IV. THE UNIVERSALITY OF THIS SALVATION, AND THE HISTORICAL ORDER OF ITS APPLICATION. The gospel is God's power unto salvation, to the _Jew first_, and also to the _Gentile_ (chap. Romans 1:16): The unbelief of the Jews seemed to invalidate the Apostle's statement respecting the universality of this... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:1. I SAY THEN. ‘Then' introduces the question as a plausible, but incorrect, inference from the entire previous discussion; especially, however, from the Scriptural proof of Romans 11:19-21. DID GOD CAST OFF HIS PEOPLE? ‘Cast off' is preferable to ‘cast away;' comp. Psalms 94:14. ‘The div... [ Continue Reading ]
1. _The Rejection of Israel is not Total._ This section opens with the question (‘Did God cast off His people?'), which the whole chapter answers in the negative, and which Paul discusses with a feeling both patriotic and religious (Romans 11:1). The historical fact in the days of Elijah (Romans 11:... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:2. HIS PEOPLE WHOM HE FOREKNEW. Here, too, the reference is to the nation, and not to the spiritual remnant, the elect. If the latter part of the chapter were wanting, this might be the sense. The phrase ‘which He foreknew' need not be taken in its individual reference, as in chap. Romans... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:3. LORD, THEY HAVE KILLED, etc. This verse is freely cited from the LXX.; 1 Kings 19:10 (Romans 11:14 is a repetition of Romans 11:10). The two clauses are transposed. THEY HAVE DIGGED DOWN. ‘And' is poorly supported. THINE ALTARS. The p lural points to the altars as the high places in... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:4. BUT WHAT SAITH THE DIVINE RESPONSE. The word answering to ‘divine response' occurs only here in the New Testament. But in a number of cases (see marginal references) the cognate verb occurs, and is usually rendered ‘warned of God.' The meaning here is obvious; but the noun first had the... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:5. EVEN SO THEN, or, ‘thus therefore;' in accordance with this historical fact which indicates _(‘_ therefore') a permanent principle, IN THIS PRESENT TIME ALSO, as well as in the similar ancient times, THERE IS (more exactly _,_ ‘has become,' and still exists) A REMNANT, a small number ou... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:6. NOW IF IT IS BY GRACE. ‘Now' is preferable to ‘and,' or ‘but.' ‘If' takes up the assertion of Romans 11:5, as if to say: ‘since the remnant exists by grace, let us understand what this involves, negatively,' namely: IT IS NO LONGER OF WORKS. Here the individual reference is clear. ‘No l... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:7. WHAT THEN? The inference from Romans 11:5-6, is introduced by this question. THAT WHICH ISRAEL (as a mass) IS SEEKING FOR, now as formerly; chaps. Romans 9:31; Romans 10:3 show that ‘righteousness' is the object sought. Zealous searching is not necessarily indicated here. HE OBTAINED... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:8. ACCORDING AS IT IS WRITTEN. The Scripture passages are cited here, because they set forth the principle of divine action, underlying the statement of Romans 11:7: ‘the rest were hardened,' what had occurred in Old Testament times was not only analogous, but pointed to this punishment of... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:9. AND DAVID SAITH. The citation is from Psalms 69:22-23, which is attributed to David, in the heading as well as by Paul. Many argue that some parts of the Psalm point to a date after the captivity. But the references to the house of God (Romans 11:9), the description of the opposers (Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:10. LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED, etc. The reference is not to old age, but to some more sudden blinding. This verse explains the ‘recompense' of Romans 11:9. Spiritual blindness is one form of the punishment THEIR BACK DO THOU BOW DOWN ALWAY. The Hebrew means: ‘make their loins to waver,'... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:11. I SAY THEN. Comp. Romans 11:1. This introduces a possible, but incorrect, inference from Romans 11:7 (‘the rest were hardened'). DID THEY STUMBLE THAT THEY SHOULD FALL _._ The form of the question points to a negative answer. The fact of stumbling is not, however, denied, since that h... [ Continue Reading ]
2. _The Rejection of Israel is not Final._ In this section is presented the prospective solution of the great historical problem, discussed in this part of the Epistle. Here Paul becomes a prophet; revealing that the rejection of Israel is not final, since the chosen people will be restored. The se... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:12. NOW IF THEIR TRESPASS IS, etc. ‘If' is logical, not conditional; Romans 11:11 has stated the fact here assumed. THEIR DIMINISHING. The word rendered _‘_ diminishing' means, becoming inferior, suffering defeat. It has here a numerical sense: the reduction in number of the Jewish people... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:13. BUT I AM SNEAKING TO YOU GENTILES. ‘But' is better supported than ‘for.' The clause implies the preponderance of Gentile Christians in the congregation at Rome. We do not regard Romans 11:13-14 as parenthetical, but as meeting a thought which might arise in the minds of the Gentile rea... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:14. IF HAPLY. Comp. chap. Romans 1:10. The faithful discharge of his duty to the Gentiles had this as its _attempted_ result MY OWN FLESH; comp. chap. Romans 9:3. SAVE SOME OF THEM, _i.e.,_ of the Jews. Notice the modesty of the expression, which, however, recalls Paul's ill-success am... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:15. FOR introduces the reason for Romans 11:13-14; his labor was in view of the more blessed results indicated in the close of this verse. THE CASTING AWAY OF THEM, _i.e._ _,_ the exclusion of the Jews through their unbelief, analogous to, but not precisely identical with, ‘diminishing'... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:16. MOREOVER, lit, ‘but,' not, ‘for.' This suggests a reason for expecting this ‘receiving' of the Jews, namely, the consecrated character impressed on this people, when they were separated from other nations. This moral necessity for the restoration of the Jews becomes the theme of the re... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:17. BUT IF SOME OF THE BRANCHES WERE BROKEN OFF. This was the fact, and the Gentiles are warned against a wrong inference from it. ‘Some' does not of itself indicate whether there were many or few; it was, however, probably chosen ‘in order not to promote Gentile-Christian self-exaltation;... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:18. BOAST NOT AGAINST, or, ‘exult not over,' THE BRANCHES, _i.e.,_ the people of Israel, not the branches which had been broken off. In Romans 11:19 the latter are specifically indicated. The warning has never been without an application to us Gentile Christians. BUT IF THOU BOAST; the v... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:19. THOU WILT SAY THEN; despite the last consideration, ‘although we are borne by the root of the patriarchs, yet natural branches have been taken away, and their place is now ours.' This has been the presumptuous attitude of too many during all the Christian centuries. BRANCHES WERE BRO... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:20. WELL. Not necessarily ironical; but an admission of both the fact and the purpose of the breaking off of the branches. The Apostle, however, passes immediately to the cause of this state of things, ‘as one which must prevent haughtiness, and inspire fear and anxiety respecting the dura... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:21. FOR IF GOD SPARED NOT, as had been the case , THE NATURAL (lit, ‘according to nature') BRANCHES, _i.e._, the Jews who were not ingrafted but original branches of the patriarchal tree, HE WILL ALSO NOT SPARE THEE. The more ancient authorities omit the word rendered ‘lest' which made it... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:22. BEHOLD THEREFORE. The exhortation of Romans 11:20 (‘Be not high-minded, but fear') is virtually repeated in Romans 11:22-24, but now as an inference (‘therefore') from Romans 11:21. THE GOODNESS AND SEVERITY OF GOD. The former word is rendered ‘kindness' in Ephesians 2:7 and elsewher... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:23. AND THEY ALSO, _i.e.,_ the unbelieving Jews, who are like wild olive branches. The verse should not be joined too closely with Romans 11:22, since it presents a further thought. CONTINUE; the same word as in Romans 11:22. THEIR UNBELIEF; as in Romans 11:20. FOR GOD IS ABLE, etc. W... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:24. FOR introduces the entire verse as a proof of the probability that the Jews will ultimately be grafted in again, not of the statement that God is able to graft them in (against Godet). If God's power is in question, it is needless to prove that he could more easily do one thing than an... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:25. FOR I WOULD NOT, BRETHREN, HAVE YEA IGNORANT. The Apostle thus introduces something important; see marginal references. ‘Brethren' is addressed to the whole body of Christians, who were, however, mostly Gentiles (see Introd., in the Romans Book Comments). The decisive proof (‘for') tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:26. AND THUS; in this manner and after this event. This is connected with Romans 11:25, and is the third and crowning fact of the ‘mystery.' ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED. This statement has been narrowed in many ways (see Lange, _Romans,_ p. 370), and on the other hand the obvious sense has... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:27. AND THIS, _i.e._, what follows, IS MY COVENANT (the covenant from me) UNTO THEM. From the same passage in Isaiah, but the second clause is from Isaiah 27:9. WHEN I SHALL TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS. Meyer rightly explains the verse thus: ‘And when I shall have forgiven their sins, this (thi... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:28. This verse sums up the previous discussion. AS TOUCHING THE GOSPEL. The two clauses correspond; ‘as touching' is more literally ‘according to,' _i.e.,_ according to the relation of the gospel to believers and unbelievers, offering salvation to them who believe, and proving those who... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:29. FOR THE GIFTS AND THE CALLING OF GOD ARE WITHOUT REPENTANCE; not subject to recall. The adjective rendered ‘without repentance' occurs elsewhere in the New Testament, only in 2 Corinthians 7:10. This general principle of God's dealings is the basis of the latter half of Romans 11:28. T... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:30. FOR introduces statements (Romans 11:30-32) showing how the course of God's dealings as a whole, to Gentiles and Jews, will establish the principle there announced. YE, Gentiles, WERE ONCE DISOBEDIENT TO GOD. That this disobedience was the result of unbelief has been clearly establis... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:31. SO ALSO; the cases are parallel. HAVE THESE (Jews) NOW, since the gospel of Christ was preached, BEEN DISOBEDIENT; lit., ‘were disobedient,' as in Romans 11:30, but ‘now' compels us to render ‘have been disobedient.' THAT, in order that, BY THE MERCY SHOWN TO YOU (lit. ‘your mercy;'... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:32. FOR. This introduces another general principle of God's dealings. It serves to establish Romans 11:30-31, especially the latter, which is but a restatement of the entire discussion since Romans 11:11. ‘Thus Romans 11:32 is at once the grand summary and the glorious key-stone impelling... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:33. O THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES AND WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. With Chrysostom and most modern commentators, we prefer this view of the passage to that followed in the E. V. Either is grammatical, but the former is not only more natural, but agrees better with what follows. ‘The depth of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:34. FOR WHO, etc. The Apostle here uses, almost exactly the language of Isaiah 40:13; but, by adding ‘for,' he makes it the confirmation of what precedes. The first question may be referred to God's ‘knowledge' and ‘His ways,' since no one HATH KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD; the second to His... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:35. OR WHO HATH FIRST GIVEN, etc. This is from Job 41:11, but follows the Hebrew, not the mistranslation of the LXX. This question refers to the depth of God's riches. No gift can recompense God; nothing can be purchased of Him. How appropriate to the entire discussion. The gospel is all o... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 11:36. FOR. What was negatively expressed in Romans 11:35, is now positively stated in language which is as simple as it is sublime. OF HIM, as the original Source, Author, Creator; and THROUGH HIM, as our Preserver and Governor and Bountiful Benefactor, as superior to nature which He create... [ Continue Reading ]