Romans 9:17

For See on Romans 9:15. In this verse St Paul recursto the question "Is there unrighteousness, &c.?" and replies to it, by citing not now a general Divine utterance (as in Romans 9:15) but a special utterance, to an individual.

the Scripture saith For a similar personification of the inspired word see Galatians 3:8; Galatians 3:22. Such phrases are a pregnant indication of the apostolic view of Scripture. (See below, on Romans 10:6.)

unto Pharaoh Here quoted as an example of Divine Sovereignty. He appears as one who might(in human judgment) have been dealt with and subdued by a process of grace and mercy, but who was left to his own evil will. No evil was infused into him; but good influences were not infused, and his evil took its course. It is instructive, and a relief in a certain sense, to read this passage in the light of the history of Exodus, where it is remarkable that the "hardening" (expressed in the Hebrew by three different verbs) seems to be attributed in ten places to the Lord and certainly in ten to Pharaoh himself; and where the narrative, in its living simplicity, at least shews how perfectly realwas the action of the human consciousness and will. But we must not think that this solves the mystery, nor must we lose sight of St Paul's object in quoting Pharaoh's case here viz. to establish the fact of the sovereigntywith which God shews, or does not shew, mercy.

Even for this, &c. The quotation (Exodus 9:16) is mainly with LXX., but the first clause in LXX. runs, "and for this purpose thou wast preserved," or "maintained."

have I raised, &c. Or, did I raise thee up. Lit. made thee stand. And this is better, for the special meaning seems to be that Pharaoh was not so much exalted to be king, as raised up and sustained under the plagues. Here the Eternal gives "His glory" as a sufficient account of His action toward this individual soul and will.