearly apparent. — gufifn.aprvpoisr};, simul- taneously bearing witness) An allegory; the prosecution, the criminal, the witnesses are in court ; conscience is a witness ; the thoughts accuse, or also defend. Nature, and sin itself, bear witness : conscience bears witness along with them, — auruv) of themselves, or their own. — rtlg euwdrjffsug, the conscience) The soul has none of its faculties less under its own control, than con- science. So evveldiiiig and Xoyig/j,6g are joined, Wisd. xvii. 11, 12. — /uracil aXkriXav, between one another) as prosecutor and criminal. This expression is put at the beginning of the clause for the sake of emphasis, inasmuch as ihoiights implicated in the trial with thoughts, are opposed to conscience referred to the law. — Tuv XoyidiMon xaTrjyofouvrojv, their thoughts accusing) Some ex- plain [analyse] the words thus : the thoughts, which accuse, testify- ing simultaneously [taken from eu/ifj.aprvpoueijg] ; but thoughts ac- cusing [tZv Xoyie//,uv xaTriyopoLvrm] is an expression, which, stands by itself. — rj xal, or even) The concessive particle, even, shows that the thoughts have far more to accuse, than defend, and the defence itself (comp. 2 Cor. vii. 11, defending or clearing of yourselves) does not extend to the whole, but only to a part of the conduct, and this very part in turn proves us to be debtors as to the whole, i. 20. — aTo\oyov//,£viijv, [excusing] defending). We have an example at Gen. xx. 4. 16. 'Ev fif/^epcf, in the day) It is construed with show, for the present tense is no objection ; verl 5 employs the present in the same general way. And Paul often says, in the day of the Lord, which implies more than against [or unto the day] 1 Cor. v. 5 — comp. before, or in the presence of 1 Tim. v. 21, note. Such as each thing was, such it shall then be seen, be determined, and remain. In that day, that writing of the law on the hearts of ROMANS n. 17. 35 men will be manifest, having also joined with it some defence of upright acts, although the man be condemned [fall] in the judgment, himself being his own accuser, on account of other offences. And that circumstance implies, as a consequence, [infers] (reasoning, from the greater to the less, i.e., from the final judgment, to the judgments of conscience in the present life), accusation, or even defence, exercised in this life also, as often as either the future judgment itself is vividly presented before a man, or its anticipations, without the man's own privity (con- sciousness), are at work in the conscience. — Comp. 1 John iv. 17. And Scripture often speaks so of the fiiture, especially of the last things, as that it presupposes those which precede them. The Jews at ver. 5, as the Gentiles in this passage, are threat- ened with the fiiture judgment. — ra -/.pvirrSt, the secrets) the con- science, and the thoughts. — Comp. 1 Cor. iv. 5. This confirms the' connection of this verse with the preceding. The true qua- lity of actions, generally unknown even to the agents themselves, depends on the secrets. — See ver. 29. Men judge by outward manifestations, even concerning themselves. Outward manifes- tations of good or evil will also be jtidged, but not then for the first time ; for they are judged, even from the time in which they are wrought ; deeds, that are secret, are then at length brought to judgment. — ruv AvS/xivav, of men) even of the Gen- tUes. — xard, according to) i.e. as my Gospel teaches. Paul adds this short clause, because he is here dealing with a man, who does not yet know Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the whole preaching as to Christ ; and Christ will be the Judge ; and the judgment ia regard to the Gentiles, is not so expressly, declared in the Old, as in the New Testament. And it is called the Gospel of Paul, as it was preached by Paul, even to the Gen- tiles. — Acts xvii. 31. All the articles of evangeUcal doctrine, and the article concerning the filial judgment, greatly illustrate one another ; and moreover, this very article, even in respect of behevers, is altogether evangeHcal. — ^Acts x. 42 ; 1 Pet. iv. 5. 17. e; hi, hut if) If— corn^. when, ver. 14 — has some resem- blance to an Anaphora,^ with the exception that orav, when, having reference to the Gentiles, asserts more ; £/', if, used with 1 See Appendix. SG ROMANS II. 18-20. respect to the Jews, concedes less. After if, oh, therefore [ver. 21], follows, like aXKoi., but, (ch. vi. 5)^ and bi, truly Acts xi. 11.^ — Comp. Matt. XXV. 27. Moreover, the ovv, therefore, in a subse- quent verse (ver. 21), brings to a conclusion the somewhat long protasis, which begins with tl, if. — 'lovda/bi;, a Jew) This, the highest point of Jewish boasting (a farther description of it being interposed at ver. 17-20, and its refutation being added, ver. 21-24), is itself refuted at the 25th and following verses. More- over, the description of his boasting consists of twice five clauses, of which the first five, firom thou restest (ver. 17), to, out of the law (ver. 18), show what the Jew assumes to himself; the rest, as many in number as the former, thou art confident (ver. 19), to, in the law (ver. 20), show, what more the Jew, from this circumstance, arrogates to himself, in reference to others. On both sides [in both series], the first clause of one corresponds to the first of the other, the second to the second, and so on in succession ; and as the fifth clause in the former series, instructed, ver. 18, so the fifth in the latter, having, ver. 20 [the form of knowledge] de- notes a cause : because thou art instructed, [answering to] because thou hast. — lmvofi.dZri) in the middle voice : thoU callest thyself by this name, and delightest to be so called. — i-rava-ffauri) thou restest in that, which threatens to put thee in a strait; thou hast in the law a schoolmaster, instead of a father [as you fancy the law to be]. — TS vo/iw, in the law) Paul purposely [knowingly] makes fi:equentuse of this name. — h QiSj, in God), as though He were One, who is peculiarly thy God. 18. To ri>.niia) the will, that is, whatever has been' ratified by the law; so, the will, absolutely. Matt, xviii. 14 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 12. But this will is nothing else, than the will of God; but a strong feeling of piety [ihx&^ua,, pious caution] prevented Paul from adding, of God.r—Soxi/ia.liig) provest, approvest. 19. 'Ev gxonj, in the darkness of congenital ignorance [igno- rance, accompanying the heathen from birth]. 20. Mp^um) The word is taken here in a good sense in reference to the Jew, who is boasting : the form, or correct'out- ' ABCA read d>.xi. there. Offf Vulg. read ^^«, simul 2 EG« Ree. Text. Theb. Vers, read li, who truly was I, etc. ABCic, thou mayest be justified — mayest overcome), in the name of faithfulness and truth. The human judge judges so, as that the offence of the guilty is the only consideration weighed [regarded] by hrni, nor is he other- wise concerned as regards [vindicating] his own righteousness; but God exercises judgment so, as that the unrighteousness of men is not more demonstrated thereby, than His own righteous- ness : vix^v is generally said of a victory after the hazard of war or of a lawsuit for money, or of a contest in the public games! ROMANS III. 5, 6. il Jn tliis passage, it is said of a judicial victory, which cannot but come to God [i.e. God is sure to be the victor]. — h toTs Xoyois eov) Hebr. 11312, in which one passage 131 occurs in Kal, without the participle, that is, when thou heginnest to speak, and judicially to answer man, who accuses thee, or to proceed against him. \In a general way, indeed, men acknowledge that GoD is just, hut when the question refers to special cases, then they are wont [they love] to defend their own cause, V. g.] — h rSi xphieSal es) Hebr. IDDt}*! God at once both Kpivii and K^lnerai. KflviTai [implead in judgment] has the meaning of the middle voice, such as verbs of contending usually have : xphovrag applies to those who dispute in a court of law. Lxx., Is. xliii. 26 ; Judg. iv. 5 ; Jer. XXV. 31. An instance in illustration is to be found in Micah vi. 2, etc. ; also in 1 Sam. xii. 7. It is inexpressible loving-kindness in God to come down [condescend to stoop] to man for the purpose of pleading with him. 5. El di, but if) This new argument, urged through a Jewish person, is elicited from the verb thou mnyest be justified, in the preceding verse. — ii abiyJa, unrighteousness) of which a man is guilty through unbelief. — n ipou/jusn, what shall we say) Paul shows that this, their peculiar advantage [ver. i.], does not pre- vent the Jews from being under sin. — o im(pepav) the injlicter of wrath [taketh vengeance] upon the unbelieving Jews. The article has a particular force. The allusion is to Ps. vii. 11, &ihg xpirris dlxaiog, xa) /in (^S for bv; ; the LXX. from the simi- larity of letters, mistaking Godfornoi], iirdyaiv opyrj]! xa^ ixaernv f}/j,epa.v : God is a just judge, and (not being substituted for God) a God inflicting wrath. — xarSo avdpc^mv, as a man) Man, accord- ing to the principles of human nature, might reason thus : My wickedness is subservient to the Divine glory, and makes it the more conspicuous, as darkness doth the light ; therefore, I should not be punished. 6. 'Eiril, otherwise) The consequence is drawn [bound, con- nected] from the less to the greater, as it ought to be in the case of negatives. If God were to act unrighteously, in taking ven- geance on the Jew who acts unrighteously, a thing too absm'd to be mentioned, He certainly could not judge the whole world. Ajgirmatively, the process of reasoning would take this form : He ■who (justly) judges the whole world, will doubtless also judge 42 KOMANS III. 7, 8. justly in this one particular case. [Vice versa] The conclusion is, in its turn, drawn from the greater to the less at 1 Cor. vi. 2. — rhv x6g/x,ov, the world) For even the unrighteousness of the whole world (which is put in opposition to the Jews, at ch. xi. 12), commends the righteousness of God; and yet God pro- nounces, and with justice, the whole world to be unrighteous, Gen. xviii. 25. Nay, in the very judgment, the unrighteous- ness of man will greatly illustrate the righteousness of God. The Jew p,cknowledges the righteousness of the Divine judg- ment regarding the world; but Paul shows that there is the same ground for judgment regarding the unbelieving Jews. 7. e; y&p, for if) An ^tiologia^ [a sentiment, with the grounds on which it rests subjoined] set forth in the form of a dialogue, for the purpose of strengthening the objection which was introduced at the beginning of ver. 5. •v}/£uir^ar/, through my lie) The things which God says are true, and he who does not believe these, makes God a liar, being in reality himself the liar. — Ti) that is, why do I even still excuse myself, as if I had some reason to fear ? Comp. ri 'in, ch. ix. 19 ; Gal. v. 11. — x^yij) I also, to whom the truth of God has been revealed ; not merely the heathen. — xpho/Lai) corresponds to xpiviaSai, ver. 4, 6, Ixx. ; Job xxxix. 35 (xl. 4) r/ 'in lydi xphofiai ; 8. Ka/ /ij), and not) supply, act so, as [and why should I not act so, as, etc.] ; but a change of number or person is introduced, such as in ch. iv. 17. — xaSiii, as) Some were in the habit of calumniating Paul ; others were of this way of thinMng, and said that their opinions were approved by Paul. — ^ae! nvs?, some say) who make our support the pretext to cover over [justify] their own perverseness. This epistle was principally written for the purpose of Paul's confuting such as these. — jj/iSs, that we) who maintain the righteousness of God. — Sn) This depends strictly [absolutely] on Xiys,v.—m,^e!Ofx,ev, let us do) without fear. ra xaxA, evil) sins.— sX^j,, ri d^yaS^, good may come) The same phrase occurs with the Lxx. int. Jer. xvii. 6. Those calumni- ators mean to say this : Good is at hand, ready to come • but evU should prepare the way for it.—T& aya6&, good) the glory of God. — u,v, of whom) that is of those who do evil, or even say ' See Appendix. ROMANS III. a, 10. 43 that we ought to do evil, in order that good may come. — rJ xpl/ia) the judgment, which these unprincipled men endeavour to escape by a subterfuge, as unjust [unrighteous], will peculiarly [ia an especial degree] overtake them — hdmov, just) Thus Paul re- moves to as great a distance as possible that conclusion, and abruptly repels such disputers. 9. T/ ouK ; what then ?) He resumes the question with which he began at ver. 1. — ■Trpotx^/j^i^oi, ;) have we any advantage as com- pared with the Gentiles ? — ou -jrdvru; ^) the Jew would say -TtavTug : buti Paul contradicts him. In the beginning of this passage, he speaks gently (for, in other places, where /ijjSa/iSs is used, oh iravrug cannot be substituted for it ; and in this passage the expression, hy no means [lUjjSa/iSj, had it been used], would take away the concession which he made to them at ver. 2) ; but he afterwards speaks with greater severity. — irporir/ugd/jiiSa,) we have proved, be- fore that I had mentioned the peculiar privilege of the Jews. Paul deals, in Chapters i. and ii., as a stem Administrator [Pro- curator] of divine justice ; but yet he was unwilling to use the singular number. By the plural number, he expresses the as- sent of his believing readers : -jravras, all the Jews [as well as] all the Greeks. — up a,//,aprjav) liro denotes subjection, as if under the tyranny of sin. 10. KaSais, as) That all men are under sin, is very clearly proved from the vices which always, and everywhere, have been prevalent [have stalked abroad] among mankind ; just as, also, the internal holiness of Christ is displayed in [pourtrayed by means of] the innocency of His words and actions. Paul there- fore quotes, with propriety, David and Isaiah, although it is con- cerning the people of their own times that they complain, and that accompanied with an exception in favour of the godly [some of whom are always to be found], Ps. xiv. 4, etc. For that com- plaint describes men such as God looking down from heaven finds them to be, nt)t such as He makes them by His grace. 10. "On ovx 'ieri dixaiog olSs iTg xtX.) Ps. xiv. 2, etc. The LXX., oux iSTi -iroiSiv yjiriSTorriTa,, obx einti ens hog. — £/' ttfr/ auviSit 7] ixZ,riTZv riv ©son. — hog, The general phrase is, there is none 1 Beng. seem's to translate " not altogether ;" quite different from " in no wise."— Ed. H ROMANS III. 11-17. righteous ; the parts follow : the dispositions and pursuits, ver. 11, 12 ; the conversation, ver. 13, 14 ; the actions, ver. 15, 16, 17 ; the general demeanour, (gestus et nutus), ver. 18. — Sixaiog, righte- ous) a suitahle word in a discourse on righteousness. — ov8e tig, not even one) who can except any one here ? ver. 23, not so much as one under heaven. The exception, even of one, or at least of a few, might procure [conciliate] favour to all ; as it is, ^^Tath is on that account the greater. 11. oa-x seriv 6 evviSiv, there is none that understandetli) They are without understanding in relation to what is good. — oi^t 'ism h Exi^riTuv, there is none that seeketh after) They are without the will to do good. To seek after, implies that God is innDD hidden, Is. xlv. 15. 12. 'E^sxXimv, they have turned aside) they have gone out of the way. Declension supposes, that all had formerly been in the right path. — a/ia,, together) at the same time. — ^XP^"^^^""^'- They have become unprofitable) They have not the power of returning to do good. And on the contrary, in all these parti- culars they cling to what is evil, either secretly, or "even openly. They have become unfit for any useful purpose (a^psm). The conjugate word xPV'f^^'^is presently after follows. 13. Td(pog — I'ig — avrSiv) SO the LXX., Ps. V. 10, Cxl. 4. — aviifiyfiivog) a sepulchre lately opened, and therefore very fetid. y^deuyl, their throat) Observe the course of the conversation, ae it flows from the heart, by the avenue of their throat, their tongues, and their lips — the whole is comprised in the moutli; a great part of sin consists in words — wh t& %£/Xjj) under their lips ; for on their lips is the sweetness of honey. 14. Siv ri oTo/ia apag xal -jriKptag ys/xii) Ps. x. 7, LXX., ou apag ri er6//,a, auroO yi/^si xal -ffixplag xal doXou.— rh ero/jia, the mouth) In this and the following verse violence is described, as, in ver. 13, deceit.— apy, cursing) directed against God.—mxpiag, bitterness) against their neighbom*. 15-18. 'O^eTg—ovx 'iymeav) Is. lix. 7, 8, LXX., oi Si rtohig auTuv — rax'vol h-xiai alfia — euvrpi/i/ia olx oihaai. So of the feet Prov. i. 16. 16. 2iwp,ji/ia xai raXam^pla), inKn '\^, wasting fmd destruction. 17. Oux tyvugav, they have not known) they neither know, nor wish to know; BOMANS III. 18-20. 45 18. Oux aiiTuv) SO the LXX., Ps. xxxvi. 2, oux — auroij; — po/3ps, fear), not to say love, of which man in his natural state knows much less. Of several passages, in which human depravity is expressed, either in the complaint of God and of the saints, or else in the confessions of the penitent, Paul has written out a part of the words, and intimates that all the rest are to be sought for out of the same places. — otpSaX/iuv, their eyes) The seat of reverential awe is in the eyes. 19. "Otfa) wJiatsoever. He has just now accumulated many testimonies from the law. — vo/iof, the law) Therefore the testi- mony, ver. 10, etc., brought forward from the Psalms, arraigns [strikes] the Jews ; nor ought they to think, that the accusations therein contained are against the Gentiles. Paul has brought no declaration of Scripture against the Gentiles, but has dealt with them by arguments drawn from the light of nature. — i/Sfjuos — v6/i(fi) An instance of As ;er>js,^ [impressive vehemence in words] — ha, that) He presses this home to the Jews. — er6//,a,) mouth, bitter, ver. 14, and yet given to boasting, ver. 27. The Jews are chiefly intended here, as the Gentiles by the term world. — yivriTai, may he made) [become*] The world is always guilty, but it is made guilty, when the law accuses and condemns it. — 'jra.g, all) not even excepting ' the Jews. TJie guilt of the Gentiles, as being manifest, is presupposed ; the Jews are prose- cuted to condemnation by arguments out of the law. These are guilty ; and their condemnation completes the condemnation of the whole world as guilty. 20. A/on) for this reason, because) [Beng. connects this verse with ver. 19. But Eng. vers. ' therefore'). — vo/tou, of the law) indefinitely put, but' chiefly referring to the moral law, ver. xix. 9, ch. ii. 21—26 ; which [the moral law] alone is not made void; ver. 31 ; for it was the works of it that Abraham was possessed of before he received circumcision. Paul, in affirming that we are not justifled by the works of the law, as opposed to faith, not to any particular law, means the whole law, of which the parts, rather than the species, were the ceremonial and the moral ; and of these the former, as being even then abrogated, was not so much taken into account ; the latter does not bind ' See Appendix. 46 ROMANS UI. 20. US [is not obligfitory] on the same principle [grounds] as it was [when] given by Moses. In the New Testament we have abso- lutely no works of the law without [independently of] grace ; for the law confers no strength. It is not without good reason, that Paul, when he mentions works, so often adds, of the law ; for it was on these that his opponents were relying : and were ignorant of those better works, which flow as results from faith and justification. — ol dinaiuSrigiTai, shall not be justified) on the signification of this word, see Luke vii. 35. In the writings of Paul at least, the judicial meaning is quite manifest, ver. 19, 24, etc., ch. iv. 5, taken in connection with the context. Con- cerning the future tense, comp. v. 30, note. — ■?raga, gap^, all flesh) synonymous with the world, ver. 19, but with the accompanying notion imphed of the cause : the world with its righteousness is flesh ; therefore it is not justified [by works flowing] out of itself — ivuTiov auroC, in His sight) ch. iv. 2, ii. 29. — vofiov, law) which was given for that very purpose. — em; meig), the knowledge of sins does not justify by itself, but it feels and confesses the want of righteousness. — afiaprlag, of sin) Sin and righteousness are directly and commensurately opposed to each other [ade- quate ; so that one on its side is exactly commensurate with the other on its side] ; but sin implies both guilt and depravity ; therefore righteousness denotes the reverse of both. Righteous- ness is more abundant, ch. v. 15, 17. Apol. A. C. says well. Good works in the saints are the fruits of [appertain to] righte- ousness, and are pleasing on account of faith ; on this account they are the fulfilling of the law. Hence dixaiouv is to make a man righteous, or in other words, to justify ; a notion quite in accord- ance with the form of the verb in ow : nor is there any difficulty in the derivative verb, but in dlxaiog. He then, who is justified, is brought over [translated] from sin to righteousness, that is, firom guilt or criminality to a state of innocence, and from de- pravity and corruption to spiritual health. Nor is there a homonymy,^ or twpfold idea, [when by analogy things diiferent by nature are expressed by one word], but a signification at once simple, and pregnant in the terms sin and righteousness, the same as also everywhere prevails in the ierm aipigig, forgiveness^ 1 See Appendix. ROMANS III, 21-23. 47 [remission], and in the words, by which it is imphed, ajiaZia, to sanctify, avoXoim, to wash away, xa6api^u, to purify, etc., 1 Cor. vi. 11, notes ; Ps. ciii. 3 ; Mic. vii. 18, etc. Aiad this pregnant [suggestive] signification itself of the verb to justify, implying the whole of the divine benefit, by which we are brought from sin to righteousness, occurs also, for example, in Tit. iii. 7 ; with which comp. 2 Cor. v. 21 ; Rom. viii. 4 ; with which comp. ch. v. 16. But elsewhere, according as the subject under discussion demands, it is restricted to some particular part, and especially to deliverance from sin, so far as guilt is regarded in it : and Paul always uses it so, when, according to his design, he is treating of God justifying the sinner by faith. 21. Nuw) now [as it is] forms the antithesis, including the idea of time, ver. 26. — ^uptg ,v6/iou — Ivo roD v6/i,ou xat ruv irpopriTuv, without the law — by the law and the prophets) A sweet antithesis. The law is taken both in a limited and extended sense [JDavid, for instance, must he reckoned among the prophets, ch. iv. 6. — V. g.]. — •jficpanpciiTai, has been manifested) by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. — /j,cx,prvf>ouf/,siiri, being witnessed by, having the testimony of) according to [by] promise. 22. As [even] hut) An explanation is here given of the righte- ousness of God, ver. 21. — ha, itisriag 'inBou XpiHTou, by faith of Jesus Christ) by faith in Jesus. — See Gal. ii. 16, notes.— ik, unto) To be connected with the righteousness, ver. 21. — si; irdvrag, unto all) the Jews, who are, as it were, a peculiar vessel. — Irl itatrai, upon alV) the Gentiles, who are as a soU which receives an exceedingly abundant rain of grace, comp. ver. 30. — ou yap liTi diadroX^, for there is no difference) Jews and Gentiles are both accused and justified in the same way. The same phrase occurs in ch. x. 12. 23. "nfji^aprov, have sinned) that is, they have contracted the guilt of sia. Both the original act of sin ia paradise is denoted, and the sinful disposition, as also the acts of transgression flow- ing from it. The past tenses often have an inchoative meaning along with the idea of continued action ; such as siriariuea., r{Km-/.a, nyavrixa,, mrixouoa, 'igrnxa., I have believed, and still continue to be- lieve ; I have hoped, and still continue to hope ; I have loved, and still continue to love ; I have obeyed, and still continue to obey ; I have established myself, and still establish myself. — xa! venpwnai, is ROMANS III. 24. and come short) From the past tense, have sinned, flows this present, come short, and by this word the whole peculiar advan- tage [ver. 1] of the Jews, and all the boasting of all flesh, are taken away ; the former is a thing done [past], and the latter is a thing now estabhshed ; each of them {jifiaprov and vaTipoiJvToi'] denotes deficiency ; they do not attain, ch. ix. 31. — r^s So^vs roij 0£ou, of the glory of God) The glory of the living God Himself' is signified, which bestows life, ch. vi. 4 ; and to this, access was open to man if he had not sinned ; but, as a sinner, he fell short of this end of his being ; nor does he now attain to it, nor is he able, by any means, to endure that glory which would have [but for sin] shone forth in him, Heb. xii. 20, etc. ; Ps. Ixviii. 2. Hence he has become subject to death ; for glory and immor- tality are synonymous terms, and so, also, are death and corrup- 'ion ; but Paul does not more expressly mention death itself, until after the process of justification, and its going forth even to [its issue in] life, have been consummated ; he then looks at death as it were from behind, ch. v. 12. Therefore, the whole state of sin is most exquisitely pourtrayed thus, in this masterly passage : Tliey come short of, or are far from the glory of God; that is, they have missed [aberrarunt a : erred frorri] the chief end of man; and in this very fact is implied [included], at the same time, every lesser aberration. But those who are justified recover the hope of that glory, along with most immediately reaHzed glory- ing [viz., in Christ] in the meanwhile (of which \i.e. of boasting'^ in themselves, they had been deprived, ver. 27), and [recover] the kingdom in life. See, by all means, ch. v. 2, 11, 17, viii. 30, at the end of the verse. Wherefore, the antithetic idea to they have sinned, is explained at ver. 24, and the following verses ; and ch. iv. throughout, on justification ; the antithetic idea to they have come short, is set forth in ch. v., with which, comp. ch. viii. 17, and the following verses. 24. Aixuiovfisvoi, Those who are justified) Suddenly, a more pleasant scene is thus spread before us. — rri airou ^dpin) by His own grace, not inherent in us, but as it were inclining of its own accord towards us ; which is evident from the conju- gate verbs ^"■P'^of^"'' and yapiTm. Melancthon, instead of grace, often uses the expression favour ' and mercy. His own is em- phatic. Comp. the following verse. — arnXurpueiug) — a,i:o\\irptaai(, ROMANS III. 25. 49 redemption from sin and misery. Atonement [expiation] ov pro- pitiation (iXas/ibg) and amXvrpcogig, redemption, are fiindaraentally one single benefit and no more, namely, the restoration of the lost sinner. This is an exceedingly commensurate and pure idea, and adequately corresponds to the name Jesus. Redemp- tion has regard to enemies (and on this point the positive theology of Koenig distinctly treats in the passage where he discusses Redemption), and reconciliation vefevs to God; and here, again, there is a diiFerence between the words iXaa/ihg and xaraXXayn. 'iXagfihg, propitiation takes away the offence against God: ■/MToXkayn may be viewed fi'om two sides ; it removes (a) Gods indignation against us, 2 Cor. v. 19 ; (/3) and our aHenation from God, 2 Cor. v. 20. — h XpierS) 'iriaov, in Christ Jesus) It is not without good reason that the name Christ is sometimes put before Jesus. According to the Old Testament [From Old Testament point of view], progress is made from the knowledge of Christ to the knowledge of Jesus ; in the experience of pre- sent faith [From the New Testament point of view, the progress is] from the knowledge of Jesus to the knowledge of Christ. Comp. 1 Tim. i. 15, notes. 25. XipoiStro) hath set forth before the eyes of all. Luke ii. 31. The rrph in -rposkro does not carry with it the idea of time, but is much the same as the Jjatin proponere, to set forth. — 'iXaerripm, a propitiatory [Eng. vers, not so strictly, "propitiation"'^ The allusion is to the mercy-seat [propitiatory] of the Old Testament, Heb. ix. 5 ; and it is by this Greek term that the Lxx generally express the Hebrew msi, Ex. xxv. 17—22. Propitiation goes on the supposition of a previous oftence, which opposes the opinion of the Socinians. — iv rffi aOrou a/|aar/, in His own blood) This blood is truly propitiatory. Comp. Lev. xvi. 2, 13, etc. — E/'s fvBii^iii rjjff dixaioguvr}; aurou, to the declaration of [for the de« monstration of] Sis righteousness) This is repeated in the fol- lowing verse, as if it were after a parenthesis, for the purpose of continuing the train of thought ; only that instead of I/?, Latin in, there is used in the following verse vpog, ad, which implies a something more immediate,^ ch. xv. 2, Eph. iv. 12. — 'hSu^it ' c!(, towards, with a view to; ■!rpo!,for, unth the effect of. — Ed. VOL. III. D 80 ROMANS III. 26. [demonstration], declaration) Comp. notes at ch. i. 17. — di& ry ita.pisn,for [Engl. Vers.] the pretermission \_passing hyj) Paul, in the Acts, and epistles to Ephesians, Colossians, and^ Hebrews, along with the other apostles, often uses atjueiv, remission : None but he alone, and in this single passage, uses vapsaiv, pretermis- sion ; and certainly not without some good reason. ^ There was remission even before the advent and death of Christ, ch. iv. 7, 3 ; Matt. ix. 2, in so far as it implies the application of grace to individuals; but pretermission in the Old Testament had respect to transgressions, until {a.-ffoXbrpoieii) redemption of [or frorrh\ them was accomplished in the death of Christ, Heb. ix. 15 ; which redemption, amXiiTpoien, itself is, however, sometimes also called ai a deceitful bow, Ps. Ixxviii. 57. The act of Phinehas was also imputed to him for righteousness, Ps. cvi. 31 ; not, indeed, in viewing it as a work : but it was, as it were, unmixed [mera] faith. He seemed neither to see nor hear anything else, by reason of his unmixed zeal, that he might maintain the honour of his God. 7. 'A(pi6rii}av xtX) So the Lxx., Ps. xxxii. 1. The synony- mous words are, a.syD/j,iv, we say, ver. 3. 10. Xlui, how) This word implies more than when. — hux h TipiTofiri, not in circumcision) For justification is described. Gen. XV. ; circumcision. Gen. xvii. 11. ^n,u,em, a sign) Circumcision itself was a sign, a mark, namely, imprinted on the body, and the expression, the sign of circumcision, is used just as taking of rest in sleep [xoifirisis r- uffvou], John xi. 13; and the virtue of piety, that is, piety a virtue. — 'iXajSe, received) obediently. — r^s h rjj) TTjg is to be con- strued with ■jrldTn^s; with which compare the next verse. — S! dxpolSvarlai) did, with ; as in ch. ii. 27 [not as Eng. vers. " hy the letter, and circumcision;" but ^with,' or 'in.' Eng. vers, here, Eom. iv. 11, renders ii& &xpol3, though they be not circum- cised}. 11, 12. naripa) the construction is, that he might be the father of all who believe with [i.e. being in] uncircumcision — and the father of the circumcision. Father and seed are cor- relatives. 12. UipiroMg, o? circumcision) The Abstract for the concrete, 68 ROMANS IV. 13, 14. particle, n. 30, 10, 15, 19, 22. Generally, it impUes as to [as regards, in relation to] ; so rZig, 1 John v. 16 ; Luke i. 50, 55. LXX. 1 Chron. xiii. 1 : /isra tuv ap^ovraiv xtX. -TravH rr/i>u/j,htfi, add to these passages 2 Chron. xxxi. 2, 16 ; Num. xxix. A.—oix. ^/iovov) Abraham, therefore, is not the father of circumcision to such as are merely of the circumcision, and do not also follow the faith of Abraham. — h. mpiro/j.rn, of the circumcision) ex, of, means something more weighty than h, in. Circumcision was at least a sign, uncircumcision was not even a sign.^ — dXXa xal ToTg) so in ver. 16. — ''xveffi, in the traces [steps']) The traces of faith are opposed to the traces of outward circumcision ; the path is not trodden by many, but there are foot-traces found in it ; it is, however, an open way. 13. Ou y&p dia vo/iov 71 i'TtayyiXia, for the promise was not through the law) This is evident in the very terms; and the promise was given before the law. Through the law, that is, through the righteousness of the law, but Paul did not wish in his statement to connect righteousness and the law. — Jj rSi eitipij^an, or to his seed) This constitutes the foundation of the consequence de- rived from Abraham to all believers. — rou x6s//,ov, of the world) and therefore of all pe7-sons and things. Comp. 1 Cor. iii. 21. Jleir of the world, is the same as father of all the riations, who accept the blessing. The whole world was promised to Abraham and to his seed conjointly throughout the whole world. The land of Canaan fell to the lot of Abraham, and so one part was allotted to one, and another to another. So also corporeal things are a specimen of things spiritual. Christ is heu' of the world, and of all things, Heb. i. 2, ii. 5, x. 5 ; Eev. xi. 15 ; and so also are they who believe in Him according to the example of Abraham, Matt. v. 5, notes. 14. e;, if) The promise and faith complete the whole : and we ought not to add the law, as if it were something homogeneous. — o; k nS^ou, those who are of the law) This phrase recurs in a milder sense in ver. 16. — ^xiximrai — xarrjpynTai — made void — and of no effect), words synonymous but not interchangeable. Comp. Gal. iii. 17, 15 ; the word antithetic to these is sure l^eSdiav], ver. 16. Faith receives [ver. 11] blessings in all their ' Therefore U is used with we/xTo^^f, h with aKpa^varla. Ed. ROMANS IV. 15-] 7. 53 fulness, it is therefore said, on the opposite side, to be made void, to be of no effect. — viang — e^jrayyiXla, faith — the promise) words coiTelative : and they are appropriately put in retrograde order [comp. ver. 13] in an argument like the present, wherein is shown the absurdity which would flow from the opposite theory [by the reductio, or argumentwm ad absurdum]. 15. Nof/iog, the lavj) It occurs twice in this verse ; first, with the article, definitely; next, indefinitely. — opynv, wrath) not grace, see the next verse. Hence the law is not of promise and of faith. — ouS's "Trapd^agig, there is not even transgression) He does not say, not even sin, comp. eh. v. 13, ii. 12 ; offence, ch. v. 20, and transgression have a more express reference to the law which is violated. Transgression rouses wrath. 16. 'Ex 'Tt'iBTiug, of faitJi) So Jx, ch. iii. 30, v. 1. Supply heirship (the heirship is of faith) comp. ver. 14. — Ix, nv vo/iou, of the law) so of the circumcision, ver. 12, where the not only belongs to of the circumcision, but in this verse, not only refers to the expression, to that seed which. 17.^ "On — Tshix.d si) so the LXX., Gen. xvii. 5. The con- struction, rehixd -ei, xarivavri — ©sou, is like the following, ha iidtJTi, apov, Matt. ix. 6. Comp, Eom. xv. 3 ; Acts i. 4. — xaTemvTi — &iou, before God) since those nations did not yet exist, before men. — o5), that is, xarhavTi ©sou, ^ e-!rt ^- -t . { The righteous. Enemies, ) r Ji (.The reconciled. See on the powerlessness and on the strength of glorying \i.e., the powerlessness of the ungodly, and the strength of glorying of the righteous] Ps. Ixviii. 2, and the following verses ; [Ixxi. 16, civ. 35] Is. xxxiii. 24, eh. xlv. 24 ; 1 Cor. i. 31 ; Heb. ii. 15. Add the verbal parallelism, 2 Cor. xi. 2\.'—-xara, xaip'ov a.m6avi, in due time died) nnjja, xara zaiphv, Is. Ix. 22. When our powerlessness had reached its highest point, then Christ died, at the time which God' had previously determined, and in such a manner, that He died neither too soon nor too late (comp. the expression in the time that now is [at this time'] ch. vii. 26), and was not held too long [longer than was needful] under the power of death. Paul fixes the limits [of the due time'] and he cannot speak in this passage of the death of Cbrist, without, at the same time, thinking of the counsel of God, and of the resurrection of Christ, ver. 10, ch. iv. 25, viii. 34. The question, why Christ did not come sooner, is not an idle question ; see Heb. ix. 26 ; Gal. iv. 4 ; Eph. i. 10 ; Mark i. 15, xii. 6, just as also the question, why the law was not given sooner, is no idle question, ver. 14. 7. Aixaiov. rou ayaSou) Masculines ; with which comp. ver. 6, 8, as Th. Gataker rightly shows. Book 2, Misc. c. 9, but in such a way, that he thinks them to be merely synonymous. When there is any doubt respecting the pecuHar force of an ex- pression, and a difference between words, it will be of much advantage if you either suppose something in the mean'while, or transpose the words. Accordingly, by transposing the words in this passage, we shall read : /to'^'S yap vtrip dyadou ng amSotr- utra.1, iirep ykp Bixalou ra.-xf'- rig xal toX/jl^ amSavliv, for scarcely for a good man will one die, for peradventure for a righteous man, some one would even dare to die) suppose, to wit, also, that ayaSou is put without the article. You vnR immediately per- ceive the disadvantage to the sense, with which this change would be attended, and it will appear evident, that there is both some difference between Bixam and aya6ov, and a great one between dlxccwv and rhv ayaShv, wheresoever that difference in the consecirtive words may be found hereafter. In fact the KOMANS V. 7. 66 ai'ticle so placed, makes a climax. Every good man is right- eous; but every righteous man is not good. Gregory Thau- maturgus; -Tripl rroXKou xai TOT iravrog. Chrysostom; //^ixpii raura y.at TO litibiv, those things of little importance, and that which is of no importance whatever. The Hebrews call a man pHS, who performs his lawful duties ; T'DH, who performs acts of kindness. The Greeks call the former bUaiog ; the latter, oirios ; comp. plX and nuj?) Zeph. ii. 3, but in this passage we have not ialou, but rou dyaSou. Wherefore the distinction between the Hebrew words does not determine the point. But this much is certain, that just as Sawg, so also ayaShg expresses more than dixaios. (See Matt. v. 45, and lest they should be thought there also to be merely synonymous, try that same transposition, and it will be seen, that to make mention of the genial sun in connection with the just, and the useful rain in connection with the good, is not so suitable [as the converse order of the original], likewise Luke xxiii. 50.) And so Paul, in this passage, judges rhv ayaShv, the good man to be more worthy, that one should die for him, than Sixamv, a righteous man. 'AeijBui [ver. 6] and o ayaSig, the ungodly and the good man, also Slxaiog and d/iafn-aXol [ver. 8], a righteous man and sinners, are respectively opposed to each other. What, then, is the result ? dlxaiog, indefinitely, implies a harmless [guiltless] man ; i ayoiShg, one perfect in all that piety [duty towards God and man] demands, excellent, bounteous, princely, blessed, for example, the father of his country.— i«p 'yap) here yap has a disjunctive force, of which we have many examples.— ra;i^a, rig, xal, r6X/ji,f, peradventure, one, even, dares) These several words amplify that which is stated in ver. 8 ; ra^" (instead of rayj^fo) diminishes the force of the affirmation ; rh, one, is evidently put indefinitely ; nor is it regarded [nor does it enter into the consideration], whether the person, who may die for a just or for the good man, is in a state of wrath or of grace ; y.a/, even, concessive, shows, why it is not said simply, dies, as if it were a daily occurrence ; but that the writer should rather say, dares to die, inasmuch as it is something great and unusual. roX/iS, dares, as though it were .an auxiliary verb, corresponds to the fiiture, will one die ; dares [endures to], ventures.— d'roda)'?/!', to die) Dost thou wish to have the steadiest friends? be a good man. VOL. III. ^ 66 KOMANS V. 8-11. 8. 2uwVr»](f/) commends ; a most elegant expression. Persons are nsually [commended] recommended to us/ who were pre- viously unknown to us or were aliens [strangers]. Comp. He descended into tl\e midst [He stooped do^^-n to interpose between us and Himself^ (if^iekivie) Heb. vi. 17.— 5s, hut) This com- parison presupposes that God's love toward Christ, is as great as God's love toward Himself. Therefore the Son is equal to God.—a/j,apru\uv, sinners) We were not only not good, but not even righteous. 9. AixaiaSivTig, Being justified) The antithesis to sinners, ver. 8. — vuv, now) The remembrance of Jesus Christ's death was at that time fresh among behevers. — a-?rb r^g opyng, from wrath) which otherwise does not cease : wrath abides upon those who do not attain to grace. 10. e;, [since] if) Often el, if, especially in this and the eighth chapter of this epistle, does not so much denote the con- dition as strengthen the conclusion. 11. Kauj/w^E^a, weglory (Joy)) The whole discourse from ver. 3 to 11 is comprehended in one construction, thus : oh /j,6m &e, aXka, xa! zai;;^w/iE^a h T&ig iXi'^im (e'lhorig ver. 3 — h rrt ^wJj aurou — ver. 10) ou ijjOVOV hi, aXka. xal xav^d/LeSa h rj5 Qeui x.t.X. So the edition of Colinaeus, Barb. 4, cod. MS. in colleg. prsedicatorum apud Basileam, Bodl. 5. Cov. 2. L. Pet. 1. Steph. la. Aeth. Arab. Vulg. make the words oh fiomv di, aXXA xot.1 xotfU^ufieSot, be repeated after a long intervening parenthesis [by epanalepsis,^ Not. crit.], and the sense, suspended by it, be most elegantly and most sweetly completed, according to the following arrangement of the apostle, although it was only lately that we discovered it, We have peace, and we glory not only in the hope of the glory of God; but, even in the midst of tribulations, we glory, I say, in God Himself, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW [opp. to Hope above] received the atonement [reconciliation']. Most of the more recent copies have made it Kavx 0£t», in God) not before God, ch. iv. 2. — rriv xaraX\ot,y^v) the ' See Appendix. ' BOA, the weightiest auHiorities, read xauxiifieuoi. Gfg Vulg. read vecixiifiiv, gloriamur. Others, x,»v)(,u^tSiii.—%D. ROMANS V. 12. 67 reconciliation. Glorying as to love, which means something more [than merely reconciliation'] follows upon the reconciliation and deliverance from wrath.-"^ 12. Aioi Touro, wherefore) This has regard to the whole of the preceding discussion, from which the apostle draws these con- clusions concerning sin and righteousness, herein making not so much a digression as a regression. In imitation of Paul's method, we must treat, in the first place, of actual sin, according to the first and following chapters, and then go back to the source in which sin originated. Paul does not speak altogether expressly of that which theologians call original sin ; but, in truth the sin of Adam is sufficient to demonstrate man's guilt ; the very many, and most mournful fruits resulting from it, are sufficient for the demonstration of man's habitual corruption. And man, in con- sequence of justification, at length looks back upon, and appre- hends the doctrine concerning the origin of evil, and the other things connected with it. This second part, however, is in special connection with the first part of this chapter ; comp. the ■much more, which reigns [ver. 17] on both sides [i.e. grace reign- ing and triumphing abundantly over both original sin and habir- tual corruption] ; ver. 9, etc., 15, etc., for the very glorying of believers is exhibited ; comp. ver. 11 \we glory, or Engl. vers, we joy] with ver. 21. The equality, too, of Jews and Gentiles, and consequently of all men, is herein included. — ueitip, as) The Protasis, which the words and so continue ; for it is not so also that follows [which would follow, if the apodosis began here]. The apodosis, from a change in the train of thoughts and words, is concealed in what follows. — Mpdimv, man) Why is nothing said of the woman ? Ans. 1. Adam had received the command- ment. 2. He was not only the Head of his race, but also of Eve. 3. If Adam had not listened to the voice of his wife, not more than one would have sinned. Moreover, why is nothing said of Satan, who is the primary cause of sin ? Ans. 1. Satan is opposed to God ; Adam to Christ ; moreover, here the economy of grace is described as it belongs to Christ, rather than as it be- longs to God : therefore, God is once mentioned, ver. 15 ; Satan ' The atonement, Engl. Vers. But r^u implies "the reconciliation," already spoken of ver. 10, reconciled. — Er. 68 EOMANS V. 13. is never mentioned. 2. What has Satan to do with the grace of Christ l—i, &wr!a-6 6&va.T,i, sin— death) These are two distinct evUs, which Paul discusses successively at very great letigth.— e/s rhv x6s/Lov) into this world, which denotes the human race— sleriXk, entered) hegan to exist in the world ; for it had not pre- viously existed outside of the world.— ;£«/' S'a, and by) Therefore, death could not have entered before sin.— xa/ oS™?) and so, namely, by one man.— s/'s) unto [or upon"} all, ■whoQ.j.—dmXhv, passed) when sin once entered, which had not been in the world from the beginning.— Ip' w) 'Ep' w with the verb fi/j,apTov has the same signification, as Si& with the genitive, rrjs a/Mapria;. The meaning is, tJirough the fact that, or in other words, inasmuch as all have sinned, comp. the iiiA)fj.ari rijs ira.pt>t,^a,(!i/^<^, the offence — the gift) The antitheses in this passage are to be observed with the utmost care, from which the proper significa- tion of the words of the apostle is best gathered. Presently after, in this verse, and then in ver. 17, the gift is expressed by synonymous terms. — o'l mXXol, the many) this includes in its signification all, for the article has a meaning relative to all, ver. 12, comp. 1 Cor. x. 17. — ^ %af'Sj grace) Grace and the gift differ, ver. 17 ; Eph. iii. 7. Grace is opposed to the offence; the gift is opposed to the words, they are dead, and it is the gift of life. The Papists hold that as grace, which is a gift, and what follows grace, as they define it, they do not consider as a gift, but as merit. But all is without money or price of ours [the whole, from first to last, is of grace, not of debt or merit of ours]. — £11 %a^;T-/ XpigTou, in the grace of Christ) see Matt. iii. 17 ; Luke ii. 14, 40, 52 ; John i. 14, 16, 17 ; Gal. i, 6 ; Eph. i. 5, 6, 7. The grace of God is the grace of Christ, conferred by the Father upon Christ, that it may flow from Him to us. — Ttj tou) Articles most forcible. Col. i. 19 : rjj especially, is very pro- vidently [to guard against mistake] added ; for if it were want- ing, any one, in my opinion, might suppose that the wttrds of one, depended on the word gift, rather than on grace. As it is, [the Tjj being used] it is evident that the grace of God, and the grace of Jesus Christ, are the things predicated ; comp. similarly, viii. 35, 39, concerning love [the attribution of it, both to God and to Christ, as here], — bhs av6p(Mou, of one man) Paul (more than the other apostles, who had seen Him before His passion) gladly and purposely calls Jesus man, in this His work, as man for man, 1 Cor. xv. 21 ; 1 Tim. ii. 5. Can the human nature of Christ be excluded from the office of Mediator? When Paul in this verse calls Christ man, he does not give that appel- lation to Adam ; and ver. 19, where he gives it to Adam, he does not bestow it upon Christ (comp. Heb. xii. 18, note). The reason is, doubtless, this, both Adam and Christ do not sustain our manhood at the same time ; and either Adam ren- ROMANS V. 16, 17. 73 dered himself unworthy of the name of man ; or the name of man is scarcely sufficiently worthy of Christ. Moreover, Christ is generally denominated from His human natm-e, when the question is ahout bringing men to God, Heb. ii. 6, etc. : from His Divine nature, when the subject under discussion is the coming 0^ the Saviour to us, and the protection which He affords us, against our enemies, Tit. ii. 13. No mention is here made of the Mother of Grod ; and if her conception was neces- sarily immaculate, she must have had no father, but only-a mother, like Him, to whom she gave birth. [Cohel. or Eccles. vii. 29.] 16. KaJ, and) The meaning is to this effect : and not, as hy one that sinned (is the judgment) (so by one, the author of righteousness is) the gift [Engl. Yers. is different] ; that is to say ; And [moreover] the proportion [the ratio] on both sides, is not the same. — Kpina, the judgment) namely, is. — e^ hh;, from one) namely, offence, [Engl. Vers, differs] ; for the antithesis, of many offences, follows. The one offence was of the one man ; the many offences are of many men.^ 17. ToD hli — ha roD hhi, of the one man, hy the one) A very sig- nificant repetition ; lest the sins committed by individuals should seem rather [than the offence of the one man] to have produced death. — l^aslXiugi, reigned) The word in the preterite tense looks back from the economy of grace to the economy of sin ; as presently after the expression shall reign, in the future, looks forward from the economy of sin, to the economy of grace and eternal life ; so ver. 19. — rrjv ■xipKieiiav) liXiomZii]/, and "jripieiiiuiiii differ, as much in the positive, and more in the comparative, ' / frankly confess, that I do not clearly understand how this plural proves, that Paul is not treating here of original sin, as if it ever exists without the accompaniment of other sins, which is the assumption of some one of the more recent commentators. Doubtless the Apostle distinctly shows, that the gift in Christ is the cure both for original sin, and for the actual oflFences of individuals besides. There are, certainly, many actual sins, which are not to he considered as the necessary consequence of the first sin ("otherwise all the morality of our actions would now cease); but there is no sin, whether it be called original or actual, the pardon and removal of which, ought not to he considered as the mere effect of the gift, ;sa^(V^«rof. There- fhre the power of the gift, toS xo^fiafietros, is greater than that of the judg- ment, ToD xpifiazos — E. B. 74 ROMANS V. 18. ver. 20. Abundance of grace, is put in opposition to the one offence. — Xa/i^dvovng, receiving) Aa/i^dvuv may be rendered either as a neuter-passive verb, empfangen, erlangen, kriegen to receive, to acquire, to get; or actively, annehmen, to take. The former is the better sense ; still the relation to Sw/iEiii/ a gift, is more suitable to the act of taking. In justification, man does something ; but the act of taking, so far as it is an act, does not justify, but that which is taken or laid hold of. The gift and taking, are correlatives. iFurthermore, this verb is not used, vs^hen we are speaking of sin; and it is for the same reason, owing to which it happens that we are not said to reign in death, but death reigned ; but hfe reigns in us, 2 Cor. iv. 12, and we in life. Christ, in this passage, is King of them that reign. Life and reigning are mentioned in connection also, in Rev. XX. 4. The term life is repeated from ch. i. 17, and often recurs, presently after, in ver. 18, 21, and in the following chapters. 18. "Afa oZv) Ufa draws the inference, syllogistically : oh con- cludes, almost rhetorically : for this subject is not farther dis- cussed than in this and the following verse. — hhg — hhg, of one — of one) In the mascuhne ; as is manifest from the antithesis, all. The word one, generally put without the addition, man, designates with the greatest force, one, either of the two. — dixaiu/j^KTog — dixaiusiv) Aixaiufia is, SO to speak, the material substratum, the foundation for hxaiiisii, justification ; obedience, righteousness fulfilled. It may be caRed justificament {justifica- mentum) The ground and material of justification, as Idpaito/j-a denotes a firmament [or means of making firm] ; hdv/ia, vest- ment ; I'iri^Xrjfia, additament [or the thing wherewith addition is made] ; iiiagij,a, defilement ; hylemfia, muniment ; icifnd6a.fii.a., the means of purgation ; iti^'i-i^r^iia, the thing scraped of; exiiraeiia, a tegument or the thing wherewith a covering is made ; erepsapa, 'firmament; \iir6bnfj,a, a thing wherewith the foot is covered, a shoe ; (ppovni^a,, sentiment [the material of cppovneig] French senti- ment. Aristot. Eth. Book v. c. 10, has put Adixn/jia and dixaiu/Lo. in opposition to each other, and defines the latter to be the correction of injustice [rh s-jravopSafio, roD d3;x^/*aros] the putting right what is wrong ; which is tantamount to satisfac- tion [or atonement'], a term undeservedly hatefnl to the Socinians. ROMANS V. 19. 75 The following sclieme exhibits the exquisite propriety of the terms : — A. B. C. D. Ver. 16. xpl/jt,a, xardxpifia; ;)^af>«!'/ta, Stxaia/ioi,, judgment, condemnation, free gift, righteousness. A. B. C. V er. 18. -rapdvru/JM, xardxfi/Aoi', Sixa,!iii/j,a,, offence. condemnation, righteousness. D. Sixaliiigi; ^carig, justification of life. In both verses A and B are of the same class, eueroixi'', [are co-ordinate] and likewise C and T> ; but A and C correspond in ' the opposite classes, avrtvToixe'", so also B and D. In ver. 16 the transaction on the part of God is described ; in ver. 18 on the part of Adam and of Christ ; and that, with less variety of words in the case of the economy of sin, than in the case of the economy of grace. Aixdieugig ^w^f, justification of life, is that Divine declaration, by which the sinner, subject to death, has life awarded to him, and that too, with justice on his side. 19. Hapaxotig) ■TrapSi in -jrapaxon very appositely points out the principle of the initial step, which ended in Adam's fall. The question is asked, how could the tmderstanding or the will of an upright man have been capable of receiving injury, or of com- mitting an offence? Ans. The understanding and the will simultaneously gave way [tottered] through carelessness, aiiAXna, nor can we conceive of any thing else previous to carelessness, a^sXiia, in this case, as the initial step towards a city being taken is remissness on the part of the guards on watch. Adam was sedaced through carelessness and indolence of mind, ha. fo^^Mlhiav \ as Chrysostom says, Homil. xxvii. on Gen., and at fiill length in Homil. Ix. on Matt., " whence did man wish to dis- obey God? from weakness and indolence of mind" Tohv jj^sXsjffsn avdptavog irafaxoZdai ©sou ; a-Tth pcj,6u/ji,la,s, x.r.'k. — vapaxorj, disobe- dience, implies this carelessness or weakness. The opposite in this passage is i/Taxori, obedience, from which is derived an excel- lent argument regarding active obedience, without which the 76 ROMANS V. 20. atonemeht of Christ could not have been called obedience ; it is for this reason He is so often praised as, a/j!,u//,og, blameless. — xaratrai^eovrai, shall be constituted) It is one tiling for a man to be constituted righteous, even where imputation is spoken of, it is another thing to be justified, since the former exists as the basis and foundation of justification, and necessarily precedes true jus- tification, under which it is laid as the substratum [on which it rests] ; for a man must of necessity stand forth as righteous, before , he can be truly justified. But we have both the one and the other from Christ, for both the merit of Christ's satisfaction for sin, im- puted to a man in himself unrighteous, already constitutes that same person righteous, inasmuch as it procures for him the righteousness, by which he is righteous; and by virtue of this righteousness, which is obtained by that merit, he is necessarily justified wherein- soever that justification be needed ; that is, he is justly acquitted by merit, who in this way stands forth righteous. Thorn. Gataker. Diss, de novi instr. stylo, cap. 8. This is quite right. Never- theless the apostle, as at the end of the period, seems to set forth such a constituting of men as righteous, as [which] may follow upon the act of justification, and which is included in the expression being found, Phil. iii. 9 ; comp. with Gal. ii. 17. — 0/ -jtoXXol, the many) all men, ver. 18, 15. 20. No>of, law) the omission of the article tends to increase the sublimity [elevation of tone]. — rapsiat^Xk) came in stealthily by Moses, ver. 14. The Antithetic word is, entered, ver. 12 ; Sin therefore is more ancient than the law. — wXtovderi, might abound) ch. vii. 7, etc. Sin is not reckoned in the absence of the law ; but when the law came in stealthily, sin appeared as abounding; but, before the law, the fall of Adam should be held as the cause of death. — ro 'sa.fo.xrtaiha, the offence) supply xai i\ aji^afria, and sin. All the sms of mankind, compared with the sin of Adam, are as it were ofishoots ; it is the root. 'A/xafr/a, sin, in the singular number, is considered as a plague most widely spread ; and it also comprehends all actual Tapa-sTti/iara, offences, ver. 16. — n kiiaprla. [the} sin) or in other words, the offence and sin ; for there is a difference between them ;' see notes on ver. 14; the sin, in the singular number, John i. 29. — uvipi'ripjif- ' The latter being the result of the former Ed. ROMANS V. 21. VI. 1-3. 77 eiuai, superdbounded [did much more abound'^ A third party con- quering the conqueror of the conquered is superior to both : sin conquered man : grace conquers sin ; therefore the power of grace is greatest. 21. 'Ev rp iamTifj — lig ^uriv, in death — unto life) The diffe- rence is here exemplified between the particles bv and lig. [Death has its limits and boundary, whereas hfe is everlasting, and [by divine power^ divinely extended. Death is not said to be eter- nal ; whereas life is said to be eternal, ch. vi. 21, etc. — fi %«;>/? ^aeiXsiidrj, that grace might reign) Grace therefore has had, as it were, no reign, that is, it hip,s had a most brief reign before the fall. We may believe, that Adam sinned not long after that he was created. — 'irieou, Jesus) Now no longer is Adam even mentioned : the mention of Christ alone prevails. CHAPTEE VI. 1. ' Em/jiiivoiJ/jLiv ; shall we continue?) Hitherto he treated of the past and the present : now he proceeds to treat of the future ; and the forms of expression are suited to those, which imme- diately precede, whilst he speaks] respecting the ' abounding' of grace. In this passage the continuing in sin is set before us ; in the 15th verse, the going back to sin, which had been overcome. The man, who has obtained grace, may turn himself hither or thither. Paul in this discussion turns his back on sin. 2. ' A-jriSdvo/isv, we are dead) in baptism and justification. 3. "h) Or ? [' an,' Latin. The second part of] a disjunctive interrogation. — ayvoiTn, know ye not ?) The doctrine concerning baptism was known to all. The same form of expression occurs again ch. vii. 1. to which the phrase, know ye not? corresponds, ver. 16, xi. 2 [Wot ye not ?] and 1 Cor. throughout. Ignorance is a great obstruction ; knowlege is not sufficient.' — oeoi, whoso- •■ The point in this sentence is putting officii in antithesis to svfficit, but 78 ROMANS VI. i, 6. ever) [as many soever]. No one of the Christians was by that time unbaptized. — i^a-jTTMvi/ji.ev, were baptized) The mentioning of Baptism is extremely well suited to this place ; for the adult, being a worthy candidate for Baptism, must have passed through the experience of these things, which the apostle has hitherto been describing. Paul in his more solemn epistles, sent to the churches (Eom. Cor. Gal. Eph. Col.), at the beginning of which he caUs himself an apostle, mentions Baptism expressly ; in the more familiar (Phil. Thess.) he presupposes it. — ilg) into. The ground on which we are baptized. — Xpigrhv 'ineouv, Christ Jesus) The name Christ is here put first, because it is more regarded here, ver. 4, Gal. iii. 27. — s/'s rh Sdvarov avrov, into Sis death) He who is baptized puts on Christ, the second Adam ; he is baptized, I say, into a whole Christ, and so also into His death, and it is the same thing as if, at that moment, Christ suffered, died, and was buried for such a man, and as if such a man suffered, died, was buried with Christ. 4. '2uverdprif/,ev, we were buried with Sim) The fruits of the burial of Christ. Immersion in baptism, or at least the sprink- ling of water upon the person, represents burial, burial is a confirmation of [facit ratam] death. — I'lg, into) Construed with baptism, with which comp. ver. 3. — ug-ffep — outu, as — so) An abbreviated expression for,^ As Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we should also rise, and as Christ reigns for ever in the glory of the Father, and in that life to which He has risen, so we also should walk in newness of life, — di&, by) By concerning the Father is also found at 1 Cor. i. 9. — Trig So^rig, the glory) A6^a is the glory of the divine life, of incorruptibility, ch. i. 23, of the power and virtue, by which both Christ was raised, and we are restored to a new life, and are conformed to God, Eph. i. 19, etc. — h xonvorriri, in newness) Ch. vii. 6; 2 Cor. v. 15, etc. This newness consists inhfe, 5. ^ifiipvToi) LXX. jSouvhs e{i//,(puTog, Spvfihg ffu/ipuro?, a planted hill, a planted forest, Amos ix. 13 ; Zech. xi. 2, and on this account o/io;w/ian here may be taken in the ablative. But it cannot be imitated in English— it might he, ignorance is exceedingly efficient, knowledge is not sufficient, were efficient an English word, which it is not. — Tk. ' See App., under the title Concisa Locutio. ROMAICS VI. 6-10. 79 Hesychius has eu//,(purov, eu/i-Tropiiio/ieiiov, eu\i6v, and so eu/LSivroi with the dative is a word very significant; comp. ver. 4, 6. Cluverus translates it, engendered together [connaturati, endowed with the same nature together] grown together^.) AH spiritually quickening power is in Christ, and that power has been confer- red upon [brought together into] baptism ; eiv is used [in the compound suf/,ipvroi'], as in the opposite word guvieraupuSri ; and the simple [root] word (A)G Memph. Vers. Hilary, omit the £!;/«<.' But BC Vuk fa and Rec. Text retain it Ed. ■"' 3 ABD(A)6/^ Vulg. Hilary, reject rS ^vpl^ i,f<,Z,. But C Memph. and Syr. Versions retain the words. — Ed. ROMANS VI. 14-17. ^1 duties. Man, vAio is dead in sin, could not, with propriety, be said to yield himself [Sistere seipsum, to present himself} to sin : but the man, who is aUve, may yield [present] himself to God. — oirXa, arms) [instruments'] a figurative expression, derived from war, as wages, ver. 23. — aSixiag, of unrighteousness) which is opposed to the righteous will of God. — rjf a/xapriif, to sin) Sin is here considered as a tyrant. — Tapaar^sare [yield'] present) as to a king. — Ix, vexpuv, from the dead) The Christian is alive from the dead. He had been dead, he is now alive. Comp. Eph. V. 14, note, Key. iii. 1-3. Sleep, too, in these passages, is the image of death. — bmaioguvm, of righteousness) The anti- thetic word is aSixiag, of unrighteousness. 14. Ou xvpiexisei, Shall not have dominion) Sin has neither the right nor the power ; it will not force men to become slaves to it against their will. — iTh v6/j.o\i, under the law) Sin has dominion over him, who is tmder the law. 15. 'r-rrh, under) eh. vii. 2, 14. 16. AoilXou?, servants) Servitude is here denoted, from which obedience follows as a consequence. — SouXoi, servants) The state of servitude, which follows as the consequence of obedience, is signified, 2 Pet. ii. 19. — slg, unto) elg, unto, occurs twice in this verse, and in both cases it depends on servants. — iiTraxo??, oj obedience) Obedience, used absolutely, is taken in a good sense. Righteousness, too, promptly claims as her own, those who act obediently to her. — ilg Sixaiosdvriv, unto righteousness) Supply, and of righteousness unto life : as appears from the antithesis [death], with which comp. the similar antithesis, ver. 20 and 22, iii. 20, note. 17. Xdpig Si rifi ®eu), but God be thanked) This is an idiom peculiar to Paul, who usually expresses categorical propositions, not categorically and nakedly, but, as it were, with some modi- fying qualification, i.e., with an intimation of afiection, thanks- giving, prayerful wish for them, etc. — 1 Cor. xiv. 18 ; 2 Tim. ii. 7, note. The enthymeme^ of this passage stands thus : you were the servants of sin ; but now you have become obedient to righteousness : but there is added the moral mode^ or moral I 1 The simple enunciation. See Appendix. « See Appendix, under the title, Modalis Sermo A proposition not VOL. in. F 82 KOMAKS VI. 17. sentiment, God he thanked, that though ye were the servants oj sin, ye have now obeyed righteousness. This mode, however, in this place, implies this also, that this is the blessed state of the Komans, which they ought by all means to maintain. This observation wiU clearly bring out the meaning of the apostle's language in many passages, and will show the ardour that was within his breast. — on, that) so that, with indeed, to be under- stood, John iii. 19.' — SoSXo/, servants) especially in heathenism. — Ik xapblag, from the heart) The truth and efficacy of the Christian religion [lies in its having its root in the heart.J Wicked men cannot be altogether wicked with their whole heart, but even unconsciously and continually repent of their past conduct, and of their slavery to sin ; but good men are good from the heart, and without constraint. [It is not any doctrine of men, but the doctrine of God alone, which takes by storm (takes complete possession of) the human heart. — V. g.] — elg ov) This is the explanation vntn'x.ohsa.Ti ilg rwov dida^vjg d) or 5/; ov 'jrapiSoSijrs, comp. iig. Gal. i. 6 ; you were obedient to [with respect to, towards] the form of doctrine (comp. sig 'ffavra mnx.001, obedient in all things, 2 Cor. ii. 9) unto which you were delivered (which was delivered to you). The case of the relative, expressed in abbreviated form,^ depends on the word preceding, ch. iv. 17, or following ch. x. 14. — irajnUSnn, you were delivered) Elsewhere the doctrine is said to be delivered. That phrase is here ele- gantly inverted, and is a very graceful expression respecting those who, when freed from sin, devote and yield [present] them- selves, ver. 16, with a great change of masters, to the honourable service of righteousness.— rii^oi/, form) a very beautiful term, Ex. XXV. 40. The form meant is the 'form' of Christ, Gal. iv. 19 Uaxng, of doctrine) That rule and standard, to which the servant conforms himself, is merely shown to him by the doc- trine; he does not need to be urged by constraint. stated nakedly, but with intimation of feeling accompanying it. Instead of the najced statement, "Ye were servants of sin," Paul says, in the moral mode, " Thanks be to God, that, though ye were servants of sin, ye have now obeyed," etc. 1 Light is (indeed) come into the world, and (yet) men loved darkness, etc. So here, = though ye were, — yet now, etc. — Ed. ^ See App., tit. " Concisa Locutio." i < ROMANS VI. 18. gS 18. ''EKiukpuKtrig, being made free) It will be of use to have this connected view of the plan of the apostle, up to the point which it has now reached : — • I- ^n, . . . . Ch. iii. 9. n. The perception [the coming to "the knowledge"] of sin from the law; the sense of wrath; internal [spiritual] death, .... iii. 20. HI. The revelation of the righteousness of God in Christ, by the Gospel, directed against sin, and yet in behalf of the sinner, .... iii. 21. rV". The centre of Paul's system. Faith; embracing that revelation without reservation, and striving after, and succeeding in its eflfort to reach right- eousness itself, . . . iii. 22. V. The remission of sins, and justification, by which God the judge, views sin committed by man, as if it had not been committed, and righteousness lost, as -if had been preserved [re- tained], .... iii. 24. VI. The gift of the Holy Spirit; love Divine shed abroad in the heart ; the inner new life, . . . v. 5, vi. 4. Vn. The free service of righteousness in good works, ... vi. 12. From this view, it is evident why Paul, in proving justifica- tion by faith alone, against those who are in doubt or error, makes frequent mention of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and of the other things, which follow as the consequences of justifica- tion. As righteousness flows from faith; adoption [sonship] accompanies righteousness ; the gift of the Holy Spirit, with the cry, Ahha, Father, and with newness of life, follows upon adop- tion ; but faith and righteousness are not in themselves clearly perceived by sense ; whereas the gift, of the Holy Ghost pro- 84 KOMANS VI. 19, 20. duces very conspicuous and prominent [standing out palpablej effects; comp. [God] bare them witness [giving theni the Holy Ghost] Acts XV. 8. Farther, the surpassing excellence of these fruits, most effectually proves the worthlessness of men's works. 19. ' AvSpiimm, after the manner of men) Language after the manner of men, is frequent, and in some measure alvcays occur- ring, whereby Scripture condescends to suit itself to our capacity. Too plain language is not always better [the best] adapted to the subject in hand. The accusative is used for the adverb. [According to our mode of speaking, it may be translated, Ich muss es euch mir massiv sagen, / must speak to you with great plainness and simplicity. — Y. g.]— 3/a, because of) Slowness of understanding arises from weakness of the flesh, i.e., of a nature merely human, comp. 1 Cor. iii. 3. ' Ae^imav, weakness) Those who desire discourse to be continuously in all respects quite plain, should perceive in this a mark of their own weakness, and should not take amiss [take offence at] a more profound expression of the truth, but they should consider it with grati- tude, as an ample benefit, if in one way or the other, they have had the good fortune to imderstand the subject : at first, the mode of expressing the truth is more sublime, then afterwards it is more plain, as in the case of Nicodemus. — John iii. 3, 15. That which pleases most [the greatest number] is not always the best. — V. g. — rjj aKo/i/qs e/'s djv avo/ilav, to iniquity unto ini- quity) A ploce^ not observed by the' Syriac version. The word [to] iniquity [aw^/a] (before which uncleanness is put, as a part before a whole) is opposed to righteousness; the word [unto] iniquity [avo/i/ai/] is opposed to holiness [end of verse] Righteousness corresponds to the Divine will, holiness as it were, to the whole of the Divine nature. Those who are the servants of righteousness, make progress [i.e., advance from righteousness to holiness, whereby they partake of the Divine nature] ; cho/ioi, workers of iniquity are workers of iniquity, nothing more. 20. T^s ai^aprlag, of ain) This case contains the emphasis of the sentence ; sin had taken possession of you.^-r^ dnaioemri, to [towards] righteousness) that is in respect of righteousness. ' See App., tit. Place. A word twice put, once in the simple sense, au. 86 ROMANS VI. 23-VII. 1. Amos ii. 11, CDnrJ^, Lxx, ilf ayiaeiim \ Engl. Vers, has Naza- rites. 23. Ta, Th) The mark of the subject. — o-^iima — x&fidiio,, wages — gift) Bad works earn their own proper pay; not so, good works ; for the former obtain wages, the latter a gift : h-^Sivia., wages, in the plural : %a^/(r/ia, a gift, in the singular, with a stronger force. CHAPTER Vn. 1. "h) The disjunctive interrogation. - There is a close con- nection here with ch. vi., the words of which, at ver. 6, 14, 21, xarapyiTd^ai, xvpieCiiv, xapvhg, Mvaros x.r.x. again occur prominently in this chapter. The comparison of the Old and New state is continued. — yivwexougi, to them that know) the Jews ; although it is the duty of all Christians to know the law. — o v6//,os, the law) for example, of marriage. The whole law, in consonance with the opening of this portion, is put by synecdoche,^ for the law of marriage. — rov avSpiimv, over a man) i.e., over a woman, ver. 2, comp. 1 Pet. iii. 4, where the inner [" the hidden man"] pre- supposes the outer man, and the parallelism consists in this, that man is predicated also separately of the woman, not merely of Adam, the husband [' viro,' the man, in the restricted sense of the term.] Man here is used genericaUy ; but in the second verse, Paul applies it in a special and subordinate sense to the woman, as falling under the generic term. — sip' Sgov, as long as) neither any longer nor any shorter. — ^Ti, lives) the Law [lives. But Engl. Vers. " As long as he — ^the husband — liveth."] A personification. In the apodosis, life and death are ascribed, not to the law, but to us ; whereas, here we have the protasis, in which, according to the meaning of the apostle, life or death is ascribed to the [marriage] law itself, and to the husband. What ' See Appendix. ROMANS VII. 2-6. 87 is here said, depends on the nature of the things related, which are the law and man. When either party dies, the other is considered to be dead. Thus the protasis and apodosis cohere. 2. °T«avhpoc) So the Lxx. — didsrai, is bound) It may be con- strued with to her husband, and with by [to] the law. — rov v6/i,ov rou avdphs) It would not be an unsuitable apposition, were we to say, from the law [that is, froni] her husband, 3. Xptj/ioiTieii) viz. Eaun^)/, she will come under the appellation of an adulteress, and that too by the power of the law. Slie shall bring upon herself the name of an adulteress. — i&v y'evnrai uudpl irepijj, LXX. Deut. xxiv. 2. 4. "ciffrs) This word has a stronger meaning than if ouTiai had been used. — Uavarti^nn, ye Jiave become dead) which denotes more than ye are dead. The comparison is thus summed up : the husband or wife, by the death of either, is restored to liberty ; for in the protasis, the party dying is the husband ; in the apodosis, the party dying is that, which corresponds to the wife. — &i& rov (fw^aro;, by the body) A great mystery. In the expiation [atonemen^t] for sin, why is it that .mention generally is made of the body, rather than of the soul of Christ ? Ans. The theatre and workshop of sin is our flesh ; and for this, it is the holy flesh of the Son of God, which is the remedy. — syip6iwi, who is raised) and so is alive [which the law no longer is to the behever]. — xapmf)opf}gcii/i,iv, we should bring forth fruit) He comes from the second person to the flrst ; fruit corresponds to off spring ; for the simile is derived from marriage. 5. '''H./jbiv h Tji eapxt, we were in the flesh) that is [we were] carnal. See the opposite ver. 6, at the end. — S/ti, by) ver. 8. — rS} 6avdr({i, to that death) of which ver. 13, ch. viii. 6, speak. 6. ' AmSavovTig, being dead) So ver. 4, ye became dead, said of that party, which corresponds to the wife : comp. Gal. ii. 19. I have shown in der Antwort wegen des N. T. p. 55. A. 1745, that Chrysostom also read avoSavivni, not amSavovrog.^ — if) A plain construction in this sense : we have been set free by death from the law, which held us fast. — ■x.am-xJ'^i^") an expres- 1 So also A (B ?) C, both Syr. Versions, Memph. The first correction of the Amiatine MS. of Vulg. read A'^^odkwytK. D (A) G fg Vulg. read toS ta,r«.TW [The law of death]. Rec. Text (and B ?) «5rii^«i/o<'TOf.— Ed. 88 KOMANS VII. 7. sive term ; comp. ewixXuei, ch. xi. 32, s 11. 'Eg»)crarjj(rE, deceived) led me into by-paths, as the robbei leads the traveller; and while I supposed that I was going onward to hfe, I fell into [upon] death. — aviKrunv, slew me) This is the termination of the economy of sin, and is on the confines of that of grace. 12. "Ayio;, holy) supply from what follows, and just and good; although it was necessary to accumulate these synonymous terms chiefly in defence of the commandment, with its stinging power [rather than of the hw] : holy, just, good,- ia relation respectively to its efficient cause, its form, and its end ; (as we find in the MS. notes of Dorscheus) or holy in respect of my duties to God ; just, in respect of my neighbour ; good in respect of my own nature ;'' with which whatever is commanded is in harmony, for Hfe is promised, ver. 10. The third of these three epithets is taken up with very great propriety in the following verse. 13. TJ) therefore what is good. — The power of the article is to be noticed. — ^dmres, death) the greatest evil, and the cause of ' Lachmann and Tischendorf, the two ablest exponents of modern textual criticism, prefer uvrn. — Ed. 2 Aixctio; Th. S/xn, is that which is precisely what it should be, without regard to the question whether good or evil flow from it, just, right. But dyaUs, what is profitable and of benefit to men. The commandment is S/xa(«, for it teaches nothing but what is just; dyaSiiyior it regards the happiness of those, to whom it is given. It is also S.yia, not because it makes holy, but because it is holy in itself, sacred to God, and therefore tn he held inviolate. — See Tittmann Syn. Or. Text. — Ed. ROMANS Vn. U. 31 death, the grestest evil : xarepyat^ofihr}, working [death in me]. — aXXSc. n a/jiapTia, hut sin) namely, was made death to me ; for the participle x.a.TBpya'toiMhnj working, ■without the substantive verb, does not constitute the predicate. — iVa ri^ovTd /is, bringing ?ne into captivity) by any actual victory which it pleases.^ The apostle again uses rather a harsh term, arising from holy impatience :* the allegory is taken from war, comp. the similar term, warring. 24. TaXai-irupos syii S.vSpwTrog) [" wretched man that I am!" Engl. Vers. But Beng.] wretched me, who am [inasmuch as I am] a man ! Man, if he were without sin, is noble as well as blessed ; with sin, he rather wishes not to be a man at all, than to be such a man as man actually is : The man [whom Paul personifies] speaks of the state of man in itself, as it is by nature. This cry for help is the last thing in the struggle, and, ' The participle cannot be placed first in English Tr. What he means is ; the law is found by Mm who wills to do good, which is now the case with me. — Ed. ^ i.e. leading me at will to do whatever it pleases. — Ed ' To express his holy impatience to be rid of the tyrant. — Ed. 9S ROMANS VII. 25. after that henceforth convinced, that he has no help in him- self, he begins, so to speak, unknowingly to pray, who shall deliver me ? and he seeks deliverance and waits, until God shows Himself openly in Christ, in answer to that who. This marks the very moment of mystical death} Believers to a certain extent continue to carry with them something of this feeling even to the day of their death,* viii. 23. — pveirai, shall deliver) Force is necessary. The verb is properly used ; for puigSai, is, sx. 0ANATOT I'Xxeiv (to drag from death), Ammonius from Aristoxenus. — Ix) from. — roD ffw/taros, from the body of death) the body being dead on account of sin, ch. viii. 10. The death of the body is the fiill carrying into execution of that death, of which ver. 13 treats, and yet in death there is to be deliverance. — Toirou) g&i/ia Savarou Tourou is said for ifca/io, ^anarou roDro, the body of this death, for, this body of death. — Comp. Acts v- 20, note. 25. Bu^apidru, I give thanks) This is unexpectedly, though most ■ pleasantly, mentioned, and is now at length rightly acknowledged, as the one and only refiige. The sentence is categorical : God will deliver me by Christ ; the thing is not in my own power : and that sentence indicates the whole matter : but the moral mode [modus moralis. See Append.] (of which, see on ch. vi. 17), I give thanks, is added. (As in 1 Cor. xv. 57 : the senti- ment is : God giveth us the victory ; but there is added the 7i6og, or moral mode, Thanks be to God.) And the phrase, I give thanks, as a joyful hymn, stands in opposition to the miser- able complaint, which is found in the preceding verse, wretched that I am. — ouv, then) He concludes those topics, on which he had entered at ver. 7. — aMg syiii) I myself. — vo/^oj GeoC — vo/iw afiHtprlag, the law of God — the law of sin) vo/iw is the Dative, not the Ablative, ver. 23. Man [the man, whom Paul per- sonifies] is now equally balanced between slavery and liberty, and yet at the same time, panting after liberty, he acknowledges that the law is holy and free from all blame. The balance is rarely even. Here the inclination to good has by this time at- tained the greater weight of the two. 1 The becoming figuratively dead in a spiritual sense to the law and to sin, ver. 4. — ^Bd. * This longing for deliverance from the body of this death. ^Ed. EOMANS Vm. 1, 2. 97 CHAPTEK Vni. 1, OhSiv apa vuv x-ardxpifia, There is therefore now no condem- nation) The apostle comes now to deliverance and liberty. Moreover lie does not employ the adversative Sh, but ; he uses the conclusive cipa, therefore, comp. on ch. ii. 1 ; because at the end of ch. vii. he had already reached the confines of this condition. He also now evidently returns from his admirable digression to the path, which is pursued [he had entered on] at ch. vii. 6. And, as a proof of this, the particle now, which denotes present time (like the German wiirklich, actually, truly) was used there, and is resumed here. Condemned [" God c. sin"] in ver. 3, refers to condemnation here. 1, 2. Jlepi'Trarougiv' 6 y&p vo/jiog, to them that walk : for the law) the aetiology [assigning of the reason, see Append.] by a paren- thesis suspends the train of thought {for the law of death (ver. 2) : in us luho walk [resuming the same word and train of thought as ver. 1], ver. 4) ; and as this parenthesis is terminated by epanalepsis,"^ the expression but according to the spirit com- pletes the period, in which the but is opposed rather to the not in ver. 1, than to the not in ver. 4. The phrase, but after the spirit (aXXa Kara miuf/.a) is omitted in the first verse on the most respectable testimony." Baumgarten retains it. But Paul immediately treats of that expression /tj) xara edpxa, not according to or after the flesh ;^ then as he advances,* he adds, ^ See Appendix. When the same word or words are in the beginning of the preceding member and in the end of the following member : as here ^jj Kxroi ai.px,a 'Trepiirnrovaii/, before, and at the close of the parenthesis. " A and the later corrector of D Vulg. Syr. add with Eec. Text, the words fiij xxTct aapy.a irepivxrouaiu. But they omit aXX« xara wivficc. BOD (A) (iff/, Memph. and Theb. Versions omit the whole fc^ xecra — Tn/ivfta. Eec. Text has, of ancient authorities, only_^, one or two later vmcial MSS. and Theodoret. — Ed. * Which makes it likely, that not x«t» imivfia, but x«t» capKa was whs.t went immediately before. — Ed. * And not till then, — Ed. VOL. III. & 98 ROMANS VIII. 2, 3. aXKoi xctrSi ftvevfua, but according to or after the spirit, ver. 4, note. 2. No,ttoj rou mi\iiia,roi) the law of the spirit, the Gospel in- scribed on the heart ; comp. ch. iii. 27 ; 2 Cor. iii. 8. The spirit makes aUve, and this life invigorates [vegetat] the Christian. — fiXiufiptaai (li, hath made me free) a mild term, and in the preterite tense ; he had formerly put the weightier verb pvairai in the future. Grace renders that most easj, which seems difficult to man under the law, or rather does it itself. Both are opposed to the phrase, bringing me into captivity, ch. vii. 23. — r^s d/^af^ tIcx,; x.at roD ^avarov, of sin and death) He has respect to those things which he said in behalf of the law of God, ch. vii. 7 and 13. Observe that and is put here, and is not put at the beginning of the verse in the antithesis, •yv£u,aaroj rric t,urig, of the spirit of life, where either the conjunctive particle is wanting^ of spirit, [and] of life, or it must be explained thus, rh Xlvivfio, Tjjg l^aijjs, the Spirit of life. 3. Th) This word has the force of an adjective [or epithet'], to be simply explained thus : God has accomphshed the condem- nation of sin, which was beyond the power of the law ; God condemned sin in the flesh (a thing ivhich the law could not do, namely, condemn sin, while the sinner is saved). TJ aSuraroi', what was impossible, has an active signification in this passage ; and the paraphrase of Luther is according to the meaning of the apostle. — See Wolfii Cur. on this place. — rou ro^ou) of the law, not only ceremonial, but also moral ; for if the moral law were without this impossible [impossibility of condemning sin, yet saving the sinner], there would have been no need that the Son of God should have been sent. Furthermore, the word impossible, a privation [of something once held], supposes that the thing was previously possessed : formerly the law was able to afford righteousness and life, ch. vii. 10. Hence it is that man so willingly follows the traces of that first path even after the fall. — taurou) 'Idiov, ver. 32. His own, over whom sin and death had no power. — vifi'^a;, sending) This word denotes a sort of separation, as it were, or estrangement of the Son fi-om the Father, that He might be the Mediator. — sv o/ioiiifian ea,pxb( a/iaprias, in the likeness of the flesh of sin [sinful fleshj) The construction is with xarixpm, condemned [not as Engl. Vers. EOMANS VIII. 4. 99 His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh]. We, along -witli our fieshj utterly tainted as it was with sin, ought to have been consigned to death ; but God, in the likeness of that Jlesh (for iustice required the likeness), that is, in the flesh of His own Son, which was real and at the same time holy, and (that too) for sin, condemned that sin (which was) in (our) flesh,^ that we might be made free ; Iv [before o//,oiu)/iaTi] is construed with condemned, compare by, ch. vii. 4 [Dead by (dia) the body of Christ]. — 'irepl a//,a/>r/as t^\i afi,apriav, for sin, sin) The substan- tive is here repeated, as in Luke xi. 17, note, when the house «'.« divided, the house falls. But the figure ploce^ is here added, as is indicated by the use of the article only in the latter place [on the second employment of the word o^afr/a]. These two terms mutually refer to one another, as do the words the likeness of flesh ani flesh, mpl, for : "jripl a/iaprlag is equivalent to a noun, as in Ps. xl. (xxxix.) 6 ; Heb. x. 6, 8. But here, in the epistle to the Romans, I explain it thus : God condemned sin on this account, because it is sin. Sin was condemned as sin. So sin is put twice in the same signification (not in a double significa- tion as happens in an antanaclasis), but the article Ttiv adds an epitasis.' — xarixpin, condemned) took away, finished, put an end to, destroyed all its strength, deprived sin of its power (compare the word impossible above [What the law was powerless to do, God had power to do, and deprived the law and sin of their power"] — sin which was laid on the Son of God. For the exe- cution of the sentence also follows the condemnation of sin. It is the opposite of the expression to justify, ver. 1 ; ch. v. 18, and 2 Cor. iii. 9. 4. Ti hnaiujia, the law's just commandment \_jus, Engl. Vers. ' righteousness^'^) an antithesis to condemnation, Yer. 1. — -aXrifiadri, might be fulfilled) That/M^/i^Jweniispresentlyafter described, ver. 5-11 ; thence it is that we have the for, ver. 5. Works of justice {righteousness] follow him that is justified [i.e. follow as the con- ^ God condemned that sin, which was in our flesh, in the likeness of that sinful flesh, [i.e. in His incarnate Son,] and that too, for sin. " See Appendix. The same word repeated, once expressing the simple idea of the word, next expressing an attribute of it. » See Appendix. Epitasis, when to a word, which has been previously used, there is added, on its being used again, some word augmenting its force. 100 ROMANS VIII. 5-9. sequent fruits of his justification] : sin is condemned, lio who had been a sinner, now acts rightly, and the law does not prosecute its claims against him. — iv rii/,n) in us. — i/,fi xar&, eapxoi, not after the flesh) an antithesis to, in the flesh, ver. 3. Now at length Paul has come to the open distinction between ^es/t and spirit} The spirit denotes either the Spirit of God, or the spirit of be- lievers, ver. 16. The latter is a new power produced and main- tained in us by Him ; and it is to this that the reference is, wherever yfes^ stands in opposition. 5. O/' yap, for they that) From this passage and onward Paul primarily describes the condition of believers ; and secondarily, for the purpose of illustrating it, what is contrary to that state. — bvTig, who are) This refers to a state, or condition. — fieiros. But (A) DOfy Vulg. Orig. 2, 266; 3, 1706 Iren. and Cypr. read r^f ir»pxcs Ed. ROMANS Vm. ir,, 16. 103 or uhi ilei 0£oD, There are thus three readings, of which Baum- garten defends the first, I the second, which is supported by the third, inasmuch as the, word u'lo! is placed first for the sake of emphasis ; and it was the emphasis that induced me to touch upon this variety in the readings.^ — vhi sons) The Spirit is given to sons, Gal. iv. 6. At this passage Paul enters upon the dis- cussion of those topics, which he afterwards comprehends under the expression. He glorified, ver. 30, but he does not describe unmixed glory, but only such glory, as that, the taste of which is still diluted with the cross. Therefore the sum of what he says is : through sufferings [we must pass] to glory ; patient endurance [or else, support] is interwoven with sufferings. Hence the whole connection of the discourse will be obvious. 15. T&p, for) This word has reference to sons in the preced- ing verse. — wsij/jia douXilag, the spirit of bondage) The Holy Spirit was not even in the Old Testament a Spirit of bondage ; but He so unfolded His power in the case of those behevers, in whom He then dwelt, that there however was lurking, beneath, a feeling arid sense, which carried with it something of bondage, inasmuch as being in the case of those who [under the law] were still but children, Gal. iv. 1. — irdXiv, again) as formerly [under the law]. The Romans in their state as Gentiles had had groundless [vain] fear ; but not the spirit of fear, as those had had, into whose place the Gentiles had come. The^Church of all ages is, as it were, one individual, moral person ; so the word, again, Gal. iv. 9, v. 1. — s/'s (po^ov, to fear) See Heb. ii. 15, note. — viohfflag, of adoption) See Gal. iv. 1, etc. — xpd^o/jnv, we cry) one and all. Cry is a word implying vehemence, accom- panied with desire, confidence, a just claim, perseverance. And the Holy Spirit himself cries : Abba, Father, Gal. iv. 6, note. [If, while you are alive, yow have not attained to this experience, it ought to be the subject of lamentation to you, and you ought eagerly to seek it ; but if you have attained it, see that you joy- fully continue in it. — ^V. g.] 16. T^li) Our spirit testifies : the Spirit of God Himself testi- fies along with our spirit. [Our spirit is human, 1 Cor. ii. 11 ; ^ T/oi ihiu Sum is read by BGjr Vulg. (Amiat. MS.) Orig. 1, 574c Hilary. But t A)DAC Fuld. MS. of Vulg./, Orig. a, 685c Cypr. have viol iiou sicrts. Rec. Text with Iren. has siam viol ^tov. — Ed. 104 ROMANS VIII. 17-19. and therefore its testimony is in itself not infallible, Mai. ii. 16. — V. g.] Blessed are they, who distinctly perceive this testimony.— aM ri has reference to ver. 14. 17. iMyvXnpowiMi, jointrheirs) that we may know, that it is a very great inheritance, which God gives to us : for He has assuredly given a great inheritance to His Son. — e/'te?, if indeed?) This short clause is a new proposition, which has respect to those things, which follow. — eMfj/xasxpt^^h ^^ suffer with) To this word refer sufferings in the following verse, and in like manner, we may he glorified together in this verse refers to the glory in the following verse. 18. Vaf, for) The reason assigned,^ why he just now made mention of suffering, and of glorification. — roD vDi/ %aifo\i, of the present time) The cross [laid on the children of God], in the New Testament is greater than it formerly was, but -it is of short continuance, -/.aiflg, a short time ; the present and future are opposed to each other. — ir^of, to he compared with) that is, if they be compared together. — s/'s ;i^«j, with respect to [towards] us ; comp. 2 Cor. v. 2. 18, 19. ' A-!roxa\v(pSjjvai — a'jroxd.Xv-^^iv) The gloTj is revealed, and then also the sons of God are revealed. 19. ' A'ffoxapaSoxlci. This term denotes the hope of the coming event, and the effort of the mind, which is eagerly panting for [gaping for] it. Tlie expectation of the creature, that is, the creatiu-e waiting, or expecting. Luther on this passage in Post, eccl. calls it, das endliche Harren, final waiting. — rra xriaioig, of the creature) The creature here does not denote angels, who are free from vanity [weakness] ; nor men of every kind, provided only they are men, although not even the weakest men [those most under bondage to vanity] are excluded, who, although in the bustle of life they consider vanity as if it were liberty, and partly stifle, partly conceal their groaning, yet in times of sobriety, quietness, sleeplessness and calamity, they have many sighs, which are heard by God alone ; nor are the virtiaous Gentiles excluded ; but believers are expressly opposed to the creature. As to the rest, all the Adsible creation [the whole aggregate of creatures : " creaturarum universitatem"] without ' Aetiologia. See Appendix. ROMANS Vlll. iO-21. 105 exception is intended (as xrlgfio, in Macarius everywhere denotes the visible creation [creaturam], Homil. vi. § 5, etc.), and every kind of creature according to its condition (captu) [ver. 39, i. 25]. As every creature stands in its relation to the sons of God, so, in this passage, the things predicated of the former stand in rela- tion to the things predicated of the latter. The wicked neither desire, nor wiU obtain liberty. Disadvantages have redounded to the creature in consequence of [from] sin ; reparation vidll accrue to the creature in consequence of [from] the glory of the sons of God. — u'luv) Tfxvuv, ver. 21. — airsxde^irai) ' Airh in this compound verb signifies the waiting for a thing hoped for in consequence of the promise. The same word is in ver. 23 and in like manner a-soxapaSoxla above. 20. MaralorrjTi, to vanity) whence the first of believers, whom the Scriptures commend, was called ?3n, Abel [vanity']. Glory is opposed both to vanity and corruption ; and the greatest vanity is idolatry, ch. i. 21, 23. Vanity is abuse and waste; even the malignant spirits themselves have dominion over the creature. — ■j'jTira'yri, was made subject) In the passive voice, with a middle signification, though it has however in it somewhat of the figure, personification. — ou;^' i-A.o\J(Sa, not willingly) For in the beginning it was otherwise : thence it is that the creature would rather be made subject to Christ [" Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet"], Heb. ii. 7, 8. — S/dciriv i'?rora^a\ira, on account of [propter : owing to] Him who hath subjected) that is on account of [by reason of] God, Gen. iii. 17, v. 29. Adam rendered the creature obnoxious [liable] to vanity, but he did not subject it. 21. 'Et' iKirlbi [super spe: resting on hope], in hope) It is con- strued with, was made subject, so, in hope [super spe], is put abso- lutely. Acts ii. 26; and comp. by hope [spe], ver. 24. — aurj) jj -/.rigig) itself, to wit, the creature. — kXmhpuSfisiTai, shall'be delivered [set freej) Dehverance is not accomplished by means of complete destruction; otherwise quadrupeds, when they are butchered, would fall with pleasure.' — avo rns douXilag r^s iphpa; iig nji/ iXeuhfiav r^s So^ris, from the bondage of corruption into the glorious 1 i.e., were death and annihilation a deliverance. Therefore the coming restoration of the creature and its deliverance will not consist in their de- struction and annihilation — Fn 106 KOMAUS Vin. 22, 23. liberty) 'Avi, from, and lig, into, are opposed to each other. From denotes the point, from which we set out ; into, the point at which we arrive. Bondage and liberty belong to the creature ; corruption and gbry to men, even behevers [the latter, glory to beHevers alone : the former, corruption, to men in general]. Vanity, ver. 20, is something more subtle than i/ii'i] ; otherwise, the apostle would have said, aurol oi rtiv a-mpxfiv x.r.x. [the article o! would have followed the first aurol, had it referred to a different subject from the second avroi]. Tijv avapyrii tou -prKsi/tarof, the first fruits of the Spirit) that is the Spirit, who is the first fruits ; see 2 Cor. i. 22, note. We are a kind of first fruits of God's creatures, James i. 18 ; and we have the first fruits of the Spirit; and the same Spirit enters 1 See Appendix. ROMANS VIII. 21-26. 107 into all creatures, Ps. cxxxix. 7, a passage, from which the groaning of the creature is distinctly explained. The 'Sons of God are said to have the first fruits, so long as they are in the way [whilst as yet they have not reached the end, when they shall have full fruition]. Tliey who possess the first fruits, and the good, which attends the first fruits, are the same. — exovn;, Juzving) This word involves the idea of cause ; because we have. — £v iuuroTi, in ourselves) It implies, that the groaning of believers is widely different from the groaning of the creature. — anvdioiJiiv) ^Tivdi^a here, and in ver. 22, signifies to desire [yearn after] with groaning ; comp. 2 Cor; v. 4. — rrtv) This article shows by the apposition, that this sentiment, if it be resolved [analyzed], is contained in it, the redemption of our body is what constitutes the adoption. — rijv amXiirpum [redemption'] deliverance) This will be at the last day, which already at that time they were setting before themselves as being at hand ; iXiuhpla, liberty [ver. 21], is a kindred expression to this amXurpMis. — Comp. Luke xx. 36. [That liberty is not intended here, by which we are delivered from the body, but that, by which the body is delivered from death. — v.g.] 24. 'BX-jridi) the dative, not of the means, but of the manner ; we are so saved, that there may even yet remain something, for which we may hope, — both salvation and glory. He limits the present -salvation, but, while he limits, he by that very circinn- stance takes it for granted. — r/ xal) why yet does he hope for it? Where there is vision, there is no need of hope. The blessed will be sure of the eternity of their blessedness, because they shall have no need of hope ; and therefore they wiU be established in it. 25. e; di, but if) The patient waiting of believers is deduced from the nature of hope. 26. Kal, even) Not only the whole creation (every creature) groans, but the Holy Spirit Himself affords assistance ; comp. ver. 23, note 2. On both sides, believers have such as groan with them, and make common cause with them ; — on the one side, they have the whole creation [creature] , on the other, what is of still more importance, they have the Spirit. In as far as the Spirit groans, it respects us : in as far as He also affords assistance ['helps,'] it respects the creature [creation']. — ffwatTi- 108 ROMANS VIII. 27. Xa//,^a,verai) giiv has the same force in this compound as in tfu/t- uaprupei', ver. 16, [i.e., along with us]. — raTg asdivilaig) infirmities, which exist in our knowledge and in our prayers ; the abstract for the concrete, infirmities, that is our prayers, which are in themselves infirm. — yap, for) Paul explains what the infirmities are. — ri — xaih, what — as) comp. how or what, Matt. x. 19. — viripiVTuyxdni) mip, abundantly [over and above] as in ver. 37, i'!ripvix.S)/j,iv, and {iirepemplenvtrsv, ch. v. 20. Both v'jsfivTvyx"'^^' ^^ this verse, and hrvyxann, ver. 27, are the predicates of the same subject, viz. the Holy Spirit. It is the general practice, first to put the compound verb with its proper emphasis, and then afterwards merely to repeat, in its stead, the simple form. Thus in Rom. xv. 4 we have first 'xpoiypdp6vr}/j,a, ver. 6, (Senswrn,'^ the nominative : firom the plural sensa, sensorum. — roD Tviifiarog, of the Spirit) the Holy Spirit, as in the preceding verse. — xara) according to [ad], xarA &ihv, according to God, not xa,T& aydpuTov, according to man (comp. 1 John iii. 20) [after the manner of God, not man], as is worthy of God, and in a manner acceptable and manifest to Him. The Holy Spirit understands the style of the court of heaven, which is acceptable to the Father. Kara is the em- phatic word of the sentence, inasmuch as it is placed at the ' Beng. uses senium here to express ip^6vnpi.», not the accus. otsensus, but an old disused nominative singular, the plural of whiah is often found sensa sensorum. — Ed. BOMANS VIU. 28, 29. 109 beginning of the clause. — vTep ayluv, for saints) The article is not added ; they are saints, who are both near to God, and are deemed worthy of assistance, being those for whom [the Spirit] makes intercession. 28. O'idafiiv 8i, Moreover we know) An antithesis to, we know not, ver. 26. — roTg ayavSiei, to them tliat love) The subject is here described from the fruit of those things, which have been hitherto mentioned, — namely, love to God ; and this love also makes believers [by a happy art] dexterously to take in good part all things which God sends upon them, and perseveringly to overcome all difficulties and temptations, [James i. 12. Paul is an example, 2 Cor. i. 3— !!• — V. g.] Presently after, in the case of the called, the reason is given, why a predicate so excel- lent is attributed to this subject [why such blessed things are predicated of them who love God]. — •jravra guvspyif) all things work together, by means of groanings, and in other ways. So 1 Mace. xii. 1, o xcx.iphg airffl euvipyeT, time works with (serves) him. — th ayadhv, for good) even as far as to [up to] their glori- fication, ver. 30, at the end. — nig xara •Hfoheiv xXriroTg oZbiv, to those who are the called according to His purpose) This is a new proposition in reference to what follows. The apostle designs to give a recapitulation of all the advantages involved in justi- fication and glorification, ver. 30, and accordingly returns now first of aU to its deepest [most remote] roots, which only can be known from these their sweetest fruits themselves :* he at the same time hereby prepares us for the ninth chapter [which treats chiefly of Gods election and calling'] : vpokeig is the purpose, which God determined to carry into effect concerning the sal- vation of His own people. xXriroTg, the called, is a noun, not a participle ; inasmuch as oZaiv is added [which it would not be, if xXriToTg were a participial adjective], who are the called : — the purpose is unfolded, ver. 29, the called, ver. 30. 29. TlpoiyviS) He foreknew. Hafenreffer translates it — He formerly acknowledged, 'xpihaig, the purpose, comprehends vpoy- vagif, foreknowledge, and 'rpoopig/jkh, predestination, for calling is annexed both to the former (vpihaig) and to the two latter %.e. the root, Go^s calling and everlasting election, is known from the blessed fruits {all things working for their good) which it bears to the called. —Ed. 110 ROMANS VIII. 30. {vpiymisii and irpoopitf/iog), ver. 28—30 ; Eph. i. 9, where how- ever ii'kriiJi.a, His will, is in a more extensive sense, than predesr tination, and assuredly predestmation accompanies foreknowledge., for foreknowledge takes away rejection or reprobation [casting away] : ch. xi. 2. Moreover reprobation [casting away] and predestination are opposed to each other. — vfodpige, ev/Ji,/i6pipovg, predestined, (to be) conformed) He declares, who they are, whom He foreknew, namely, those who are conformed. This is the character of those [impress of God's seal on those : referring to seal, 2 Tim. ii. 19], who were foreknown and are to be glorified, 2 Tim. ii. 19; Phil.iii. 10, 21. — rrj; sixSvos, to the image) con- strued with gu/ji,/i6pa/ia, a sort of verbal noun, is not so much height, as something that has been elevated, or made high; \j-^og belongs to God, and the third heaven, fi-om whence we receive nothing hurtfal; u'^tafM has perhaps some likeness in sound [resemblance by aUiteration] to the word enpicaiMa, jirma^ merit, which is frequently used by the LXX. interpreters ; and in this passage certainly points to those regions, to which it is diffi- cult to ascend, and where the powers of darkness range, evcalting themselves awfdlly against us [2 Thess. ii. 4, eaialteth himself, Ephes. ii. 2, vi. 12] : fidh;, how far soever it descends, does no injury to us, — xrieig, creature) whatever things exist outside of God, and of what kind soever they are. He does not so much as condescend to mention visible enemies. — Suvrjgsrui, shall be able) although they should make many attempts. — ^caplaai, to separate) neither by violence, ver. 35, nor in the way of law [just right], ver. 33, 34. EOMANS IX. 1-3. 119 CHAPTEE IX. 1. 'AXfihiav, truth) Concerning the connexion, see on ch. i, 16, note. The article is not added here ; comp. 2 Cor. vii. 14, xi. 10, tecause his reference is not to the whole truth, but to something true in particular [a particular truth], and in this sense also aXfihiai in the plural is used in Ps. xii. 2, LXX. ; 2 Mace. vii. 6. This asseveration chiefly relates to ver. 3, vrhere for is put as in Matt. i. 18. Therefore ■ in ver. 2 on denotes because [not as Engl. Vers, that'], and indicates the cause of the prayer. For verse 2 was hkely to obtain belief of itself without so great an asseveration [being needed ; therefore on is not = that in ver. 2.] — xiyu, I speak) The apostle speaks deliberately. — Iv XpiarSi) 3, h, has sometimes the same force as an oath. — oi -vJ^siSo^a/, I lie not) This is equivalent to that clause, I speak the truth. Its own confirmation is added to each [both to, I lie not, and to, I speak the truth']. This chapter throughout in its phrases and figures comes near to the Hebrew idiom. — evviibfigsus, conscience) The criterion of truth lies in the conscience and in the heart, which the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit enlightens and confirms. "■ 2. Aijff)), grief, [heaviness]) In spiritual things grief and (see the end of the eighth chapter) joy in the highest degree may exist together. Paul was sensible, from how great benefits, already enumerated, the Jews excluded themselves, and at the same time he declares [makes it evident], that he does not say those things, which he has to say, in an unfriendly spirit towards his persecutors. — /loi — rjj xapSlcf /iov, to me — in my heart) These are equivalent in each half of the verse. 3. Hiip^o>9iii, I could wish) A verb in the imperfect tense, in- volving in it a potential or conditional signification, involving the cohdition, if Christ would permit. Sis grief was unceasing [continual], but this prayer does not seem here to be asserted as unceasing, or absolute. Human words are not fully adequate to include in them [to express ftdlyj the emotions of holy souls ; nor are those emotions always the same ; nor is it in the power 120 ROMANS IX. 3. of those souls always to elicit from themselves such a prayer as this. If the soul be not far advanced, it is incapable of [cannot comprehend] this. It is not easy to estimate the measure of love, in a Moses and a Paul. For the narrow boundary of our reasoning powers does not comprehend it ; as the little child is unable to comprehend the courage of warlike heroes. In the case of those two men [duumvirs] themselves, the intervals in their lives, which may be in a good sense called extatic, were something sudden and extraordinary. It was not even in their own power to elicit from themselves such acts as these at any time they chose. Grief [heaviness] and sorrow for ^e danger and distress of the people ; shame for their fault ; zeal for their salvation, for the safety of so great a multitude, and for still farther promoting the glory of Grod through the preservation of such a people, so carried them away, as to make them for a time forget themselves, Exod. xxxii. 32. I am incHned to give this paraphrase of that passage : Pardon them ; if thou dost not pardon them, turn upon me the punishment destined for them, that is, as Moses elsewhere says, kill me, Num. xi. 15. It is therefore the book of temporal life, as distinguished from that of eternal life, according to the point of view, economy, and style of the Old Testament ; comp. Ex. xxxiii. 3, 5. The book of temporal life is intended in Ps. cxxxix. 16. — aJros lyii, I my- self) construe these words with to he \were\. — avakfio. ihai, to he accursed) It will be enough to compare this passage with Gal. iii. 13, where Christ is said to have heen made a curse for us. The meaning is, I could have wished to bring the misery of the Jews on my own head, and to be in their place. The Jews, rejecting the faith, were accursed from Christ ; comp. Gal. i. 8, 9, V. 4. Whether he would have wished only the deprivation of all good, and his own destruction, and annihilation, or the suffering also of every evil, and that too both in body and in soul, and for ever, or whether, in the very excitement [paroxysm] of that prayer, he had the matter fully present before his understanding, who knows whether Paul himself, had he been questioned, would have been able exactly to define 1 At least that word [Egoj I [all thought of seZ/] was entirely suppressed in him ; he was looking only to others, for the sake of the Divine glory; comp. 2 Cor. xii. 15. From the loftiest ROMANS IX. 4. 121 pinnacle of faith (chap, viii.) he now shows the highest degree of love, which was kindled by the Divine love. The thing, which he had wished, could not have been done, but his prayer was pious and solid, although under the tacit condition, if it were possible to he done ; comp. Rom. viii. 38, I am persuaded; Ex. xxxii. 33. — a^i roD XpiSTov, from Christ) So a.Th from 1 Cor. i. 30 ; or, as Christ, being made a curse, was abandoned by the Father ; so Paul, filled with Christ, vrished in place of the Jews to be forsaken by Christ, as if he had been accursed. He is not speaking of excommunication from the everlasting society of the church. There is a difference between these two things, for xardpa iwp, curse, has the greater force of the two, and implies something more absolute : Din, anathema, something relative, Gal. i. 8, 9, 1 Cor. xvi. 22, the former is rather more severe, the latter milder ; the former expresses the power of reconciliation by the cross of Christ ; the latter is more suitable to [more applicable as regards] Paul ; nor can the one be sub- stituted for the other, either here, or in the passages quoted. — Tuv) The apostle is speaking of the whole multitude, not of indi- viduals. — adiXrwv], (for the comma may be placed with due respect to religion) ; for in that case the expression should have been, ivhoynrog 6 ^eog [not o — 'bthg ilXcynros], if only there had been here any peculiar occasion for such a doxology ; or [who fix a full stop] after edpxa ; for in this case rh xara eupua would be without its proper antithesis [which is, " who in His divine nature is God over all" [. — ©si;, God) We should ROMANS IX. 6. 125 greatly rejoice, that In this solemn description Christ is so plainly called God. The" apostles, who wrote before John, take for granted the deity of Christ, as a thing acknowledged ; whence it is that they do not directly treat of it, but yet when it comes in their way, they mark it in a most glorious manner. Paul, ch. v. 15, had called Jesus Christ man ; but he now calls Him God ; so also 1 Tim. ii. 5, iii. 16. The one appellation supports the other. — ivXoytirh;, blessed) napn. By this epithet we unite in giving all praise to God, 2 Cor. xi. 31. — ilg nui o.]mag,for ever) [He] Who is above all — -for ever, is the Ji7'st and the last, Rev. i. 17. 6. Ou;:^' oTov,) This is not of that kind [not as though"] The Jews were of opinion, that, if all the Jews were not saved, the word of God becomes of none effect. Paul refutes this opinion, and at the same time intimates, that the apostacy of the Jews had been foretold, rather than otherwise, by the word of God. — Si) but ; namely, although I profess great sorrow for Israel, who continue without Christ. — Ix^swriwxEi', hath taken none effect) A suitable expression, 1 Cor. xiii. 8, note. If all Israel had failed, the word of God would have failed ; but the latter cannot occur, so neither can the former : for even now there are some, [Israel- ites believers], and in future times there will be all. For this sentence comprehends all the statements in Chapters ix. x. xi., and is most aptly expressed. It is closely connected with what goes before in ver. 2, and yet in respect of what follows, where the word Xoyog occurs again, there is a studied gentleness of ex- pression and anticipatory caution^ that whatever is said of a disagreeable description may be softened before it is expressed ; as in 1 Cor. x. 13. — o Xiyoi, the word) of promise, which had been given to Israel. — o\i yap -s-avrs;, for not all) yap, for begins the discussion, not all, is mildly said instead of, there are not many. This was what the Jews held : We all and we alone are the people of God. Wherefore the all is refuted here ; and the alone at veir. 24, etc. The Jews were Particularists (' Particu- laristse') ; therefore Paul directly refutes them. His whole dis- cussion will not only be considered as tolerable, but will even be much admired by those, and those alone, who have gone ' See on 'Euphemia' and T^oh^efiruec the Appendix. 126 ROMANS IX. 7, 8. through the former chapters in faith and repentance ; for in this the prior regard is had to faith [rather than to repentance]. The sum of this discussion, in the opinion of those who deny universal grace, is as follows. God gives faith to whom He will; He does not give it, to whom He will not ; according to the mind of Paul, it is this : God gives righteousness to them that believe, He does not give it to them, that work ; and that is by no means contrary to His word. Nay, He himself has declared by types and testimonies, that those, the sons of the promise are received ; that these, the children of the flesh are rejected. This decree of God is certain, irrefragable, just ; as any man or people listens to this decree or strives against it, so that man or that people is either ac- cepted in mercy or rejected in wrath. The analysis of Arminius, which has been gleaned from Calovius Theol. Apost. Horn. Oraculo Ixviii., and adopted Oraculo Ixix., comes back to this [amounts to this at last]. Compare by all means i. 16, note. In the meantime Paul, in regard to those, whom he refutes, does not make any very wide separation between the former chapter [or head] concerning faith and the latter concerning righteous- ness; nor indeed was it necessary. — 'igparjX, 'igpa^X, Israel, Israel) Ploce.i 7. "Or/) because; this particle makes an epitasis^ in respect of the preceding sentence. — A^paA/n,, of Abraham) That, which happened to the children of the Fathers in the most ancient times, may much more happen to their later descendants. — dXX' h 'liraax, x.r.'k., but in Isaac, etc.) This clause is put as a " Suppositio Materialis" [See Append.] ; for we supply, it was written, and it is being fulfilled, Lxx., Gen. xxi. 12 : on Iv a'Trif/ia. Here we even find a suitableness in the origin of the name Isaac ; for they are the seed, who embrace the covenant of grace with a pure and noble-minded joy, Gen. xvii. 19 [Isaac Heb. = laughter, joy]. 8. TovTBdrii) The apostle, using boldness in speaking, puts that is for therefore. — raSra) Dn, that is, are. The substantive pronoun for the substantive verb ; so olroi, these, ver. 6 : and ■■ See Appendix. A word twice put, once in the simple sense, once to ex- press an attribute of it. 2 Appendix. An addition made to a previous enunciation, to explain, or give emphasis. KOMANS IX. 9-11. 127 frequently olrog this, ver. 9. The mode of expression in this chapter becomingly assumes the Hebrew idiom, so ver. 28, etc. 9. 'M'jrayysXlag, of promise) It corresponds to the expression, of the promise, ver. 8. — ouroj, this) viz., is. — xarci rhv xaiphv roiiroi/ iXsuio/jiCii, xal israi rri 'Sdp^if uios) At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. LXX., Gen. xviii. 10 : Idoii liravaerpifmii ri^oi vpo; (Si %a,ra, rh xaipitv rourov iig upag, xal s^ii v'liv ^d^pa, t; yuvq (Sou ; comp. Gen. xvii. 21. 10. Oi /ioDov di, and not only so) That is : it is wonderful, what I have said; what follows is still more wonderfiil. Ishmael under Abraham, Esau under Isaac, and those, who resembled Ishmael and Esau under Israel, rebelled. — 'Pi^ixxcx,, Rebecca) viz., s(st1v, is, i.e. occurs in this place. She, the mother, and presently after Isaac the father, are named. — ig bog, by one) Isaac was now separated from Ishmael, and yet under Isaac himself, in whom Abraham's seed is called, Esau also is separated from Jacob. Ishmael and Isaac were bom not of the same mother, nor at the same time, — and Ishmael was the son too of a bondmaid, Isaac of a free woman. Jacob and Esau were bom both of the same mother, and she a free woman, and at the same time. — Kolrrjv) so Lxx. for n33E' ; it often occurs, e.g. Lev. xviii. 20, o!i Sdasig xoktjv (Svip/Jtarog, said of the man, which is opposed to the phrase tx^iv xolrriv, of the woman in this passage. 11. Mij^riw ysnti^hTiav, when they were not yet bom) Carnal descent profiteth nothing, John i. 13. — /iJjSs -rpa^avruv, and when they had done nothing) This is added, because some one might think as to Ishmael, that he was driven out, not so much be- cause he was the son of a bondmaid, as because he was a mocker ; although this slave-like scurrility afterwards shows itself in [lays hold of] the son of the bondmaid, so that he [pnSD, and xaxo^riXog ro\j priS*] laughs and mocks at Isaac, whom he envies and insults. — xar sxXoyri,) The purpose, which is quite free, has its reason founded on election alone ; comp. xarai ch. xvi. 25 ; Tit. i. 9. It might be said, in Latin, propositum Dei electivum, the elective pur- pose of God. — /ihji, might stand [remainj) incapable of being set aside. It is presupposed that the vp6k(Si)/, the purpose, is prior to the, might stand. — oux l§ 'ipyoiv, not of works) not even of works foreseen. Observe, it is not faith, which is opposed to election, but works. — Ix roD xoiXoZwog, of Him that calleth) even Him, who 128 ROMANS IX. 12-14, called Jacob to be the superior, Esau to be the servant : comp, ver. 25. 12. Aurri, to her) It was often foretold to mothers before con- ception or birth, what would happen to their sons. — on 6 — Ixde- oow) Gen. XXV. 23, LXX., xa! o — Ixdegovi. — 6 fisli^cav) the elder, who, it might be reasonably thought, should command, as the younger should obey. — SouXiueu, shall serve) and yet not so for ever, Gen. xxvii. 40. 13. KaSug, as) The word spoken by Malachi, at a period so long subsequent, agrees with that spoken in Genesis. — rhv 'laxiilS riydirr^ga. x.r.X.) Mai. i. 2, LXX., ;jya^jj(fa rhv 'laxii^ x.r.X. — ^yaTjjaa — i,u,!ffr}(fa, T have loved — I have hated) The reference is not to the spiritual state of each of the two brothers : but the external con- dition of Jacob and Esau, in like manner as the corporeal birth of Isaac is a type of spiritual things, ver. 9. All Israelites are not saved, and all Edomites are not damned. But Paul inti- mates, that as there was a difference between the sons of Abra- ham and Isaac, so there was a difference among the posterity of Israel. So far has he demonstrated what he purposed ; he in the next place introduces an objection, and refutes it ; fi^ieiiv properly signifies to hate, nay, to hate greatly. See Mai. i. 4, at the end. 14. T; oh, what then f) Can we then on this ground be accused of charging God with unrighteousness and iniquity by this, as- sertion ? By no means ; for what we assert is the irrefragable assertion of God ; see the following verse. — M)5 yivoiro, God for- bid) The Jews thought, that they could by no means be rejected by God ; that the Gentiles could by no means be received. As therefore an honest man acts even with greater severity [aTOTo/t/a] towards those who are harshly and spitefully importunate, than he really feels (that he may defend his own rights, and those of his patron, and may not at an unseasonable time betray and cast away his character for liberality) so Paul defends the power and justice of God against the Israelites, who trusted to their mere name and their own merits ; and on this subject, he sometimes uses those appropriate phrases, to which he seems to have been accustomed in former times in the school of the Pharisees. This is his language : No man can prescribe anything to the Lord God, nor demand and somewhat insolently extort anything from Him as ROMANS IX. 15. lag a debt, nor can he interdict Him in anything [which He pleases to do] or require a reason, why He shows Himself kind also to others [as well as to himself]. Therefore Paul somewhat abruptly checks by a rather severe answer the peevish and spite- ful objectors. Luke xix. 22, 23, is a similar case. For no man is allowed to deal with God as if by virtue of a bond of agree- ment, [as if he were His creditor], but even if there were such a bond, God even deals more strictly with man [i.e. with a man of such a hireling spirit] ; let the parable. Matt. xx. 13-15, which is quite parallel, be compared : / do thee no wrong, etc. There is therefore one meaning of Paul's language, by which he gives an answer to those who contend for good works : another, of a milder description, in behalf of believers, lies hid under the veil of the words. In the Sacred Scriptures too, especially when we have come from the thesis [the proposition] to the hypothesis [that on which the proposition rests], the manners, to, rjSri, as well as the reasonings, o'l Xiyoi, ought to be considered ; and yet there can be no commentary so plain, which he, who contends for justification by good works, may more easily understand than the text of Paul. 15. Tw yap lAiiKSTi, for to Moses) Many are of opinion, that the objection extends from this verse to ver. 18 ; in which view the for, is used, as in ch. iii. 7, and thus thou wilt say then, ver. 19, concludes the objection, which was begun at ver. 14. And indeed by this introduction of a person speaking there would be a fitting expression of that avramxpjsig (rejoinder of the opponent), which is censured at ver. 20, and is subsequently refuted by taking up the words themselves or their synonyms. In the meantime Paul so expresses himself, as to make i avm.'xoxfmi/.ivoi, the objector whilst replying at the same time answer himself ; and therefore the words in this verse may be also taken, without injury to the sense, as spoken in the person of the apostle, as we shall now endeavour to show. Moses, Exod. xxxiii., had prayed for himself and the people by in, the grace of the Lord, ver. 12, 13, 16, 17, and had concluded with, show me thy glory. The Lord answered : / will make all My goodness pass in the presence of thy face, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thy face, cms -it^K-ns inomi tnx nSfK-ns Tljni, And will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy, to lohom I will show VOL. HI, I 130 ROMANS IX. 15. mercy, ver. 19. .The Lord did not disclose even to Moses without some time intervening, to whom He would show grace and mercy, although the question was respecting Moses and the people of" Israel alone, not respecting the Gentiles. To this Moses, then, not merely to others by Moses (Mueri, says Paul, as presently after, rfi ^apaa) the Lord spoke thus : By My proclamation, arid by My most abundant working, subsequently, I will designate [mark out] him, as the object of grace and mercy, whosoever he be, whom 1 make the object of grace and mercy. By these words He intimated, that He would make proclamation [would reveal His own character] as regards grace and mercy ; and He shortly after accordingly made proclamation, Ex. xxxiv. 5, p3ni Dim [oiKTIPMriN -Aal EAEHMXIN x.r.X. ilg ■)(^iXiaias\, merciful and gracious, etc., to thousands ; and added [xa/ rh 'hoyov ou xaSapisT, ivaywi aiLapr'tac, irar'spoiv, x.r.X.], and He will not clear the guilty, etc. Therefore according to the subsequent proclamation itself, the following meaning of the previous promise comes clearly out : I will show thee the most abundant grace, even to that degree that thou mayest see concerning Me [see centred in Me] all whatsoever thou dost both desire and canst receive [comprehend] in order that thou mayest furthermore understand, that it is [all of] grace ; and for this reason inasmuch as I have once for all embraced thee in grace, which thou acknowledgest to he grace ; and as to the rest of the people, I will show them the most abundant mercy, in not visit- ing tliem with immediate destruction for their idolatry, that they may further understand it to be mercy ; and for this reason inas- much as I have once for all embraced them in mercy, which thou in their behalf acknowledgest to be mercy. The Lxx. Int. and Paul have expressed the meaning of this sentence by the diifer- ence between the present and future tense : IXsrjeu h av iXsw, xal oixTiipfigia ov uv ohnip'a, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. And there is the figure Ploce [see Appen.], which nearly signifies the same as below, ch. xiii. 7, and here it expresses the liberty of the Agent, of whom the apostle is speaking, as in Ex. xvi. 23. Moreover, each of the two verbs, placed in the two clauses \i.e. repeated twice], contains the emphasis in the former clause ; [i.e. the emphasis is on the verb in each of the two clauses Gniis first mention, not on it when repeated ; I will have mercy, on whom I ROMANS IX. 16, 17. 131 have mercy, etc.J : although generally in other passages the emphasis is on the verb in the latter clause [i.e. on its repetition] Gen. xxvii. 33, xliii. 14 ; 2 Kings vii. 4. That the acknow- ledgment of grace and mercy, on the part of Moses, and the true Israehtes, is entwined together, is evident from this, that Paul, ver. 16, speaks, on the opposite side, of the man that willeth and that runneth, to whom grace is not grace, and mercy is not mercy. He's nx ov civ is put twice, and intimates in the former passage that Moses (to whom the word tn, grace, is repeated in reply, taken from his own very prayers from Ex. xxxiii. ver. 13 : where there occurs the same Ploce), and that in the latter passage, the others, were ilg p(;/X;aSas among the thousands [as to whom God said of Himself, keeping mercy for thousands'], to whom sinners, their children, grandchildren, etc., are opposed, Ex. xxxiv. 7. And thus, this testimony is extremely well fitted to prove, that there is no unrighteousness with God. This sentiment is mani- fest to beHevers. But in regard to those, who maintain the effi- cacy of good works, it sounds too abrupt : the reason why God should be merciful, is none other than His own mercy, for no other is mentioned in the writings of Moses, concerning Moees and Israel. I will have mercy, i.e. no one can extort anything ly force ; all things are in My hand, under My authority, and depend- ent on My will, if I act otherwise, no one can charge Me with in- justice. This answer is sufficient to give to the defender of good works ; and if any farther answer is given to him, it is super- fluous. 16. "Apa. oZv, therefore) so also ver. 18. The inference of Paul here is not drawn from the particle ov av, whomsoever, but from the words iXsS and olxTiipu, I have mercy, and I have compassion. — o!) roD) not of the man that willeth, nor of him that runneth, supply it is, the business, or, will, course [the race is not of him that runneth, etc.] ; not that it is in vain to will rightly, and, what is of greater importance, to run, or strive rightly, 1 Cor. ix. 26; Phil. iii. 14: but because to will and to run produce none of the things aimed at by those, who trust to their works. The human will is opposed to divine grace, and the course [the run'] of human conduct to divine operation. — Comp. ver. 30, 31. 17. Aiysi) saith, i.e. exhibits God speaking in this manner, comp. ch. X. 20, saith. — y&p, for) He proves, that it is of Him 132 ROMANS IX. 18. who shows mercy, even God. — ra (bapacti, to the Pharaoh) who lived in the time of Moses. — on eig alrh touto s^^ysipa ei, Sircai i\ibii^!a!/,ai h go! rrii dha/iiv /lov z.r.X.) Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee. The LXX, Ex. ix. 16, Kal evixiv roirou dnrfif^Sris ewj rou vuv, ha hdsi^co/Mi h go! Tn'' igx^^ /*"" ^•'>:>- For this cause, thou hast been preserved until now, that I might show my power, etc. — i^riyupa gi) TTilDyn LXX. Int. dierrjpfiSris (as Exod. xxi. 21, TDV> diaB'ouv, to pass one's life), but Paul according to his custom says more significantly, i^fiyupa ff£ : but it should be carefully observed, that by iZ^iyiipa here the meaning of the word D^pn is not expressed, as it is used in Zech. xi. 16, but TiDVn, which in all cases presupposes the subject previously produced. See the difference of these two Hebrew verbs in 1 Kings xv. 4. The meaning then is this : I have raised thee up to be a king very powerful (in whom I migljt show My power) and illustrious (by means of whom [owing to whom] My name might be proclaimed throughout all the earth). Therefore this i^syspgig, raising up, includes the 8iaTr,piT\i, preserv- ing, as the LXX. render it, using the milder term : and also in- cludes the Iveyxeii, which in ver. 22, is introduced fi-om this very passage of Moses. The predecessor [the former Pharaoh] had previously begun rather to oppress Israel ; Exod. ii. 23 : nor vet did the successor repent. The Ordo Temporum,, p. 161 [Ed. II. 142], determines his reign to have been very short, and therefore his whole administration was an experiencing of the Divine power. It must be added, that this was told to Pharaoh not at first, but after he had been frequently guilty of excessive obstinacy, and it was not even then intended to discourage him from acknow- ledging Jehovah and from letting the people go, but to bring about his reformation. — &vmfiiv, power) by which Pharaoh with all his forces was drowned. — SiuyyiXri, might be declared) This is being done even to the present day. 18. "Ox SiXii) whom He will. Moreover, as regards the ques- tion, to whom God wills to show mercy, and whom He wills to harden ; Paul shows that in other passages. — sXeeT, has mercy) as for example on Moses. — SKX^pivei, hardens) as He did Pharaoh. He ns,es, hardens, for, has not mercy, by metonymy of [substitut- ing, for the antecedent,] the consequent, although not to have mercy has a somewhat harsher meaning : so, is sanctified, for, BOMANS IX. 19-21. 383 IS not unclean, 1 Cor. vli. 14; and, you rescued from, lippUaek\, instead oiyou did not deliver up. Jos. xxii. 31. 19. "Er(, as yet) even still. This particle well expresses the peevish outcry. To the objection here put, Paul answers in two ways. I. The power of God over men is greater than the power of the potter over the clay, ver. 20, 21. Then II. He answers more mildly: God has not exercised His power, not even over the vessels of wrath, ver. 22. — aurou. His) It is put for, of God, and expresses the feeling, by which objectors of this description show their aversion from God. 20.^ ' Av^fuiti, Omxm) weak, ignorant of righteousness \i.e. the true way of justification]. — ii,r\ ipiT, x.r.X.) Isa. xxix. 16. Ou^ •jig irnXhg rou xif>a/j,sus XoyisS^gisSs ; /ji,fi epiTrh irXda/jtU rtti wXdeavri axirli, ou tfi) fii iirXagag. The same prophet, ch. xlv. 9, iJ,n epiTo 'jrnXig ra x.ipd/Mi' : Ti ■TToiii's, on oxix IpydZri, o\)ii £%£'S X^'P^^' ^^ aToxgiSrieeTai rh •xXdeiLa fphg rh 'rXdaavra, airo; Shall ye not be reckoned as the pattellas clay ? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Thou liast not formed me ? Is. xlv. 9, Shall the clay say to the potter, what art thou doing, that thou dost not work, thou hast no hands ? Shall the thing formed answer Him that formed it ? — (Vers. LXX.) 21. "h) particle of interrogation [an?]. — l^ouelav, power) con- strued with, over the clay. The potter does not make the clay but digs it out ; God makes man, therefore He has greater power [over man], than the potter [over the clay]. But absolute power and liberty do not imply, that the will and decree are absolute. If God had left the whole human race under the power of sin and death. He would not have done unjustly, but He did not exercise that right. [Man is struck with the vivid exhibition of Divine power, so that he ever after unlearns all the outrageous (unreasonable) suspicions of his thoughts, against the justice [righteousnessl of God, Matt. xx. 15; Ex. XX. 20 ; Job xhi. 2, 6. — ^V. g.]. — pupd/j-aroi) lump, which has been prepared from clay and softened by steeping, and has its 1 Mei/ovvyi, but truly) This answer savours of a severe and somewhat vehement nature. Men of fierce dispositions must certainly be restrained ; but the sweetest foundation of the whole argument is subsequently disclosed to them that are called, ver. 24. In this discussion, he who merely cuts off a portion of it from the rest, must be perplexed and stick at trifles ; but he proceeds easily, who thoroughly weighs the whole connection of chapters ix., X., xi.— V. g. 134 ROMANS IX. 22. parts now more homogeneous. — u; ari/Jav, to dishonour) Paul speaks circumspectly, he does not yet say, to wrath : vessel must be construed with these words [To make one, a vessel unto honour, etc.J 22. E/' dif but if) This particle has this as its apodosis to be supphed at the end of ver. 23 from ver. 20 : God has much greater cause to complain concerning man, and man has less cause to expostulate with God [than the potter concerning the clay, and the clay with the potter]. Comp. lav, John vi. 62, where also the apodosis is to be supphed. It is a question, but one imphed, not expressed, with an eUipsis, What reply hast thou to make [if God wiUing to show, etc., endured, etc.J. — SsXuv, willing) Corresponds to the. His will, ver. 19, and to. He will, ver. 18. Paul speaks xar avSgwirov, [" after the manner of man :" or, taking advantage of his opponents' unavoidable admissioni in the words of his opponent; and so el signifies whereas, [since, as you must grant]. At the same time, we must-observe that what he says of the vessels of wrath is more scanty, and of the vessels of mercy more copious; willing to show, he says, not, [wilhng, putting forth His will] that he might show, comp. next verse [where iu the case of the vessels of mercy, he says, ha, ymglgri, though here ver. 22 in the case of the vessels of wrath, he says, yvupisai], and Eph. ii. 7. — hdBi^asSai — rj hbvarov airov, to show His power) These words are repeated from ver. 17. — rriv 6py^v, wrath) He does not say, the riches of his wrath ; comp. ver. 23. — rh duvaThv) This signifies, what Pie can do (potentiam 'might') not what He may do (potestatem ' right' [l^outf/a]). — tinyxm, endured) as He endured Pharaoh. — h -jroXXfi fiaxpo6u/iicf., with much long-suffering) viz: in order that it might allure the wicked [the repro- bate] from their state of ahenation from Him to repentance, ch. ii. 4 ; 2 Pet. iii. 9. God endures many bad men, in the enjoyment of great and long continued good fortune in this life, when He might at the very first have consigned them to death. The gate of mercy and grace is still open to them. This long-suffering, humanly speaking, precedes His " will to show His wrath," nor does it merely follow it. His enduring is not wont to be exercised until He is about to show His wratK\ : wherefore myxev should be translated, Md endured [previous to His will to show His wrath.] By ROMANS IX. 23, 24. 135 this very circumstance the question, wlio hath resisted ? ver. 19, is most powerfully refuted. — ipyfjg) of wrath, which is not indeed without cause, but presupposes sins ; he does not say, of disgrace, nor unto wrath, but of wrath, [i.e. the fault is in them- selves. '\ — xaTripriBjjAm, fitted) It denotes the disposition [fitness] internal and full, but now no longer free [no longer now liable to change], not the destination ; he does not say, which He ftpoxarripriffi, previously fitted, although he says in the next verse, which he prepared, comp. ver. 19, ch. xi. 22, note ; Matt. xxv. 34, mth ver. 41, and Acts xiii. 46, with ver. 48. This is dis- tinct from the ef&cient cause ; what is said merely refers to the state in which God finds the reprobate, when He brings upon them His wrath. — i'lg antiiiKuav, to destruction) The antithesis is, ver. 23, unto glory. 23. '\m, that) Denotes more distinctly the end and aim, with- out excluding means. — yvupisfi, might make knowri) This verb is applied to things not formerly known ; it is therefore put both here and in the preceding verse, but hdeixwffSai, to show, is only used in verse 22 concerning wrath ; of which even the Gentiles have some knowledge. — ItI, upon) The sentence is thus quite consistent. But if God that He might make known the riches of His glory, supply, did this, or, in other words, made known the riches [of His glory] on the vessels of mercy ; respecting the apodosis, see the beginning of the note, ver. 22. — r^s ^ofis) of His glory : of His goodness, grace, mercy, wisdom, omnipotence, Eph. i. 6. — eX'sov;) of mercy, ver. 15, 16, 18, 25, which presup- poses the former misery of those, styled vessels. — rrporirol/iamv, previously prepared) antecedently to works, ver. 11, by the arrangement of all the external and internal circumstances, which he, who is called, finds tending to his salvation, at the first moment of his call. This is implied by the preposition in irporiroi- lj.aei\i. So a vessel unto honour, prepared, 2 Tim. ii. 21. 24. Ous y.a.1, whom also) nal, also, in chap. viii. 30, Cluverus : whom (having been previously prepared for glory) He hath also called. — ixaXidiv, called) in some respects an antithesis to. He endured, ver. 22. Again, / will call, occurs in the next verse. — fifia;, us) This gnome ^ leads Paul to come to the proposition 1 ' Noema,' a gnome or religious and moral sentiment appertaining to hnman life and action See Appendix. 136 ROMANS IX. 25-27. respecting grace, which it laid open to Jews and Gentiles ; and he proceeds to refiite the Jewish Particularism, and to defend the universality of grace. — oi /isvon If, not only from) The believ- ing Jew is not called on the very ground that he is a Jew, but he is called from the Jews. This is the root of the word ixxXngici. \The epistle to the Ephesians most especially corresponds to this whole- section, as well as to the exhortation, chapters xiv. xv., deduced from it. — ^V. g.J — if 'loudalciiv, from the Jews) He treats of this at ver. 27. — If ihuv, from the Gentiles) He treats of this, ver. 25, etc. 25. A'eyii, saith) God. Paul asserted the prior right of God in calling the Gentiles, and their actual calhng, and now at last that the event is shown, he brings in one testimony from the Old Testament, and ch. xv. 9, etc., a number more in succession, by a method worthy of notice. The predictions, though nume- rous and quite clear from their fulfilment, yet in the first in- stance do not easily obtain belief. The strength of the following quotation is not in the verb xaXltfw I will call [name], but in the other part of the expression : h.akisiv. He called, is used as in viii. 30. Nevertheless naming immediately accompanies calling,^ and in a manner precedes it. — xaXigu rhv oi \a6v ,2, consummated, corrh- pleted) ; and at the same time 6ri//,ev. — -rpoilpnMv, said before) Before the event, or before the prophecy quoted at ver. 28. — eal3au6) In 1 Samuel and in Isaiah, m^aiii is put for the Heb. word nsnx ;. in all the other books it is translated Tatroxparup, Ruler over all. Prom this circumstance there is strong- ground for conjecturing, that one or perhaps several persons were employed to translate those two books, and that diiferent persons translated the rest. And in the same first book of Sam. Scripture begins to give this title to God, although others had been formerly used as it were in its place. — Exod. xxxiv. 2?,.—ei:ipiJ,u, a seed) There is denoted 1) a small number at the present time, 2) the propagation of a multitude after deliverance from captivity. — in ^6Sofj,a, as Sodom) where not a single citizen escaped ; no seed was left. 30. T/, what) He returns from the digression, which he had 138 ROMANS IX. 31-33. commenced at the middle of ver. 24, and takes in summarily the whole subject, ver. 30-32. There is a mitigation of the severity of the discussion continued from ver. 6 to ver. 23 ; but it will only be comprehended by him, who is acquainted with the way of faith. In short, by this tone of feeling the foregoing remarks are judged of. — xareXa/Ss) liave attained [Luke xiii. 29, 24.] — -TTigTsug, hy faith), ver. 33, at its close. 31. NoiMov diKMoevvrig eig v6//,ov bixaioelivrn, the law of righteousness to the law of righteousness) He did not use the word law, in the preceding verse, concerning the Gentiles ; but now uses it in speaking of the Jews ; and there is a ploce or repetition of the words in a different sense ; concerning legal and also concerning evangelical righteousness. While Israel is foUomng the one law, he does not attain to the other. The apostle appropriately uses the expression, the law of righteousness, for, the righteousness of the law. The Jews rather looked to the law, than to righteousness : vo^oj, doctrine, nTiD. — om ipSagt) did not attain. 32. "Or; because) viz. they sought after it [followed after it\. — oux — aXX' iis) The Basle Lexicon says : iig in comparing things dissimilar is doubled, and the one as is elegantly understood in the former member, and as is only joined to [expressed in] the latter part. Examples are there subjoined from Aristotle ; we may compare John vii. 10 ; 2 Cor. xi. 17 ; likewise Acts xxviii. 19 ; Philem. v. 14 ; Phil. ii. 12. 33. 'l8ov rlSrriJ,! h liiiv X!9ov •ffpoixo/J^^aTos, xai 'jrerpa.v anavhaXow xai iras o "irignxiuv im ahrSi ou Karaig^uvSijeerai) LXX., Is. XXviii. 16, Idoii iyii e/i^aXu sis r^ h//,iXia ^liiv Xlhv ffoXi/nXS), enXeXTov, axpoyu- viaiov, ivn/MV sis rSi 6i/j,sXia, auruv, xcx,! 6 iriSTshuv hr aurSi oh xaraia- X^'^^Vi Is- ^iii- l^' ""' "^X ^^ ^'^of '!rpoex6fif/,a,ri ewawfissah,' ovhs iis vsTpas TTUfian. Such, a one will not be made ashamed, and so will obtain glory ; comp. ch. v. 2, 5. This denotes eternal life, Is, xlv. 17. ROMANS X. 1-4. 139 CHAPTEE X. 1. 'AdiXipol, brethren) Now that he has got over, so to speak, the severity of the preceding discussion, he kindly addresses them as brethren. — /ih, indeed) di usually follows this particle, but di, ver. 2, is absorbed in aXXa, but. — ivSoxla, well-wisMng, desire) I would most gladly hear of the salvation of Israel. — dsrisig, prayer) Paul would not have prayed, if they had been utterly reprobates [cast away.] 2. ^z^Xou ©sou, a zeal of God) Acts xxii. 3, note. Zeal of God, if it is not against Christ, is good. — oi aar I'Triyvaan, not accord- ing to knowledge) An example of Litotes [expressing in less strong terms a strong truth] i.e. with great bhndness ; it agrees with the word, ignorant, in the next verse. Flacius says : The Jews had and now have a zeal without knowledge ; we on the con- trary, alas! to our shame, have knowledge without zeal. Zealand ignorance are referred to at ver. 19. 3. Zriromris, seeking) by all means. — ov^ bvirdyneav, have not been subject) and have not obeyed," (yir^xoveav) ver. 16. 'T^oraysj, submits itself to the Divine wiU, ra iiXnv, the will of GoD. 4. TeXoff, the end) bestowing righteousness and life, which the law points out, but cannot give. TiXtg, the end, and nthrt^unLoi., the fulfilment, are synonymous ; comp. 1 Tim. i. 5, with Eom. xiii. 10, therefore comp. with this passage Matt. v. 17. The law presses upon a man, tiU he flies to Christ ; then even the law itself says, thou hast found-a refuge. I cease to persecute thee, thou art wise, thou art safe. — Xpigrhs, Christ) the subject is, tJie end of the law. [Not as Engl. Vers. " Christ is the end of the law"]. The predicate is, Christ (viz. uv, who is) in [every one that believeth ; not as Engl. Vers., " the end of the law to every one"] etc. [ver. 6, 7, 9.] — crair/ rS msrsijovTi, in every one that believeth) The words, in the believer, are treated at ver. 5,' etc. : and the words, every one, at ver. 11, etc. -jravri, in every one, namely, of the Jews and Gentiles. The ix. chap, must not be ' Tap, for.) Therefore even in those, who are not in a state of grace, something at least may be found which may induce those, who rejoice in the Divine favour, to intercede for them. — V. g. 110 ROMANS X. 5, 6. shut within narrower limits than Paul permits in this x. chap., which is more cheerful and more expanded ; and in it the word all occupies a very prominent place, ver. 11, etc. 5. Vpdfii, writes of), [thus exhibiting the truth that] " the letter killeth." It is antithetic to ver. 6, 8 : [the righteousness by faith] speaks, with the Uving voice [not writes, as Moses]. There is also another similar antithesis : Moses in the concrete ; the righteousness which is of faith in the abstract. — on o -Troirieac, x.r.X.) Lev. xviii. 5, LXX.,'7ro/;j(r£r£ aura a Toirjsag, x.r.X. 6. 'H sx irldTit^g Sixaioivvri, the righteousness which is of faith") A very sweet Metonymy, i.e. a man seeking righteousness by faith. — X'syii, speaks) with himself. — /^jj £'V»jff, say not) for he, who says so, does not find in the law what he seeks ; and he does not seek, what he might find in the Gospel : viz. righteous- ness and salvation, which are in Christ and are ready for believers in the Gospel. And yet, whoever only hears and heeds that fi-om Moses, The man that doeih shall live, considers it necessary, thus to say [who shall ascend into heaven, etc.] — xapSicf, in the heart) The mouth [ver. 9] is also attributed to faith ; for faith speaks ; but unbelief generally mutters. — rig, x.T.X.) Deut. XXX. 11-14, LXX., Sn hroXf) aZrri, ^v syii hTiXXo/iai eoi BriiiiSpov ol'^ iiiripoyxog ieriv, oiiSi /j,axpav a'sh eou ienv. cux h ru oupawp sari, Xlyctiv rig a\iaj3ri(Si7v,i fi/iuv eig tov ovpavhv, xal Xff^irai riiJM ahrrtv ; xal axousavng avrrjv iroir}(So/iiv. oiiSi iripav rrig SaXasfftif sBt}, Xiyiar Tig Sia'TTipdaerai ri/J,iii tig rh Tipav rfig iaXdasrig xal Xfi-^iTai >]/j,iii airriv. xai axoudavng airijv vroiriifo/jiiv. eyyvg gov iari rh pril/jO, ifiodpa : h arofjiar! gov xal iv r5j xapiia gov, xal iv raTg ')(ipei gov, 'iroisiv xvrh. " For this commandment which I command thee this day is not overwhelmingly great ; nor is it far from thee ; it is not in heaven, that thou shouldst say, who amongst us shall go up to heaven and obtain it for us, that we may hear it and do it ? nor is it across the sea, that thou shouldst say, who shall cross the sea and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it ? The word is very near to thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart and in thy hands to do it.'' This paraphrase, so to speak, very sweetly alludes to this passage, without expressly quoting it. Moses speaks of heaven, as well as Paul, but the former afterwards says, across the sea, instead of which Paul most dexterously turns his discourse to the abyss, that he may KOMANS X, 7. U\ on the contrary [in antithesis to their question as to the abyss] make mention of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The abyss is a huge cavity in the terraqueous globe, at once imder the sea and the land. Compare, as to many things connected with this subject, Job xxviii. 14, 22 ; Phil. ii. 10, note. — rig ava^ndiTai ; who shall ascend ?) He, M'ho thus speaks, shows his willingness, but declares his inability to ascend and descend, so as to fetch righteousness and salvation from afar. — roui' ten, that is) Their perverseness is reproved, who say, Who shall ascend into heaven ? for they speak just as if the word concerning the Lord of heaven were not at hand, whom the mouth of the believer confesses to be Lord, ver. 9, and they who wish to bring salvation down from heaven, wish to bring Christ (as being the One, without whom there is no salvation) down from heaven, whence He has already descended : but as the latter cannot take place, so neither can the former. The words, That is, in the present is thrice used, with great force. 7. Totjr esTi), that is. That is construed with to say, as sub- stantive and adjective. Moreover, they are again reproved for perverseness, who say, who shall descend into the deep ? for they speak just as if the word concerning the resurrection of Christ from the dead were not nigh at hand, and the heart of the believer acknowledges, that He has risen, in the same ver. 9 : and they who wish to fetch salvation from the depths of the earth, wish to bring Christ (since there is no salvation without Him) from the deep, which He left once for all at His resurrec- tion ; but as the latter cannot happen, so neither can the former. Therefore the believer, so far as this is concerned, regards not either heaven or the deep, since he has the thing which he desires, as near to him, as he is to himself. But unbelief is always fluctuating ; it is always wishing, and knows not what it wishes ; it is always seeking, and finds nothing. Hence it looks down at the deep with giddiness, nor can it look up to the heaven with joy. — Xpierov, Christ) The unbeliever does not fetch Christ m His own name, that is in the name of Christ [in His peculiar attributes as anointed Saviour] either from heaven or from the deep : but the righteousness by faith, speaking here, suggests to the ignorant unbeliever to call upon the name of Christ, as much as to say, that which thou art seeking, O unbeliever [O 142 ROMANS X. 8-10. unbelief], whilst thou art moving heaven and the deep, and art taking refuge in heaven or the deep, (as we find in Virgil, I will move heir- [Acheronta movebo], know that it can neither be thought of by me, nor be found by thee, without [outside of] Christ, ver. 4. The expression is hypothetical. That, which cannot be done, — to fetch righteousness from afar [opposed to, is nigh thee'\, from heaven or out of the deep ; Paul sets this aside : and so leaves one only refuge, the word of Christ, which is very near. 8. 'AXKfi, but) The particle here either has an augmentative [i'jrira.Tixnv : See Append, on Epitasisl meaning as in Matt. xi. 8, 9, or faUs upon syyug, nigh thee. — lyyvs, nigh) We ought not to seek Christ at a distance, but within us. For while faith is beginning to believe, Christ dwells in the heart. This seeking for Christ [at a distance, instead of within one's own heart] is found not only in those who are merely beginning, but even in those who are making progress in faith, Song of Sol. iii. 1 ; Ps. cv. 3, 4. For he is here speaking, as if the righteousness of faith were itself conversing with itself. — In rip erofhari gov xal tv rjj xap&lcf, (Toil) so it is in the Hebrew, but the LXX. add xal h raTg X^po'i ffo" '""!''■' 's'"^") Tlie word, that is, the word of faith is nigh 9. Eai/) if only — o/ioXoy ))?>);, thou shalt confess) Confession in itself does not save ; otherwise infants would not be saved : but only in as far as it includes faith. — Kipwv, the Lord) The summary of faith and salvation is found in this appellation. He who confesses that Jesus is Lord, does not now any longer [now for the first time ceases to] endeavour to bring Him down from heaven. — ijyeipsv sx vixpuv, hath raised Him from the dead) The special object of faith. He who believes the resurrection of Jesus does not now any longer endeavour to bring Him from the dead, ver. 7, 10. KapSlcf,, with the heart) From the mentioning of the ' heart' and 'mouth' by Moses [in Deut. xxx. 14, quoted here at ver. 8], the consequence is [here by Paul referred, or] proved in reference to ' faith,' and ' confession ;' namely, because the * heart' is the proper subject of ' faith' and the ' mouth,' of ' confession ;' there- ' Aen. vii. 312. KOMANS X. 11-15. 143 tore Paul here in tWs verse begins his sentences, by saying, with the heart, and with the mouth. 11. Asyti, saith) ix. 33, note.-' 12. Ou yap idri SiagroXri, for there is no difference) ch. iii. 22 Here the words first to the Jews, are not added, as at the begin- ning, ch. i. 16. — ydi,p aurhg, for the same) ch. iii. 29, 30. — Kup;of, Lord), ver. 9. — 'irXovrZv) rich and hberal, whom no mul- titude of believers, how great soever it may be, can exhaust ; who never finds it necessary to deal more sparingly. 13. nS; OS av, whosoever, Acts ii. 21, note. This mono- syllable, vag (alV), more precious than the whole world, set forth [as a theme] ver. 12, is so repeated, ver. 12 and 13, and farther confirmed, ver. 14, 15, as not only to signify that who- soever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved, but that God wills that He should be called upon by all, for their salvation. 14. 15. nwff, how) A descending climax; by which Paul argues from each higher to the next lower degree, and infers the necessity of the latter, as also from that necessity [infers] its very existence. He who wills the end, wills also the means. God wiUs that men should call upon Him for their salvation ; therefore He wills that they should believe ; therefore He mils that they should hear; therefore He wills that they should have preachers. Wherefore He sent preachers. He has done all that the matter [the object aimed at, viz., man's salvation] required. His antecedent will is universal and efficacious. 14. 05 am ^xovgav) whom, namely, when speaking in the Gospel, ver. 15, or offering Himself, thei/ have not heard. 15. TlZig ds xiipv^ouffiv, but how [how then] shall they preach) viz., 01 xripuggovTig, those preaching. This word, as well as those going before, is put in the future tense, in imitation of Joel, in whose writings this expression, shall call, is found, ver. 13, by that [manner, which Paul has at times, of] looking from the Old Testament [standing-point] to the New. — xaSojg, as) i.e. messengers [of the good tidings] were not wanting. Isaiah in spirit saw their eager steps. — ug — i'lpnvrtv, rSv Juay/sX/^o^E^wi/ to, ayaSa) Is. hi. 7. LXX iig — a-M^v eipmg og iuoi,yysXit,6/istiog ayaSa. ' Ou x.tt.Ta.iD3 denotes other nations. 20. ' AvoToX/iS,) What Moses had merely hinted at, Isaiah boldly and openly proclaims. — lipUtjv, I was found) I was ready at hand for, Isa. Ixv. i., LXX., J/tpanj? lyivfj^rjv roii sfii //,ri ^jjroDtf/v, iipi6i]v roTi Ifii (iij l-jnpoiruaiv, I luas made manifest to them that sought Me not, I was found hy them who asked not after Me. 21. "OXjji', whole) Isa. ibid. ver. 2, lxx., ii^intiraea. rag Xiipag I/jo\) 'iXriv rnt rjf/>ipa,v -Jtphg x.r.X., comp. the whole day, [all the day long] ch. viii. 36, see the remarkable dissertation of J. C. Pfaffi/us, on the continued grace of God. — i^tmrasa, I extended) A metonymy [see Appen.] of the antecedent [for the conse- quent]. They permit Me to extend My hands, nor do they come. Even by this one word alone the doctrine T)f the double will of God, viz., a mere good-will [which is towards all men], and a will of sealing [cerfam j)ersons as, His elect; beneplaciti et signi ; lidoxia, Luke ii. 14, good will ; but gx7.asav yovu rw BaaX. jind I loill have in Israel seven thousand men, all the knees, which have not bowed to Baal. From the verb Xe/Vw [in xariXimv, I have left\ we de- rive XiT/L/j,a a remnant [a portion left] ; see what follows. — i^aurffi, to myself) Paul adds this for the sake of emphasis, in antithesis to the complaint of Elias about his being left alone. The Lord knows His own people. — kvraxie'xj'Kiovg, seven thousand) among a people, who had become reduced to a wonderfiilly small number, the number is not small, nay it was itself the whole people, 1 Engs XX. 15. From these the whole posterity of the ten tribes at least were descended. Heb. ?3, i.e. purely such as these, without any admixture of the worshippers of Baal. I do not say, that they were the same individuals, who are mentioned in 1 Kings XX. 15, and xix. 18 ; but the number is equal, viz., seven thousand, in ch. xx. 15, and about seventy years after- wards, in ch. xix. 18, after the time of Hazael, Jehu and Elisha, comp. 2 Kings xiii. 7, 14. — Hvhpa.g, men) Men were chiefly taken into account in reckoning, and were present at public worship ; therefore their wives and children also are to be added to the seven thousand. — Tjj BaaX) In the feminine gender, supplying iixovi, the image of Baal, used by way of contempt, and antithetic to men. So the LXX. also Judg. ii. 11, etc. Under the asser- tion of guiltlessness as to the worship of Baal, guiltlessness as to the worship of the golden calves^ is included. 5. oh, then) The conclusion drawn from the Old to the Ne-w Testament. ' Set up by Jeroboam in Dan and Bethel, 1 Kings xii. 29.— Ed 148 ROMANS XI. 6-8. 6. XdfiTi, hy grace) The meaning of the dative is one, and that of the particle ex. with the genitive is another [is different]. The former rather indicates the vehicle or instrument, as a canal, in the pure and simple sense ; the latter, more properly the mate- rial cause, the principle [first origin], the source. — ohx tn, now no longer \no morej) This phrase used four times shows the strength of the conclusion. This decree, which God has decreed, is absolute : I will make men righteous only hy faith, no man hy works. This decree no one shall break through. — yinrai — isrh, [becomes] is made — is) This is a nice and just distinction between these words [lost sight of in the Engl. Vers.]. Nature asks for works; faith acknowledges supervenient grace, ysvofihriii [gi'ace coming into exercise]. So, tyinro [came into exercise] John i. 17. ipepo^evrjv X"'P"j 1 -P^t. i. 13. — il &i l§ ipyuv, oux 'in icri yjli-fic,' s-ttiI ro 'ipyov ovx 'in kfri 'ipyov. But if it is of works, then is it 7io more grace, otherwise work is no more work) From this short clause, if is no more of works, this inference is drawn, Israel has not ob- tained : and from that short clause, it is no more grace, the in- ference is, the election has obtained. The first part of this verse excludes works, the second establishes grace ; with this comp. ver. 5. The first part forms the protasis, the last, the apodosis, which is always the more necessary part, and is improperly omitted by some in this passage, comp. by all means ch. iv. 4, 5 ; Eph. ii. 8, 9. Grace and work are opposed to each other, n^J?a LXX. for the most part interpret it spyov, work, for example Ps. cix. 20. 7. 'H IxXoyn, the election) chiefly of the Israelites, the election, that is, the elected, inasmuch as being elected, obtain. 8. "'EioiXiv axiToTs 6 0f Jf 'jrviv/ia xaravd^iu;, 6, Ps. Ixix. 22, where, on comparing with it the pre- ceding verse, there is an allegory, i.e., while they are carelessly taking their food, let them be taken themselves. — exdviaXov, stumbling-block) It is taken in the more literal sense in this passage, to correspond with the synonyms, noose and instrument of capture (laqueus and captio) ; for sxdvBctXov is the moveable stick in a trap. It corresponds to B'pID in the above psalm. There is a gradation : the noose (laqueus) catches a part, for example, the foot ; the instrument of capture (captio, ifipa., trap) holds the whole ; the stumbling-block (scandalum) not only catches, but also hurts. — a.vTa'!r68o//,a, recompence) Their fault, therefore, not the absolute decree of God, was the mediating cause of their rejection. 10. :SxoTi(rSriToitsa,v. — auyxot./i'^ov) They, who have their eyes darkened, and their back bent, are sure to stumble, ver. 11, and rush into a snare. 11. "E.'TfTo.igav) i^r)(SiTai. Blachwall has collected other examples in the Sacred Classics, p. 432, ed. WolL, where he praises this very passage of Paul on account of its elegance. Certainly lan- guage, framed, as this is, rather categorically, tends to excite fear [more than conditional or potential language, as pe/V^ira; would be.j 22. X^JiffroVjjra Kal a-zoro/j^iav, goodness and severity) An im- portant disjunction. — imfishfjg, thou shalt have continued) To con- tinue is in respect to what is good, in this verse ; in respect to what is evil in the next [im/nivueiv, abide in unbelief]. The one is described on the part of God, the other on the part of man • comp. ver. 28, 30, etc. The Roman [Church] has not remained in goodness, since the righteousness of works has been intro- duced. — Itil, otherwise) Behevers may utterly fall away. — Ixzo- T^ff^i, thou shalt be cut off) by the sword ; not merely, shalt be broken off [exxXaeHrieri'], as they were, by the hand. m3, Lxx., ixxoKTu, I cut off, Jer. xliv. 8, not however generally in that sense, in which, / utterly destroy, (J^oXoSpiiu), is used. 23. 'Eav iLr\, if not) Therefore their conversion will not be [the effect of] irresistible [grace]. — iuvarlg, [able] powerful) it might be a principal objection : how will the Jews be converted, who for so many ages act so as to withdraw themselves from the ROMANS XI. 24, 25. ]J3 faith, separate [draw aside] the Old Testament revelations from the true Messiah, and snatch them out of the hands of believers ? Paul answers, God has power : comp. the, powerful [able], ch. xiv. 4 : and He will show the glory of this power, against which no one in the Gentile world can strive. There will then be a great work ! — ^aX(v, again) not only in [with] a smaller [comparatively small] number, as now, but in [with] a greater number, as formerly, when they were the people of God. 24. ' AypieXaiou, of the wild olive tree) There is as great a dis- tinction between those, who either have not, or have the revealed word, as there is between the wild and cultivated olive- tree. — ■zapa, (pUii) quite contrary to nature, for in the art of gardening, the process of engrafting, which unites two trees of a different nature, commits the soft graft, which is followed by the fruit, to the woody stem : but Paul says, that the graft of the wild olive is inserted into the good olive-tree, in order that it may follow [in consequence partake of] the fatness of the good olive.— ^oVa; /jiaXkov, how much more) He gradually comes from that which can be, to that which actually is. The discourse in fact assumes an augmentation of force ; formerly Paul demon- strated from the prophets, that in Israel there were more wicked than good men, he now demonstrates in like manner from the prophets, that there will be hereafter more good than wicked men ; and while he is drawing forth this statement, he calls it a mystery, fitted to check the pride of the Gentiles, lest they should think that the part assigned to the Jews was to be always inferior. 25. MugTYipiov, a mystery) Paul does not always apply the term, mysteries, to those doctrines, which from the very first are necessary to be known by behevers, but to the secrets, which were unknown even to many believers, until, as the case required, for the sake of faith or love they were opened up to them from the Scriptures, heretofore in this respect sealed. Comp. 1 Cor. XV. 51, and on a similar occasion Eph. iii. 3. The calling of the Gentiles had been a mystery, ch. xvi. 25. But now the conversion of Israel is likewise a mystery. [There- fore something different is intimated from such conversions, as were exhibited day by day in the times of Paul. — Y. g.] Each of these 154 ROMANS XI. 26. forms a great part of that mystery, which is confirmed in Rev. X. 7. Furthermore, since it is a mystery, they ought to be treated with patient forbearance who do not recognise it so quickly, and we should hope for the time, when it will be recognised by all. — ^fpovifioi, wise) dreaming, that the church at Some cannot fail. Cluverus. The very term, mystery, checks the reader's pride. Hence the admonition is repeated at. ch. xii. 16, which is already to be found atver. 20, note. — a-jrh /iipoug, in part) He speaks in a way softening the unwelcome truth ; for 0/ •TiipuSivre;, those, who were hardened, were as " the sand of the sea," ver. 7 ; comp. with ch. ix. 27. Therefore, in the following verse, the conversion, which will not be in part [as their hardening was, which yet comprised as many as the sand], but wiU include all Israel (see foil, verse), will be by far the most abundant. And in the mean time also, there are always some being con- verted, and for this desirable object it becomes believers to be always on the watch. — TrXtipoi/ia., fulness) a most abundant sup- ply ; the antithesis is in part. No nation shall remain, to which the Gospel shall not have been preached in the whole world ; although a great part of mankind will still continue to be wicked. — ileiXirt, shall come in) John x. 9, 16. For many ages, now, many obstacles retard [put a drag on the wheels of] this coming in, obstacles which will be broken through at the proper time, so that the fulness of the Gentiles, who have been long since called, may entirely come in ; and then the hardening of Israel will terminate, Ps. cxxvi. 2, 3. Paul provokes the Israel- ites to Christian jealousy ; and this presupposes the conversion of the Gentiles before that of Israel, and yet the remaining abundance of the Gentiles may afterwards be gained by the full conversion of Israel, ver. 11, 12, 15, 31 ; Ez. xxxix. 7, 21-27. 26. -Ao.} o'\iT!a, and so) he does not say and then, but with greater force, and so, in which very expression the then is included ; to wit, the blindness of Israel will be terminated by the very coming in of the Gentiles. — tSs 'lepafiX, all Israel) Israel contradistinguished from the Gentiles, of which ver. 25 treats. The words, JT'lsti', a remnant, and nt3''7a, deliverance, are ' We should never consider a, mystery for the sake of curiosity : we should always seek to be humbled before it. — V. g. ROMANS XI. 27, 28. 155 used in respect of those that perished ; but the Remnant itself, numerous in itself, will be wholly converted, Mic. ii. 12. euifiSiTai) shall be saved : The Latin Vulgate has expressed this by, salvus fieret; and not inappropriately.^ It contains this sentiment, the fulness of the Gentiles shall he brought in and so all Israel shall be made safe ; but a%f /s o5, until, has changed the former verb elasXiueerai [Indic.J into elffeXirj [Subj.J, the second verb, aca^eirai, remaining indicative]. — See similar instances noticed at Mark iii. 27. The Latin Vulg. has expressed the meaning. — ij^ii sx ^luv — diaSrjKri, oTav a.ria,v aurov, h.t.7'.., and this is Sis blessing, when I shall take away his sin. Heb. IVS? PSIJ, and there shall come to Zion (and for its benefit) the Redeemer, and to tJiose turning from transgression in Jacob. Paid, ch. iii., in describing sin had quoted Ps. xiv., and chiefly ch. lix. of Isaiah : now in describing salvation, he joins together the same texts. He says, Ix 'S.idiv, out of Sion, as the LXX., Ps. xiv. 7. The Deliverer or Redeemer comes (sx) out of Sion and (?) hixa.) for good to Sion. His coming has been already accomplished, and the firuit will arrive at perfection at the proper time. Sion is a whole, in a good sense, Jacob here is a whole, in a less favourable sense ; those returning are a part. 27. A-vrn, this) of which see in the preceding verse. — vap iaov, from me) He himself wiU do it. — diaSrixri, testament [cove- nant]) — namely, it shall then be and shall be unfolded. — rug &fiapriag) sins, and the miseries arising from them. 28. ''Ex,6poi) enemies. Therefore the obstinacy of the Jews ought not to be alleged to the prejudice of their conversion. Moreover, they are called enemies, in an active sense ; presently [by and by] they shall be called beloved in a passive sense (both in respect of God, not merely, of Paul) ; the evil is to be imputed to man ; the good proceeds from God. So also mercy ^ Thus the "Vulg. makes au6iiatra.t depend on axV^ "^i ^"'^'^i " ""^^^ *^* fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and until all Israel shall thus be saved." —Ed. ISS ROMANS XI. 29-32. and unbelief are opposed to each other, ver. 30, etc.— i' hn,ai, for your sokes, ver. 31, 12, 15. 29. ' A/iira/ieXrjra,, without repentance) Truly an apostolic axiom. Something absolute is signified ; for God will not give way to the unbelief of His own people [so as to suffer it to continue] for ever. Repentance is hid from the eyes of the Lord [i.e. change of His purpose, as to raising Israel from its present spiritual ' death,' is impossible with God], Hos. xiii. 14. — x."'^'"'' (lara, gifts) towards the Jews. — xKrigig, calling) towards the Gentiles. 30. -/.al) ■'I formerly admitted this particle marked with an obelus, thus f, and am now glad that Baumgarten agrees with me, — 7}'?r£iSri(!aTi, ye have not believed) unbelief falls upon [applies to"" even those, who themselves have not heard the word of God, because they had however received it primitively in the persons of the patriarchs Adam and Noah. [The Gentiles are account- able for not having retained the revelation received from Adam, Noah, etc.] 31. 'H'jriiSrioav, they have disbelieved) They have been left to their unbelief. — ra hnirip^, your [of you]) the Genitive of the object, [your mercy, i.e. the mercy, of which you are the objects^ as TO. ixiri Aauld, the mercies of David, 2 Chron. vi. 42, loy fiSn, the favour directed to thy people, Ps. cvi. 4. — iXeu, through mercy) construed with iXiriDuei, might obtain m,ercy ; for ha,, that, is often transJ)osed ; and in verse 30, the disbelief of the Jews precedes the mercy of the Gentiles ; wherefore in verse 31 the mercy of the Gentiles does not [is not to be supposed to] precede the same disbelief of the Jews [as would be the case, if sXh;, owing to your partaking of mercy, were taken with riitiUrt- ffav]. See App. crit. Ed. ii. on this passage. — iXin^uai, might obtain mercy) that mercy, which goes before faith, and which is only acknowledged and received through faith, by which a-aeikia, disbelief is retracted. 32. 'SvvixKsigi, hath concluded together), Jews and Gentiles, comp. Gal. iii. 22, note. The phraseology of the Lxx. Lit., Ps. Ixxviii. .50, is ilg idmrov auvsHXuee, He shut up to death, he ] The German version agrees in this. — E. B. ABCD (later correction), G/g, omit xcci, before ifit7:. But Vulg. and Rec. Text, have it. — Ed. ROMANS XI. 33, 34. 167 gave over, — s/s amlhiav, in \untd\ disbelief) Eph. ii. 2. Those who have experienced the power of disbelief, at length betake themselves with the greater sincerity and simplicity to faith. — ha) that. The thing itself will be accomplished. — roig vdvTag) them all without exception, [less accurately, all, in Engl. Vers.] all together ; comp. ver. 30, 31. — sXsrjgr], might have mercy) His mercy being acknowledged by them, ver. 6, when faith is given to them by Himself. 33. 'n ^ados, the depth) Paul in ch. ix. had been sailing, as it were, on a narrow sea ; he is now embarked on the ocean. Tlie depth of the riches is described in ver. 35, and has respect to ch. ix. 23, X. 12. (wherefore it (of the riches) ought not to be resolved into a mere epithet) ; the depth of wisdom is described in ver. 34 ; the depth of the knowledge, in ver. 34. Comp. con- cerning riches and wisdom, Eph. iii. 8, note, and Eev. v. 12. The different meanings of biblical terms are worthy of being well noticed and collected. Wisdom directs all things to the best end ; knowledge knows that end and issue. — dig, how) No one examines, no one searches out, but He Himself. Here and in ver. 34', there is a Chiasmus i^ as is seen by comparing the antecedents and consequents together. The depth is described in the second part of ver. 33 [How unsearchable, etc., answering to the depth']. Knowledge itself, as we have said, is described in ver. 34, for who [hath known, etc.] — wisdom itself is described in the words or who [hath been His counsellor] : riches themselves, in ver. 35 [who hath first given to Him, etc.] — rd; xpl//,aTa, His judgments) respecting unbeHevers. — u! oSoi, His ways) re- specting believers. A gradation. His ways are as it were on the surface. His judgments more profound; we do not even search out His ways [much less His judgments]. 34, T/'s yap — lyhiTo) Isa. xl. 13, LXX., Tig 'iyvu — xa/ Wj auroy tfu/ij8ouXoff. Who ? i.e. none : but He Himself. — ya/>, for. The more express quotation of Scripture follows. In proving doctrines the phrase is used, it is written, in other places, it is often omitted, ch. xii. 20. — voijv Kvplou, . the mind of the Lord) Isaiah has mn^ nn DX, the Spirit of Jehovah. Paul uses the version of the lxx. Otherwise mi and wvc, are not synonymous ; but the conclusion arrived at is very good ; no one apprehends ' See Appendix. 158 ROMANS XI. 35, 36. the Spirit, therefore no one apprehends the mind or sense of the Lord. Reference to the Holy Trinity is imphed, comp. on the words, els ahrh, to Him, ver. 36, Isa. xxxiv. 16, at the end of the verse. — glif^jBouXos Paul says, not only that no one has been eu/i^ovXoc, but not even now can be so : ev/ijSovXog is either a partner in counsels, or, one at least privT/ to them ; for he had said just now, for who hath known the mind of the Lord? And yet many in their discussions, for example, on the origin of evil, which touch upon the recesses of the Divine economy much more deeply than this, which is from religious reverence broken off by the apostle between ver. 32, 33 (for there is a great differ- ence between the fall of many angels and of the whole human race on the one hand, and, on the other, the fall of the Israelites [the latter is a much less profound mystery than the former]) many such, I say, boast, as if they were not only the Lord's counsellors, but also His inquisitors. His patrons, or His judges. Scripture everywhere stops short at this point, that the Lord hath willed, and hath said, and hath done it : It does not un- fold the reasons of things universal or particular; respecting those things that are beyond our present state of infancy, it re- fers believers to eternity, 1 Cor. xiii. 9, etc. The thirst of know- ing will torture and burn others, who unreasonably pry into mysteries, throughout eternity. 35. "h rig, x.t.tC) Some adopt these words in the LXX., Isa. xl. 14 : others do not ; but Job xli. 2, Hebr. and Vulg. have it thus : Who hath previotisly given to Me, that I may render to Him again ? All things which are under heaven are Mine. 36. E^ aiiTou xal 5/' avTou nal slg airhv, of Him,, and through Him, and to Him) The Origin, Course, and End of [The Source from whom come, the Agent through whom is maintained the continuance of, the End for whom are] all things, is here denoted, comp. 1 Cor. viii. 6. [Furthermore, Ig aCroD, refers to riclies ; 8' aiiroO, to wisdom; fig auriv, to knowledge. — V. g.] — ^ So^a, the glory) of the Eiches, Wisdom, Knowledge. [Along with this dox- ology to Omnipotence, is included the praise of Divine Wisdom and Love, from which the creatures derive their strength, under- standing, and blessedness. — ^V. g.J — a^^v. The final word, with which the feeling of the apostle, when he has said all, makes a termination. aOMANS XII. 1. ISi CHAPTER Xn. 1. napaxa'AM, I exhort) Moses commands : the apostle exhorts, Paul commonly gives exhortations consonant to the doctrines, which had been previously discussed, Eph. iv. with which comp. ch. iii. So in this passage the general application drawn from the whole discussion is contained in ver. 1, 2, as the allegations which immediately follow prove. We have shown at i. 16 the special applications from ver. 3 up to the conclusion of the epistle. — dia, ruv oiKrip/Muv, by the mercies) The whole sentiment is derived from Chapters i.— v. ; the word has its origin in the antithesis to wrath, ch. i. 18 : for the whole economy of grace or mercy, ex- empting us from wrath, and rousing the Gentiles especially to the discharge of duty, is indicated in this passage, ch. xv. 9. He who is rightly affected by the mercy of God, enters into the whole will of God. \But the soul exposed to wrath scarcely de- rives any benefit from exhortations. You are ^^ pouring oil on a stone" — V. g.] — vapasTnaa^i, that ye present) Tn so large a list of duties, Paul has none of those things, which in the present day among the followers of the Church of Rome, generally make up both sides of the account, -sapaarrtiai is repeated from ch. vi. 13, 16, 19, to yield, to present. The oblation is presented alive, not sacrificed. — e'StfJuarcx,, bodies) antithetic to the abominable abuse of their bodies among the Gentiles, ch. i. 24. For more antitheses presently follow in respect of this same topic. The body is generally an impediment to the soul : present the body to God, and the soul will not be wanting, ch. vi. 12. See also ch. vii. 4 ; Heb. x. 5. Vice versa, the soul, when subject to the magistrate, will be obedient with the body also, ch. xiii. 1. — guifiara, Xarpiiavj bodies, [worship^ service) We have here the apposition of these two words by metonymy,^ indicating body and soul. — Suaiav, sacrifice) Sin having become dead : comp. on this sacrifice, ch. xv. 16. — ^ueav, living) That life, which is men- 1 Antecedent for consequent, or vice versa, as here ; service, for, the soul which serves. — ^Appendix. 160 BOMANS XII. 2. tioned in ch. i. 17, vi. 4, etc. It is an abomination to offer a dead carcase. — Uyiav, holy) such as the holy law demands, ch. vii. 12. — shafudTov, acceptable, well-pleasing) ch. viii. especially ver. 8. — tSi ©eC, to God) construed with ■zapaar^gai, to present. — Xoyix^v, reasonable) sincere (1 Pet. ii. 2) in respect of under- standing and will : the verb doxi/id^eiv, ver. 2, is in consonance with this ; and f/ipough) f/'oppous7i>, to use moderation) au(pp(iaiiin, an excellent virtue among those that are spiritual. — V. g. VOL. IH. ^ 1S2 ROMANS XII. G. for there is an apodosis at the end of ver. 4 ; but sg/j,h denotes we are, and at the same time inclines to [borders on] a gentle exhor- tation [let us be, by implication], as Gal. iv. 28, note. Hence in the several parts of this enumeration, the imperative ought to be understood, comp. ver. 14 ; but it is Paul's characteristic ^Sog, not to express the imperative often, after it has been once put at the beginning, as in ver. 3. — ^aplg/j-ara, gifts) these are of (liferent kinds, %a^'S, grace is one. — rrpoptiniav, prophecy) This stands first among the gifts. Acts ii. 17, 18, xi. 27, xiii. 1, xv. 32, xix. 6, xxi. 9, 10 ; 1 Cor. xi. 4, etc., 12, etc. ; Eph. ii. 20, iii. 5, iv. 11; 1 Thess. v. 20; 1 Tim. i. 18, iv. 14; Rev. i. 3, etc. When these passages are compared together, it is evident, that prophecy is the gift, by which the heavenly mysteries, some- times also futiu-e events, are brought under the notice of men, especially believers, with an explanation of Scripture prophecies, which could not be elicited by the ordinary rules of interpreta- tion. But the other gifts, which we find in the first epistle to the Corinthians, are not added in this epistle, which is other- wise so copious. See ch. i. 11 ; 1 Cor. ix. 2, notes. — xara, accord- ing to) Repeat, ive having, viz., the gift, prophecy, and so in suc- cession. So just before, according to the grace, [as here, " ac- cording to the proportion of faith]. As it is given to a man, so ought a man to be of service to others. — rr\\> avaXoylav rrjg «'(mwf, the proportion [analogy of faithj) i.e., as God distributes (to every prophet) the measure of faith, ver. 3 : for there already Paul slightly touched upon this point, and he now returns to it, after some other topics had been introduced in the intervening verses. Prophecy and faith are closely connected, 1 Cor. xii. 9, ] 0, xiii. 2. Peter treating of the same subject, first epistle iv. 11, says, 'fls Xoyia Qiou, as the oracles of God. It is much the same as if Paul were to say, whether it be prophecy, [let it be restricted within the limits of, or] in prophecy ; with which compare what follows : let it not be carried outside of and be- yond the bounds of faith ; nor let any one prophesy from the promptings of his own heart, beyond what he has seen ; and again, on the other hand, let him not conceal or bury the truth ; let him only speak so far as he has seen, and knows, and believes,^ ^ The construction is, whether it he prophecy, we are [i.e. we ought to be as Christians] persons who have it according to the proportion of faith. — Ed. ROMANS XII. 6. 163 see Col. ii. 18 ; Eev. i. 2. Paul himself affords an ex- ample of such a proportion [analogy], 1 Cor. vii. 25. Eras- mus says, The phrase, according to the proportion, gives one to understand, that the gifts are the greater [are bestowed in the greater number], in proportion as one's faith shall have [hath] been the more perfect ; so also, Com. a Lapide, Piscator, Peter Martyr. Basihus M. on the Holy Spirit, He fills all things with Sis powerful working, and they, who are worths/, can alone receive Him, nor is He merely received in one, iJ'iTfui, measure, but, xara, vi.va'Koyiav rrig widTeug, according to the proportion of faith. He dis- tributes his operations, c. 9. Chrysostom : for although it is grace, yet it is not poured out uniformly, but taking the several measures [the yarious proportions in which it is poured out] from the [several states] of those who receive it, it flows in propor- tionally to what it has found the size of the vessel of faith pre- sented to it. Lichtscheid discusses this point at great length in Tr. Germ, vom ewigen evangelio (of the everlasting Gospel), p. 60, etc. As with Paul here, so with Mark the Hermit, the m£asure, liirfov, and the proportion, avaXoyla, are one and the same thing : see his book, 'jnpl ruv o'lo/ihuv l§ ipyav Six,aioi6rivai (concern- ing those who think that they are justified by works), a little past ' the middle. The knowledge of a maris affairs (business, conduct) depends on the proportion in which he puts in practice the pre- cepts of the law, but the knowledge of the truth (of the doctrine of salvation) depends on the measure of faith in Christ; and this same writer often uses the word, ava'koyiai, in this sense. In the writings of Paul, however, the word i/^irpov is used in the sense of limiting, in reference to moderation or the avoiding of excess ; whereas amXoyla has a fiiller meaning (if we compare it with what follows) in reference to the avoiding of deficiency [the full proportion]. In what theologians call the creed, all the heads agree together in an admirable analogy [completeness of proportion], and each article, respecting which a question occurs, should be decided according to the articles already certainly known, the interpretation of the rest should be ad- justed according to the declaration [the dictum] of Scripture clearly explained ; and this is the analogy of Scripture itself, and of the articles of faith, which form the creed. But every man does not know all things; and, of what he does know, he 16* EOMANS XII. 7-9. doea not know all with equal certainty ; and yet he holds the things, which he certainly knows, by that very faith, by which the creed is formed ; wherefore both he himself, in prophesying, should determine all things according to the analogy of the faith by which he believes, and others, in hearing [also ought to determine all points] according to the analogy of the faith, whereby they believe [and form their creed [. 1 Cor. xiv. 29, 37 ; Heb. xiii. 8, 9 ; 1 John ii. 20, and the following verses. 7. E/Vf, or) This word is thrice repeated by the figure Ploce [See Append.] Do, what thou art doing, in earnest, in order that the reality may correspond to [keep] its own name [that what you do, may correspond to what you profess to do], Eccles. ix. 10. The principle of the subsequent sentiments is the same.' 8. Mirahi'&obg) ^'dovai signifies to give ; fiiTaSidovai to impart, [to give a share,] so that, he who gives, may not strip himself of all, that he has. — h avKorriTi) as God gives, James i. 5, ' liberally^ abundantly, 2 Cor. viii. 2, \neither prevented hy the desire of private advantage, nor by anxious deliberation, whether or not another may be worthy of the favour given, and whether proper moderation be observed in giving. — ^V. g.] — 6 irpo'iaTdfLivoi;') one who has the care of [rules, Engl. V.] others, and has them under his patronage. — sv c^ouSji, with diligence) The force of this word is very extensive ; ver. 11 ; 2 Cor. vii. 11, note. 9. "H a/aT?), love) He treated of faith fi:om ver. 3 ; he is now to treat of love. Verses 9, 10, 11 have respect to ch. vii. ; ver. 12 to ch. viii.; ver. 13 to ch. ix. and the following chapters, concerning the communion of believers whether Jews or Greeks. The third clause of the sixteenth verse is repeated from ch. xi. 25. — amffruyovvTi; — xoXXufjuvoi, abhornng — cleaving) both in the mind and in the outward manifestation of it, even when at the risk of incurring danger and ill-will. The aniroKpiToc, the man without dissimulation, is shown in Prov. viii. 7, Let my lips hate wickedness ; wickedness is an ABOMINATION to my lips. This is rightly connected with love, 1 Cor. xiii. 6. Very emphatic words. He, who is without hatred of evil, does ' 'Ed rfi iiaxcu/ltf, on the minUtry) Let not the minister assume too much to himself and after all not fully discharge his duty V. g. BOMANS XII. 10-13. 165 not really love good. From this passage, the discourse moves forward in pairs of sentences. [There are men 1) who patronise evil and assail good : 2) who love good, but do not abhor evil with that indignation which it deserves : 3) who disdain evil, but cherish good more coldly than is proper : 4) who so abhor evil and cleave to good, as that in their case no one can be ignorant ofit—Y.g.-] 10. ^iXoeropycj, kindly affectioned) eropyri, the spiritual love of brethren. — ff^ojyou/iEi/o/, [Engl. V. preferring'] anticipating, or leading the way in doing honour to one another) if not always in gesture and actions, at least always in the judgment of the mind. That will be so, if we rather consider the good qualities of others and our own faults. These are the social virtues of the saints [homileticse. Or perhaps, " their virtues are a kind of living sermon to the world."] The Talmudists say : whosoever knows, that his neighbour has been in the habit of saluting him, should anticipate him by saluting him first. 11. Tji evovdrj — rf) •jmbfiari, in diligence [business, Engl. Vers.] — in spirit) The external or active, and the internal or contempla- tive life is thus set in due order. — rjD Kup/w douT^eLovreg, serving the Lord) We ought to serve Christ and God, ver. 1, ch. vii. 6, xiv. 18, xvi. 18 ; Acts xx. 19 ; Phil. ill. 3 : Ps. ii. 11, where serving and rejoicing are parallel, as in this passage. [See App. Crit. Ed. II. on this passage, which shows that the reading xaipa^ is quite unsupported and unworthy of the apostle. Not. crit.] 12. 'EXmSi, in hope) So far respecting faith and love, now also concerning hope, comp. ch. v. and viii. Then concerning our duties to others, to the saints, ver. 13, to persecutors, ver. 14, to friends, strangers, enemies, ver. 15, etc. — ■xaipovrn, rejoicing) True joy is not only an emotion of the mind and a benefit [pri- vilege], but also a Christian duty, ver. 15. It is the highest complaisance in God. He wishes us to rejoice and to spend our spiritual life joyously. 13. laTg %f£/a;j) rrt 6Xi-^(i, Phil. iv. 14. There was much occasion for this especially at Kome. It is particularly remark- able, that Paul, when he is expressly treating of duties arising » AB and prob. all Gr. MSS. of Jerome, Vulg. and most Versions read KvfiV. But D(A) corrected later, and Qfg read xa/jji. — Ed. 166 ROMANS XII. 14-18. from the communion of saints, nowhere gives any charge con- cerning the dead. — diuxovng, following after) so that you not only are to receive to your house strangers, but are to seek them out. 14. AiiixovTag, persecuting) for the sake of Christ. — xal //,7\ xarapaeh, curse not) not even in thought. 15. X.a,ipiiv, rejoice) the infinitive for the imperative, a thing not unfrequent among the Greeks, and here a gentle mode of expression \moratus, indicative of ri6og, a feeling, viz. here the avoidance of the authoritative Imperative]. T exhort is under- stood, taken from ver. 1. Laughter is properly opposed to weeping, but in this passage as in 1 Cor. vii. 30, joy is used, not laughter, which is less suitable to Christians in the world. 16. ToTg Tuitimtg, to lowly things [Engl. V. " to men of low estate"]) Neuter, for the phrase high things precedes. — ewaror- yofiivei, being [suffering yourselves to be] carried along with) the verb has the force of the middle voice, by which voluntary evy- xard^adig, condescension, is denoted. The proud think, that he, who is himible, is led away, but it is a good thing to be led away in this manner ; so it was with David. — firi yineh (ppovifiti Tap' eavToTg) Prov. iii. 7, LXX, f/^ri "eh fpovifiog '!rapoi eiavT^ [comp. Rom. xi. 25.] 17. Ilpovoov/iBVOi xaXa evumov •savrui)/ avSptti-Troiiv) Providing things honest in the sight of all men. Prov. iii. 4, LXX., irpomoZ xaXA ivumov Kuplou xal a.vSpu'jruv. — xaXA, becoming) A precious stone should not merely be a precious stone, but it should also be properly set in a ring, so that its splendour may meet [attract] the eye. — vavrm, of all) For many are suspicious and unjust. See the following verse. 18. 'El, if) if possible. He makes it conditional, and this clause may be construed with the 17th verse, inasmuch as good actions, especially if circumspection be wanting, may often appear to some not so good as they really are. — to £| v/j,uv, so far as it lieth in you) This is a limitation, for it is not always pos- sible owing to others. — fiirii vwirm avipdirui, with all men) of whom there was a very great conflux at Eome. No man is so savage, as not to have the feelings of humanity towards some individuals, but we ought to be peaceful, gentle, meek towards all, Phil. iv. 5 ; 2 Tim. ii. 24 ; Tit. iii. 2. \_Once and again at ROMANS XII. 19, 20. 167 some time or other in the whole course of our life, we have to transact business with some individual, and according as we behave to him, so he ever after forms his estimate of our character and general conduct. — V. g.] — Biprttuvovng, being at peace) xiv. 17, 19. 19. 'Ayairrirol, beloved) By this appellation he soothes those who might feel angry ; and he often uses it in the exhortations, that flow from a sense of the Divine grace which had been exercised towards the exhorter and those to be exhorted : comp. ver. 1. — Bon riirov, give place) He who avenges himself, flies upon [seizes unwarrantably] aU that appertains to the wrath of God. — rj) hfyr!) that wrath, of which so many things are said in Scrip- ture ; that is : the wrath of God, which alone is just and alone deserves to be called wrath [Not as Engl. V. seems to imply, Yield to the wrath of your enemy]. This is an ellipsis, due to a feeling of religious reverence, 2 Chron. xxiv. 18. — i/tto/, to me) supply, let it be [left to Me, as My Divine prerogative], Deut. xxxii. 35, ri/Jtipc^ txdixrieecijg avra'jrohdieu, I will repay in the day of vengeance. — Ix&lxrieji, vengeance) Hence Paul mferred — not aveng- ing yourselves, sx5ixi~v, to exact by law, to prosecute a law-suit to the utmost. — lyci/ avru-jroSusoi, I will repay) i.e. leave this to me. [77ws consideration easily suppresses all desire of vengeance. Suppose, that your adversary is not better, and that you are not worse than you think of yourself and him : he will either obtain at length the Divine grace, or he will not. If he shall obtain it, he will also acknowledge no doubt the injury, which he did to you, even though you should not be alive ; and in this case you will not desire, I hope, in consequence of any grudge of yours, to debar him from access to GoD, but rather would feel delight in as- sisting him in every way with your prayers. If he shall not obtain it, G0T> at least in His own behoof as supreme Judge, will by no means fail to punish him severely for the fault, for which you have granted him pardon. — Y. g.] — Xsyii Kupiog, saith the Lord) A form of expression used by the prophets, which the apostles did not use, but when they quoted the prophets ; be- cause, the prophets had one mode [ratio] of inspiration and the apostles another. 20. Ea,v oh miv^ — ■^ti/j.ili — ahrou) LXX. Prov. XXV. 21, 22, i^\i irtiv^ — Tpi(pi [^ii>/j,iZ,i in LXX. ed. by Holmes and Bos] avrov, 6 d'e Kupiog ANTAnOAnsEI 6oi aya6d. If he hunger, feed him [his 168 ROMANS XII. 21. XIII. 1. head], and the Lord will repay thy good deeds. The apostles applied the phrase, it is written more to doctrines, than to morals. — ix^pog, an enemy) This especially holds good of a bitter and violent enemy. — -vpw.a/^E, feed) with thy hand. So LXX., 2 Sam. xiii. 5. Thus will even thy iron-hearted enemy be softened. — avSpaxai •jrvphg, coals of fire) The end of all vengeance is that an enemy may be brought to repent, and that an enemy may deliver himself into the hands of the avenger. A man will very easily attain both objects, if he treat his enemy with kindness. Both are described in this remarkable phrase ; for it is such a repentance as that, which in the greatest degree hums ; 4 Esd. xvi. 53, and an enemy be- comes v/illingly the property of his avenger ; you will then have him entirely in your power [ready at your nod to obey]. — ii:] rfiv ■x.£(paXriv a'jroij, upon his head) i.e. upon himself, upon him wholly, in that part too where he W"ill feel it most. 21. M)] vixu, be not overcome) vixZ in the middle voice. They, whom the world consider to be conquerors, are in reaHty con- quered. — xaxoH) by the evil, of your enemy, and of your own nature. — vlxa, overcome) He is a brave man, who can endure. — h Tu a.ya6a rh xcfAov, evil with good) So also ch. xiii. 3, 4, with which there is a charming connection. CHAPTER XIII 1. naga, every) The apostle writes at very great length to the Romans, whose city was the seat of empire, on the subject of the magistracy, and this circumstance has all the force of a public apology for the Christian religion. This, too, may have been the reason why Paul, in this long epistle, used only once, and that too not until after this apology, the phrase, the kingdom of God, on other occasions so customary with him ; xiv. 1 7, for, instead of the kingdom, he calls it tJie glory; comp., however, Acts xxviii. 31, note. Every individual should be under the authority of the magistrate, and be liable to suifer punishment, if he has done evil, ver. 4. — -^vxfi, soul) He had said that their bodies ought to be presented to God, ch. xii. 1, presupposing ROMANS XIII. 2, 3. 1C9 that the souls would be ; now he wishes souls to be subject to the magistrate. It is the soul, which does either good or evil, oh. ii. 9, and those in authority are a terror to the evil work, i.e. to the evil doer. — ^A man's high rank does not exempt, him from obedience. — i^ovglaig ivspi^oigaig) e^o-jdla, from iifj,l, birifi-yra from tX"'y being is before having: 'Mifi-xphsaig contains the aetiology [See Append. Be subject to the powers because they are vrrips'^ovsai : the cause or reason], 1 Pet. ii. 13, Fr. Souverain, Sovereign. — h'jrorass'isioi) The antithesis to this is avriraoeoiawz, ver. 2. The Conjugates are nrayiihoi, diccrayr,. Let him be subject, an ad- monition especially necessary to the Jews. — s^ougla, power) s^ouala, denotes the office of the magistrate in the abstract ; al Si i^ouaiai, ver. 2, those in authority in the concrete, therefore 8i is interposed, Intirarmov [forming an Epitasis, i.e. an emphatic addition to ex- plain or augment the force of the previous enunciation. — Appen.J. The former is more readily acknowledged to be from God than the latter. The apostle makes an affirmation respecting both. All are from God, who has instituted all powers in general, and has constituted each in particular, by His providence, — il /^^ airo) See App. crit. Ed. ii. ad h. v.^ 2. A/arayjj, the ordinance') the abstract, in which the concrete is implied. So 1 Pet. ii. 13, xr/V/s, creature, in the abstract [but Engl. Vers, the ordinance] ; it at the same time includes, for example, the king, in the concrete. — avSigrriJiiv) The Preterite, i.e. by that very act resists. — xplfi^a) Divine judgment, through the magistrate. — "kfi-^ovrai, they shall bring on themselves) While they take to themselves another's power, they shall by their own spon- taneous act take [bring] on themselves, receive judgment. We have here the figure ^Mimesis [an allusion to the words of another with a view to refute him]. 3. °"Oux — ayaduv) not — of good works. This is immediately ' G Orig. D corrected later, read a^ro. But AB read i/«. Vulg.^and Iren. have the transl. Lat. a. — Ed. Jerome omits from al Se to liaiv. But ABD(A)G Vulg. Memph. fg Versions, Iren. 280, 321, retain the clause, omitting, however, liovaiat : which word is retained by Orig. and hoth the Syr. Versions and Eec Text.— Ed. 2 See Appendix. 3 The margin of the 2d Ed. prefers the reading, tu iiy»6f "'PVi'i «''?"» t^ 170 ROMANS XIII. 4, S. discussed, Wilt thou — as to good. — Kaxm, of evil) This is treated of at ver. 4, if [thou do that which is evil] — upon him that doeth [evil]. They especially do evil who are also rebellious. For at the beginning of the verse thus retains its own proper force. — iiXiii, wilt thou) AU in some degree will, but they do not in an equal degree so act. — /ii\ ipo^iTtSai, not be afraid) One kind of fear precedes bad actions, and deters men from committing them ; this fear continues, ver. 7 : another kind follows bad actions, and from this fear, they are free, who do well. — 'i'Traivov, praise) 1 Pet. ii. 14, along with a reward ; comp. 1 Cor. iv. 5. 4. &£o\J y&p, for of God) There is here an Anaphora or re- petition of the same word at the beginning of different clauses. There is a trace of Divine providence in this, that even wicked men, appointed to the magistracy, give their support to what is good, and visit evil with punishment.-" — eoi, to thee) This to thee is used with great elegance respecting him, that doeth well, but rSi is used indefinitely respecting the evil-doer. — ilg) so far as concerns what is good, what is for your advantage. — rJ xaxJv, evil) Good is marked as in direct antithesis to this evil in ver. 3, not in ver. 4. — popiT, wieldeth [bearethj), not merely psfs/, carries : [c/estat, not gerit; wields'] according to Divine appoint- ment. 5. 'Avayxji) Baumgarten remarks that this word is wanting in some MSS. It is only wanting in the Graecb-Latin, which are imworthy of the name of MSS. where they have no Greek copies agreeing with them (as also happens, ch. i. 19). I do not mention this for the sake of contention, but because I am well assured of the advantage conferred on the Greek New Testament by him, who lessens the authority of the bilingual copies in any passage. — bidi, riiv hpytiv, for [on account of, through fear of] wrath) which hangs over the evil-doer, ver. 4. Hence we have another manifest connection of this with the preceding chapter, in which see ver. 19, [give place] unto wrath. — bi^ njn xaxti. So also the German version. — E. B. So the oldest authorities ABD corr. later, G, Vulg-. fg Iren. Memph. But both Syr. Versions have ruu a-yat&Zy ipyuv — Kaiccjs/. — Ed. ' AiecKouos karm. He is the minister) Paul uses the same words concern- ing the magistracy, as he uses to express on other occasions the ministry of the Gospel. So also ver. 6. — V. g. ROMANS XIII. 6-9. 171 (tuvilirigiv, for vonscience' sake) whicli expects the praise of a good action from the minister of God, ver. 3. 6. Aeirovpyol, ministers) The ministry and the magistracy are adorned with the same titles. So ver, 4, diaxovog, comp. Is. xliv. 28 ; Jer. xxv. 9. — ^poexaprspouvm, [attending continually] persevering) O that all men would do so rightly. 7. '0a, the hour) viz. it is. This word marks a short period of time. We take account of the hour for [with a view to] rising. — Ijdij, already) without delay ; presently after there occurs vZv, at the present time [now]. — l^ Zmou, out of sleep) The morning dawns, when man receives faith, and then sleep is shaken off. He must therefore rise, walk and do his work, lest sleep should again steal over him. The exhortations of the Gospel always aim at higher and higher degrees of perfec- tion, [something farther beyond], and presuppose the oldness of the condition in which we now are, compared with those newer things, which ought to follow, and which correspond to the nearness of salvation. — fjiJ,Siv) construed with kyyui, which is in- cluded in iy/vTipov, rather than with ecarnpla ; for in other pas- sages it is always called either the salvation of God, or salvation absolutely, not our salvation, [which Engl. Vers, wrongly gives] ; comp. on this nearness of salvation, Gal. iii, 3, v. 7. In both places the apostle supposes, that the course of the Christian, once begun, thereupon proceeds onward continually, and comes nearer and nearer to the goal. Paul had long ago written both his epistles to the Thessalonians ; therefore when he wrote of the nearness of salvation, he wrote considerately [for he here, after having had such a time meanwhile to consider, repeats his statement], comp. 1 Thess. iv. 15, note. Observe also : he says elsewhere, that we are near to salvation, Heb. vi. 9 : but here, ^ ABD(A) Vulg. Orig. have aiecvriii. But Grand Rec. Text suvtou. — Ed. ' Ov!/, then) Love is not extinguished of itself; for well-doing, unless it meets with some obstruction from some evil, goes on without interruption ; hence it is that from the avoiding of evil the fulfilment of the law, which also includes good, is derived [is made to flow]. — V. g. HOMANS Xni, 12, 13. 173 that salvation, as if it were a day, is near to us. He wlio has begun well ought not to flag, when he is near the goal, but to make progress [deficere, proficere : not to recede, but proceecC]. — 71 giurrjpia) Salvation to be consummated at the coming of Christ, which is the goal of hope, ch. viii. 24, and the end of faith, i. Pet. i, 9. The making mention of salvation is repeated from ch. V. and viii. [Moreover from that whole discussion, this exhortation is deduced, which is the shorter, in proportion as that was the longer. — ^V. g.] — ii on imaTevgo(.fji,sv) than at the time, when we began to believe at the first, and entered upon the path described, ch. i. — iv. ; so, mgrsusiv, to take up faith, [to accept it, to become believers] Acts iv. 4, 32, and in many other places. [ITe, who has once begun well, from time to time approaches either nearer to salvation, or salvation, as it is said here, comes nearer to Mm. He has no heed to feel great anxiety, excepting the eagerness of expectation. — V. g.] 12. 'H vii^) the night of this dark life, •^poexo'^iv, has come to its height ; the day of complete salvation has drawn nigh, — the day of Christ, the last day, Heb. x. 25, the dawn of which is this whole time, which intervenes between the first and second coming of our Lord. Paul speaks as if to persons awaking out of sleep, who do not immediately comprehend that it is bordering between night and day. He who has been long awake, knows the hour ; but he, to whom it needs now at last to be said, it is no longer night, the day has drawn near, is understood to be regarded as one, who is now, and not till now, fully awake. — 'ipya, the works) which they, whilst even still lying [and not yet awake] perform : comp. Gal. v. 1 9, note ; works, which are unworthy of the name of arms. Farther, worhs come from internal feehngs : arms are supplied from a different quarter ; during the night men are without even their clothes ; during the day, they have also arms. — feXa, arms) this word is repeated from ch. vi. [13, Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness] : such arms as became those, who are light- armed [ready for action], as the breastplate and the helmet, 1 Thess. V. 8. 13.' Eiiff;^))/i^vws) with good clothing (Jionestly, Engl. Vers., in ^' Cl(h Tifit^cf, as in the day) See that you bear yourself so now, as you would desire to be seen to be at the last day. — ^V. g. 174 ROMANS XIII. 14. XIV. 1. the archaic sense, = hecomingly ; in becoming attire). — xiifioif xal //,i6ai;, not in riotings and drunkenness) as to ourselves, xufio;, ^easting, a lascivious banquet, -vvith dancing and various dis- orderly acts. — Wisd. xiv. 23 ; 2 Mace. vi. 4. — xolraig xal &ei\- yiiaii, in chamherings and wantonness') accompanied with others. — 'ipiii xal ^fjXui, in strife and envying) directed against others. In ver. 13, 14, there is a chiasmus :^ «.. not in rioting — ^. not in strife and envying : y. hut put on, in love [opposed to strife, and inseparable from Christ], the Lord Jesus Christ — b. and — not — for the lusts. j8 and / correspond, a and i5. 14. Th) Here is summarily contained all the light and power of the New Testament, as it is the whole of salvation [everything that is wrong being excluded. — ^V. g.J 1 Cor. vi. 11. — 'lni^« ©sw) Is. xlv. 22, 23, LXX., lyii e'l/ii 6 Qeig xal o!ix 'idTiv aXKoi — or/ — xai ofiiiTa,! Taea yXuiKga rhv Qihv.^ I am God and there is none else, and every tongue shall swear hy God. 12.^ AoiSii, shall give) A gentle exhortation : let no man fly upon [seize] the office of a judge. 13. KplmTi, judge ye) A beautiful Mimesis^ in relation to that which precedes, [K we are to judge, be this our judgment^ let us no longer judge. [This matter requires diligent attention. — ^V. g.] — TpoeTiofjiiJia,, a stumbling-block) if a brother be compelled by one to do the same thing [as one's self], ver. 20. — axavdaXov, an offence) if he, the same, abhors you, for what you have done. 14. 'E\i KvpiS) Irieov, in the Lord Jesus) All cases are best and most certainly resolved in the face of Christ ; / know and am per- suaded, a rare conjunction of words, but adapted to this place for confirmation against ignorance and doubt. 15. Af, but) An antithesis. Not only faith, ver. 14, but also love ought to be present. — Sia ^pSi/j,a) /j^ilugig, [less is said than is intended] : comp. Heb. ix. 10 : xii. 16 : xiii. 9. — XvireTrai, is grieved) The antithesis to this is the joy in ver. 17. — oix m, now no longer) He places before his mind some one who stands sted- fast in love, and intimates that he ought never lose sight of love. Love and joy, not love and grief, are connected together. — xarci, aydirnv, according to love, charitably) Hence the connection of ^ ToS XfWToii, of Christ) God will judge by Christ, ch. ii. 16. — V. g. ^ 'E5o|MoXoy^(r£T«;, shall confess) seriously. The oa'th of believers cor. responds to the oath of God, Is. xlv. 23 V. g. ' Ileji e«uTo5, concerning himself) not any other. — V. g. * See Appendix. An allusion to some word or thing previous which bad been the subject of refutation ; as here, judging. KOMAJJS XIV. 16-18. 179 the first verse with the preceding chapter, ver. 8, is manifest. — rp ^ filacer! eou, with thy food \meat^ Do not value thy food more than Christ valued His life. — i/^n d-roXXuE, do not destroy) 1 Cor. viii. 11. Even the true brother may perish, for whom Christ most lovingly died. 16. M)j, not) Liberty is the good of [peculiar to] believers, 1 Cor. X. 29, 30, flowing from the privileges of the kingdom of God. Generous service in ver. 18, is opposed [antithetic] to the abuse of this liberty. In the writings of the fathers the Lord's Supper also is usually denominated to ayaShv, the good, as Suicer shows, Observ. Sacr., p. 85, which is indeed not inconsistent with this very passage of Paul, who, writing on the same sub- ject, 1 Cor. X. 16, takes his argument from the Lord's Supper. It is comprehended under the good of believers. But he speaks of Th ayaShv, the good, to show the unworthiness of evil-speaking, of which either the weak, who consider the Uberty of the stronger, licentiousness, or even others might be guilty. 17. 'H jSagiXiicc rou Qeou, the kingdom of God) The kingdom of God is, when a man is under the power [influence] of God, so 1 Cor. iv. 20. — ^f£igig xal 'ttochs, eating and drinking [not meat and drink, which would be ^ptii//.a, etc.]) It does not consist in the bold and careless use of liberty, for example in relation to meat and drink. — bixaioslvri, righteousness) in respect of God. The three points of this definition relate to the sum of the whole epistle in their order. The one peculiar characteristic of faith and Hfe [in the Christian], independently of the article of the sinner's justification [through faith] is righteousness. — I'lpm, peace) in respect of our neighbour; comp. ch. xv. 13. — x"^"> joy) in respect of ourselves : comp. ch. xV. 13. 18. 'Ek TouToig, in these things) whether he eats or not ; the Alex, and others, Lat. [Yulg.] have h rourui : rour^ in the sin- gular has no antecedent, to which it can be made to refer. It may have arisen from its aUiteration with rffi, which follows.^ — iiidpigrog — Soxi/ios, acceptable — approved) He does that, by which he pleases God and approves himself to, and ought to be ap- 1 ABCD corrected later, Gfff Memph. Theb. Versions, Origen, have h roiiTu. Rec. Text is supported by the two Syr. Versions alone of ancient authorities in reading h Toirois. — Ed. 180 ROMANS XIV. 19-22. proved by, men : he is even approved by- those, whom he has nc desire to please. 19. Eip^vti;, oixoSo/j^TJi, of peace, of edification) These two things are very closely connected. Theology is in itself a peace-maker and is designed for edification. Controversy is not so directly useful for edification, although it should sometimes be added.— - Comp. Nehem. iv. 17. 20. M)] x.ardXMi, do not destroy) The effects of even one sin may be distressing and important moreover, ver. 15. — 'ivixiv BfufidTog, on account of meat) a very small matter. — ri ipyov rou @£ou, the work of God) a very great matter : the work, which God accomplishes within in the soul, by edification, and in the church by harmony [Faith is principally intended, John vi. 29. — V. g.] — xaxhv, evil) the word to eat [is evil], is to be supplied fi-om what follows : He does not say x-axa, evils. — dia rrponxS/L fiaTog, with offence) so that another may be offended by his eating. 21. M)j5e, £v S) neither, viz. to eat, drink, do anything, in which, etc. — -Ttpoex.oimi) stumbleth, and is wounded, induced rashly to imitate thee, with the loss of righteousness. As there is a difference between righteousness and joy, so there is a differ- ence between the loss of each. — e-^atbaXiZirai, is offended) is en- snared and impeded, feeling a repugnance to thy action [in eating, and yet doing it in imitation of thee], accompanied with the loss of peace. — aeknf) is made weak, or at least remains so, 1 Cor. viii. 9, 10 ; defective in mental strength, and hesitat- ing between imitation and horror, with the loss of joy : comp. ver. 17. ^B'a, Lxx., aehvin. 22. Ulenv, faith) concerning the cleanness of meat [all meats alike]. — (ftaurfi', — ©sou, thyself — of God) a double antithesis, in relation to our neighbour; as in ch. xv. 3. — £%£, have) The foundation of real prudence and judicious concealment [of our views on non-essentials, for the sake of our neighbour]. — /iaxa/>/os, happy) These words down to the end of the chapter, contain the antithesis to ch. xv. 1, hut. — xphtav, judging [condemning'^ \_Condemning'] judging and approving are the words in anti- thesis : by combining the two, the doubting conscience is ex- quisitely described, when a man approves a thing, and yet [condemns] judges his own action. ROMANS XIV. 23. XV. 1-3. 181 23. 'O Se) The reason, why the stronger ought not to induce the weak to eat. — lAv ipoiyri, if he eat) This must he understood both of a single act and much more of frequent eating. — zara- xsxpiTai, is condemned) Comp. Gal. ii. 11, note. — ex xlgnug, or faith) of which ver. 2, 5 at the end, 14 at the beginning, 22. Therefore it is faith itself that is indicated, by which men are reckoned to be believers, informing and confirming, as it does, the conscience, and constituting partly the foundation and partly the standard of upright conduct. — a/iaprla, sin) and there- fore obnoxious to condemnation. CHAPTEE XV. 1. 'Af, [on the other hand] but) [This is in antithesis to Happy — Sin, last ch. ver. 22, 23]. There is great danger, and we are only kept guarded by the power of God ; but we ought [owe that debt to others] to watch over [pay attention to] one another. — n/nTg) we. He counts himself also in common with others a debtor, as an apostle, and as an apostle of the Gentiles. — 01 buvaroi, the strong) comp. Gal. vi. 1, note. — ^aerdt^uv, to bear) It is indeed a burden. — ap'sexnv) 'Apiexu, I am anxious to please. He who is anxious to please himself, is indifferent about pleasing another, and pays little respect to his conscience. This is a Metonymy of the antecedent for the consequent [See Append.] 2. E/'s rj ayadhv, -jrpoi olxoSo/iriv, for good, to edification) ilg, unto, denotes the internal end, in respect of God ; 'jrphg, to, the exter- nal end, in respect of our neighbour. Good, the genus ; ediflca tion, the species. 3. ' O Xpierhg, Christ) who alone was truly dumrhg, strong, comp. ver. 1 with ch. v. and vi.: Suva^o! strong, ashviTg weak. — oi;^; tauru, not Himself) Admirable e^iyxara^asig, condescension ! Not Him- self but us, ver. 7, 8 ; Ps. Ixix. 32 : Christ procured apiexe'iav, what is well-pleasing to God for those, who see and are glad • ' 0(J)ii\ofiiii, we ought) for Christ's sake, ver. 3. — V. g. 182 ROMANS XV. 4. [Referring to Ps. Ixix. 32, which see]. — aXXa) but, viz., He took that upon Himself, which is written. — yiypairrai, it is written) Ps. Ixix. 10, with which comp. ver. 11, 12, in the latter hemi- stich of either, it matters not which. — o'l — Ifii) So the LXX. — l-rri- nem, fell on) Bj right Christ might have borne Himself as God, and have enjoyed Divine honours, but He did not use His right, for our sakeSjPhil. ii. 6. He indeed thoroughly felt the reproaches, which wicked men cast upon God, with that sorrow, which they ought to have felt, who gave utterance to them ; and He Him- self bore and expiated those reproaches as patiently, as if He Himself had been the guilty person. His whole sufferings are here intended ; He at that time performed the office of a minister [a servant], Matt. xx. 28. \_At that time, He did not please Him- self, but He interposed Himself, in order that in respect to [in the case of] all who had dishonoured GoD, GoD might receive what was well-pleasing [" caperet beneplacitum." Or rather, that God might by the atonement, be enabled to exercise goodr-will consist- ently with justice]. It behoved Him to endure many things with patience, ver. 1, 4. — ^V. g.] 4. T&p, for) This assigns the reason for the quotation just made. — ■Trpoiypdpri) were written before the time of the New Tes- tament ; as was that, which is quoted, ver. 3, as having been written concerning Christ. — rifizTipav) our, or of us believers in the New Testament, ch. iv. 24; 1 Cor. x. 11. — tm/iovrig, patience) of which Christ afforded an exaxn-ple, not pleasing Himself . — xat) a hendiadys [See Append.], the comfort [paraclesis] of the Scrip- tures leads us to patience. A summary of the ends [the main aim] of sacred Scripture. — •Tra.pa.x'kriSBug, comfort) which holds the middle place between patience and hope ; ch. v. 4. There is comfort \_paraclesis, consolation], when the soul re-echoes the sentiment, thou art S6xi//,o5 [Comp. the Gr. James i. 3, 12] ap- proved. 2 Cor. i. 6. — Tuv ypapSiv, of the Scriptures) It is in the plural, and corresponds with whatsoever. [The Scriptures testify of Christ, and teach us by His example, what we should do or what we should leave undone. — V. g.] — rriv tX-iriba, the hope) The article must not be overlooked, comp. on patience and hope, ch. V. 4, on hope, ver. 12, 1 3. For from this mention ot patience and comfort the fifth verse is deduced, and from the mentioning of hope the thirteenth verse. — 'ix'^l^^h ^'^I/ have) The former part ROMANS XV. 5-8. 183 of this verse treats of the use of the whole Scripture, the latter principally of the use of the Saying quoted at ver, 3. Hence comes the twofold prayer, ver. 5, 13, suitahle to the approaching conclusion. 5. ®ihg Tiji Inroi/iovrii xal -ffapaxXrisniis, The God of patience and consolation) So, the God of hope, ver. 13, the God of peace, ver. 33. Titles from the thing, which is treated of. Elsewhere, the God of glory, the God of order, the God of the living, the God of heaven. — rrn vapaxXriaias — rh aurh (ppouTv — xarii) So plainly, Phil, ii. 1, 2. 6.^ ' O/ioSv/iaShv, with one mind) with one believing mind. — gTof^an, with the mouth) confessing. — bo^aZrin, ye may glorify) Ye Jews and Gentiles, ver. 7, 9. — rh @ih xal varipa roD Kuplou rifi,m 'ineoZ XpiSTou, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) a frequent appellation, 2 Cor. i, 3, xi. 31 ; Eph. i. 3 ; Col. i. 3 ; 1 Pet. i. 3. It is to be resolved in this manner : The God of our Lord, etc., Eph. i. 17, and the Father of our Lord, etc., in- stead of what men of old said, God the^ Creator and the Lord of heaven and earth, Ps. cxxiv. 8, and the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, thereby subscribing [signifying their assent] to the faith of these believers. So elsewhere God and our Father, Gral. i.4. Christ has a double relationship to God and the Father, as compared with us ; we also have a double relationship, through Christ, John xx. 17. 7. i/iSs, you^ ) who were formerly weak, Jews and Greeks without distinction. — e/'s ho^av @iou, to the glory of God) It is con- strued with received, comp. ver. 6, 8, 9. 8. Asyw di. Now I say) By this verse the preceding clause concerning Christ is explained. — Xpierhv Irieouv.) Others say, Iridouv Xpidrh.^ Those, who have omitted the name Jesus in this passage, seem to have had respect to ver. 3 and 7. Thenomen- ^ To airo (p^ovuv, to think alike) Patience and comfort promote harmony. He who disagrees with himself shows himself very morose to others. Har- mony is founded in Christ Jesus, as full hope is subsequently founded in the Holy Spirit, ver. 13. — V. g. " ACD corrected later, G^ Vulg. read ifiAs- Kec. Text reads iifia; with BD early corrected,/. — Ed. 3 ABC read XjwtoV only. But D(A)G/£r and both Syr. Versions and Rec. Text ' Introvu 'X.^iarou. — Ed. 184 ROMANS XV. 9. clature, Jesus Christ, and Christ Jesus, ought not to be con- sidered as promiscuously used. Jesus is the name, Christ the surname. The former was first made known to the Jews, the latter to the Gentiles. Therefore he is called Jesus Christ ac- cording to the natural and common order of the words ; but when He is called Christ Jesus, by inverting the order of the words, peculiar reference is made to the office of Christ, with somewhat of a more solemn design. And this is especially suit- able to the present passage. Sometimes in one place, both arrangements of the words prevail, ver. 5, 6 ; Gal. ii. 16, note; 1 Tim. i. 15, 16, vi. 13, 14 ; 2 Tim. i. 9, 10. See also 1 Cor. iii. 11 ; with which comp. 1 Tim. ii. 5. — biaxovov, a minister) a suitable appellation ; comp. ver. 3 ; Matt. xx. 28. [Bemarkable humiliation ! Here indeed there was need of patience, ver. 4, 5. — V. g.J — ^Moreover, Jesus Christ became the minister of the Father for the salvation of the circumcision. Christ was sub- servient to the will of the Father : the Father devoted Him for the salvation of many, whence the Genitive, of circumcision, has the same meaning as in Gal. ii. 7, 8. Presently after, reign- ing is ascribed to this minister, ver. 12. But this appellation (minister) is not repeated in the next verse, for the calling of the Gentiles coheres with His state of exaltation ; — it is accordingly said there, that they might glorify, for greater thanksgiving is rendered by the Gentiles,^ than by the circumcision. — vipiTo/Mric, of the circumcision) that is, of Israel. — -irar'spuv, of the fathers) The Genitive here contains the emphasis of the sentence, Matt. XV. 26. 9. A;a — ihidi — -^aXSi) Ps. xviii. 50, LXX., Sia — %higi, Kxipii — ■^aXSi. — e^o/ioXoyrieofijai, I will confess) Paul says that the Gentiles do that, which Christ declares in the Psalm, that He will do ; in fact, Christ is doing this among [or rather, in the person of] the Gentiles, Heb. ii. 12, where Paul quotes Ps. xxii., as here Ps. xviii. is quoted. In Ps. xxii. Christ announces the name of the Lord to His brethren ; in Ps. xviii. He confesses to the Lord among [or in the person o/] the Gentiles, and the Gentiles con- fess to Him in [the person of] Christ. Afterwards in Ps. cxvii. ' Naturally so : Because they have received grace extraordinarily, they being but as the mid olive graffed in on the elect stock, Israel. — Ed. ROMANS XV. 10-12. 185 the Jews invite all tribes and all nations ; nt6 signifies a multi- tude, and QJ? a political community. — •v)/aXS, I will sing) The Gentiles sing and praise, because they have obtained mercy, Heb. motK, using the organ. 10. Asysi) viz., \iyoiv, — iu, in theLorS) Construed with beloved; tor greet ot salute at ver. 6 and throughout the chapter is employed abso- hitely [and it is not therefore to be connected with h Ku^/w]. 9.'lifi,uv,ofus. Comp. ver. 21.^ 10. Th doxi/jiov, approved) an incomparable epithet [ TAis man was of tried excellence. — ^V. g.J — rous ex ruv) Perhaps Aristobulus was dead, and Narcissus too, ver. 11, and aU in their respective families had not been converted. Some of them seem not, to have been known by face to Paul, but by the report of their piety. Faith does not make men peevish, but affable. Not even the dignity of the apostoUc office was any hindrance to Paul. 11. ovraff, who are) Therefore a part of that family were heathens. 12. Tas ■/.omiiea;, who laboured) although they have their name [Tpu^aim, T^ upwtfa] from rpiKp^, a luxurious life ; as Naomi (agreeable). It is probable that these two were sisters according to the flesh. 13. 'ExXsxtJi', chosen) a remarkable title, 2 John, ver. 1, 13 ; 1 Tim. V. 21. 14. ' AguyxpiTov, x.r.X., Asyncritus, etc.) Paul joins those to- gether, among whom there was a peculiar tie of relationship, neighbourhood, etc. The salutation offered by name to the more humble, who were perhaps not aware that they were so much as known to the apostle, could not but greatly cheer their hearts. 16. ' Ag'jragaek aXX^Xoug, salute ye one another) supply : in my name. — Iv (piXfi/j^uTi aylu), with a holy hiss) This was the flower of faith and love. The kiss of love, 1 Pet. v. 14. This was the practice after prayers. Paul mentions the holy kiss at the con- clusion of the first epistle to the Thessalonians, of both his epistles to the Corinthians, and of this to the Eomans. Paul wrote these epistles at the earliest period. Afterwards purity of ' A quotation from Juvenal Sat. xiii. 58 — " Tam venerabile erat prsecedere quatuor annis." — Ed. 2 Where we find "my work-fellow:" but here "our helper," or M)or/> fellow. — Ed. 195 love was in some cases extinct or abuses arose, for in writing to the Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, when he was in prison, he gave no charge concerning this kiss. The difference has regard to the time, not to the place, for the Philippians were in Macedonia, as well as the Thessalonians. I do not say however that the difference of time was altogether the only reason, why the holy kiss was commanded or not commanded. In the second Epistle to the Thessalonians there was no need to give directions about it so soon after the first had been received. The condition of the Galatians at that time rendered such directions unsuitable. — al hxXr}ffiai^) the churches) with whom I have been, ch. xv. 26. He had made known to them, that he was writing to Eome. 17. 'AdeXfol, brethren) While he is embracing in his mind, in ver. 16, the churches of Christ, exhortation suggests itself inci- dentally ; for when it is concluded in the form of a parenthesis, they, who send salutations, are added to those, who receive them : ver, 21. — roug rSig) There were therefore such men at Rome. The second epistle to the Thessalohians, which was written before this to the Romans, may be compared, ch. ii. — rd? Si^oera- elctg, divisions) by which [what is even] good is not well de- fended. — TO gxdvhaXa, offences) by which [what is positively] evil gains admittance. — l/iAhn, ye have learned) To have once for all learned constitutes an obligation, 1 Cor. xv. 1 ; 2 Cor. xi. 4 ; Gal. i. 9 ; Phil. iv. 9 ; 2 Tim. iii. 14. — UnXhaTi) comp. ar'eX- Aee6ai, 2 Thess. iii. 6 ; -ffapairov, Tit. iii 10 ; comp. 1 Cor. v. 11 ; 2 John ver. 10. There was not yet the form of a church at Rome. The admonition therefore is rather framed so as to apply to individuals, than to the whole body of believers. There is however a testimony regarding the future in this epistle to the Romans, as the Song of Moses was a rule to be followed by Israel. 18. 0/ nioZroi) such as these. The substance with its quality is denoted. — xoiXlcf, the belly) Phil. iii. 19. — x^jjifroXo/zas) as 1 The Germ. Ver; has restored the reading of wAirai, although it was de- clared on the margin of both Ed. as not quite so certain.— E. B. DQfff omit dff'n-a^. ifi. ai ixx.%. nsivcti T. Xpiarov, but add these words at the end of ver. 21. ABC Vulg. have all the words, including Ta(7«i, which Rec. Text omits without any good aulhoritj'. — Ei>. 196 ROMANS XVI. 19, 20. concerns themselves by promising. — siiXoylag) as concerns you, by praising and flattering. — tuv axdxm) TlS, a word of a middle signification, //^eaov, for the sake of euphemy (See Append.) , which the LXX. translate axaxog, and which occurs more than once in Proverbs. They are called axaxo!, who are merely free from badness, whereas they should also be strong in prudence, and be on their guard against the xaxlav, the badness of others. 19 'Tvaxori, obedience) which belongs to o'l axdxoi, the simple. Their obedience itself, not merely its report, reached all, since by frequent intercourse believers from among the Romans came also to other places, and their obedience itself was observed face to face. It thus happens, that, as contagion is bad in the case of bad men, so it is good among the good, in a good sense. — irairas, all) you, or others also. — a. The first half of the verse proposes two questions, of which the former is cleared up in the second half, and the latter in the verse following (We have also a similar figure in Isa. xxv. 6) : WJiere is the scribe ? where is the weigher (or, receiver) ? where is the scribe with the towers ? where is the weigher (or, receiver) with a strong people, on whom thou canst not 20'5 1 CORINTHIANS I. 21. hear to look ? For the expression appears to be proverbial, which the particle riN, with, usually accompanies, and in this mode of speaking denotes universality, Deut. xxix. 18. That some charge of the towers was in the hands of the scribes, may be gathered from Ps. xlviii. 12, 13. The term, weighers (or receivers) is readily appUcable to commanders of forces. Comp. Heinr. Scharbau Parerg. Phil. Theol. P. iv. p. 109, who has collected many facts with great erudition, and has famished us with the handle for [the suggestion which originated] these reflections of ours. Paul brings forward both the passages in Isaiah against the Jews ; but the second has the words so changed, as to apply more to recent times, and at the same time to the Gentiles, ver. 22. Some think that the three classes of learned men among the Jews, b''B'"n D''"iaD n''03n, are intended. We certainly find the first and second in Matt, xxiii. 34. There is moreover a three- fold antithesis, and that too a very remarkable one, in Isa. xxxiii. 22, where the glorying of the saints in the Lord is represented. But this is what the apostle means to say : The wise men of the' ' world not only do not approve and promote the Gospel, but they oppose it, and that too in vain. — roD alZvog nurov) of this world, which is quite beyond the sphere of the " preaching of the cross" [6 Xoyog o rou gTavgov, ver. 18]. — ii^dipanv, made foolish) so that the world cannot understand the ground of the Divine counsel and good pleasure [su^oxjjtfEv], ver. 21. — njv cop/av, the wisdom) The wisdom of this world [ver. 20], and in the wisdom of God [ver. 21], are antithetic. — ■A.6(tiL0M^) of the world, in which are the Jews and the Greeks. 21. 'Ev rji eocpicf,, in the wisdom) since ['because'] the wisdom of God is so great, ver. 25. — om 'iyvu, knew not) Before the preaching of the cross, although the creature proclaimed the Creator, although the most eloquent prophets had come, still the world knew not God. Those, who heard the prophets, despised them ; those, who did not hear them, were of such a spirit, that they would have despised them. — di& rrj; eoflag, by ' The margin of both editions defends ,the pronoun rovTov as the reading in this verse, although it is omitted in the Germ. Ver. — E. B. ABC corrected later, and D corr. later, Orig. 3, 175e, omit toutov. But Ggf Vulg. Orig. 3, 318e ; Cypr. 324 : Hilary 811, 822, have toi^tow. —Ed. 1 CORINTHIANS I. 22-24. 207 wisdom) viz., by the wisdom of preaching,^ as is evident from the antithesis, by the foolishness of preaching. — Ahoxrieiv ©sJf) it pleased God, in mercy and grace to us. Paul seems evidently to have imitated the words of the Lord, Luke x. 21. — hid. tth fj-uipiag, hy the foolishness) God deals with perverse man by con- traries, so that man may deny himself, and render glory to God, through belief in the cross. — xripuy/ia.roi, of preaching) inas- much as it is concerning the cross, 22. ^ A/roDff;, require) from the apostles, as formerly from Christ. — gofpinv, wisdom) [The Greeks require in] Christ the sublinie philosopher, proceeding by demonstrative proofs.^ 23. 'H|U.£/s, we) Paul, ApoUos. — xtipUgo/itv, we preach) rather historically, than philosophically. — Xpidrhv seraMpu/ihov, Christ crucified) without the article. The cross is not mentioned in the following verse. The discourse begins with the cross of Christ, ii. 2 ; those who thus receive it are made acquainted with all connected with Christ and His glory, those who do not receive it, fall short of the whole. Act xxv. 19, xvii. 32. — exavSoiXov, a stumbling-block) As folly and wisdom, so a stumbling- block and a sign are opposed to each other, for a sign is an at- tractive work of Omnipotence, as a sign and power are often synonymous, but a stumbling-bloch, properly applied to a snare or trap, is a very weak thing. [So things extremely 'Worthless in the present day come under the name of trifles. Germ. Schwach- herten. — V.- g.] To such a degree do the Jews and Greeks ^ dread the cross of Christ, that along with it they reject even a sign and wisdom. 24. AuToTg) to them, construe with, Jews, and Greeks. — xXnToTi, ' Not, "the world by its wisdom:" but, notwithstanding the preaching of true wisdom 6y creation and hy prophets of Ood, the world knew not God.—&D. ^ lyifciict, signs) powerful acts. "We do not find any sign given by Paul at Corinth, Acts xviii. — V. g. 8 They are not satisfied because Christ, instead of giving philosophic and demonstrative proofs, demands man's belief, on the ground oi His word, and a reasonable amount of evidence. — ^Ed. * The Germ. Ver. prefers the reading of Uuiai, equal, according to the margin of both editions, to ""EM^mi, which is doubtless more passable with German readers. — E. B. ABC corrected later, D corr. 1. Gfg Vulg. Orig. Cypr. Hilary have "hiixiv. Rec. Text, with Orig. 1, 331e, reads "ETvXijir/.— Ed. 208 1 CORINTHIANS I, 25-27. who are called) Refer the calling, ver. 26, to this word. — X^/oriv, Christ) with His cross, death, life, and kingdom. [The sur- name Crucified is not added in this passage. When the offence of the cross is overcome, the whole mystery of Christ is laid open. — V. g.J — Sum/iiv — eoipiav, power — wisdom) Power is first expe- rienced, then wisdom. 25. ToD 0£oO, of God) in Christ. — aofiuripov — isy^vforspov, wiser — stronger) ver. 30. — rSiv avSpu-raiv, than men) The phraseology is abbreviated ;^ it means, wiser than the wisdom of men, stronger than the strength of men, although they may appear to themselves both wise and powerful, and may wish to define what it is to be wise and powerful. 26. EXsTsrs) ye see. For shows it to be the indicative mood. — rfiv yXrieiv ufiSiv, your calling) the state, in which the heavenly calling proves an offence to you ; so, calling, vii. 20. — ov voWol, not many) Therefore, however, some supply, have been called. As a comparison has been made with the preachers, so also with the hearers of the Gospel. The ellipse contains a euphemism [see Append.^] — zara edpxa, according to the flesK) a phrase nearly related to the expression, of the world, which presently after occurs in ver. 27. The world judges according to the flesh. — ilyinTg, nolle) who are generally also wise and powerful. \_Can it he believed, that this is the distinctive characteristic of the society of those, who, in our vernacular tongue (German) are styled Freymaurer, Freemasons. — V. g.J 27. To) The article has this force : those things in particular and especially, which are foolish, etc. — s^iXi^an, hath chosen [viz., in great numbersj) Acts xviii. 10 — V. g.] (" I have much people in this city," i.e., Corinth). This word is put thrice ; election [choosing'\ and calling, ver. 26, are joined in one ; Ez. xx. 5. The latter is a proof of the former. Electionis the judgment of Divine grace exempting in Christ from the common destruction of men, those who accept their calling by faith. Every one who is called, is elected from the first moment of his faith ; and so long as he continues in his calling and faith, he continues to be elected; if at any time he loses calHng and faith, he ceases to be ' See App., under the title, Concisa Locutio. ' Soipo!, wise) Hence such a small number of men were gained at Athens, which was the seat of Grecian wisdom. — V. g. 1 CORINTHIANS I. 28-30. 209 elected ; when he brings forth fruit in faith, he confirms that calling and election in his own case : if he returns to faith, and beheving falls asleep, he returns to his state of election, and as one elected falls asleep. And these xar i^o^riv, pre-eminently, are the men who are elected and foreknown. Election relates either to peoples or individuals. The question here and in Ez. XX. 5 : also Acts xviii. 10 ; 1 Thess. i. 4 : is concerning the election of a people ; and this species of election in a greater de- gree falls under the distinct perceptions of men that are believers, than the election of individuals ; for some individuals of the people may fall away, and yet the breadth of calling and election [i.e. the calling viewed in its comprehension of the whole people as such] may be equally preserved. The election of some outside of the church is a Thing Reserved for God Himself, and must not be tried by the rule of the preaching of, the Gospel.^ — roij eoipovg, the wise) In the masculine to express a very beautiful idea -^ the rest are neuter, as all standing in opposition to roDs eofois, yea even foolish things. — xaraisx^vri, might put to shame [confound]) This word is twice repeated ; we have afterwards, might bring to nought [ver. 28]. By both of these words glorying [ver. 29, 31] is taken away, whether the subject of boasting be more or less voluntary." 28. T