I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, Introduction to this Topic (Romans 9:1) Too well aware that he was regarded as a traitor to the dearest interests of his people (; ; ), the apostle opens this division of his subject by giving vent to... [ Continue Reading ]
That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. THAT I HAVE GREAT HEAVINESS AND CONTINUAL SORROW ('GREAT GRIEF AND UNCEASING ANGUISH') IN MY HEART - the bitter hostility of his nation to the glorious Gospel, and the awful consequences of their unbelief, weighing heavily and incessa... [ Continue Reading ]
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: FOR I COULD WISH THAT MYSELF WERE ACCURSED FROM CHRIST, [ Eeuchomeen (G2172) gar (G1063) autos (G846) egoo (G1473) anathema (G331) einai (G1511) apo (G575) tou (G3588) Christou (G5547... [ Continue Reading ]
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; WHO ARE ISRAELITES ... [ hoitines (G3748)] - that is, 'Inasmuch as they are.' So Romans 1:25; Romans 1:32; Romans 2:15; Romans 6:2. The conne... [ Continue Reading ]
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. WHOSE ARE THE FATHERS - here probably the three great fathers of the covenant-Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-by whom God condescended to name Himself (Exodus 3:6; Exodus 3:13; Luke 20:... [ Continue Reading ]
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: NOT AS THOUGH THE WORD OF GOD HATH TAKEN NONE EFFECT, [ ekpeptooken (G1601)] - or 'failed' (as the simple NOT AS THOUGH THE WORD OF GOD HATH TAKEN NONE EFFECT, [ ekpeptooken (G1601)] - or 'fai... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. NEITHER, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, ARE THEY ALL CHILDREN: - q.d., 'Not in the line of mere fleshly descent from Abraham does the election run; else Ishmael, Hagar's child, an... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. THAT IS, THEY WHICH ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FLESH, THESE ARE NOT THE CHILDREN OF GOD: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.... [ Continue Reading ]
For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. FOR THIS IS THE WORD OF PROMISE ...... [ Continue Reading ]
And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; AND NOT ONLY [THIS], OR [SO]; BUT WHEN REBECCA ALSO HAD CONCEIVED BY ONE, EVEN BY OUR FATHER ISAAC.... [ Continue Reading ]
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) (FOR THE CHILDREN BEING NOT YET BORN, NEITHER HAVING DONE ANY GOOD OR EVIL, THAT THE PURPOSE OF GOD ACCORDING TO ELECTION... [ Continue Reading ]
_IT WAS SAID UNTO HER, THE ELDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. AS IT IS WRITTEN (MALACHI 1:2 ), JACOB HAVE I LOVED, BUT ESAU HAVE I HATED. It might be thought that there was a natural reason for preferring the child of Sarah, as being Abraham's true and first wife, both to the child of Hagar, Sarah... [ Continue Reading ]
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? (SEE THE NOTE AT ) IS THERE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS WITH GOD? GOD FORBID. Here we again quote from Olshausen, whose statement is all the more remarkable from his Lutheran point of view. 'It is only (says that p... [ Continue Reading ]
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. FOR HE SAITH TO MOSES (EXODUS 33:19 ), I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I WILL HAVE MERCY, [ eleoo (G1653)] - 'on whom I have mercy,' AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I WILL... [ Continue Reading ]
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. SO THEN IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH (or hath the inward intention), NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH (maketh the active exertion): see, for illustration of this phrase, ; ; ; . Both the 'willing' and the 'r... [ Continue Reading ]
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. FOR THE SCRIPTURE SAITH UNTO PHARAOH (Exodus 9:16). Observe here the light in which the Scripture is viewed by... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. THEREFORE HATH HE (or, 'So then He hath') - the result is that He hath MERCY ON WHOM HE WILL [HAVE MERCY] - rather, 'on whom He will,' without any supplement, AND WHOM HE WILL HE HARDENETH - by judicially aband... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? THOU WILT SAY THEN UNTO ME, WHY, [ ti (H5101)], or (according to another reading) 'Why, then' [ moi (G3427) oun (G3767), ti (G5100) oun (G3767)] DOTH HE YET FIND FAULT? FOR WHO HATH RESISTED HIS WILL? [ anth... [ Continue Reading ]
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? NAY BUT, [ menounge (G3304). This compound adverb (mostly of late Macedonian usage) occurs in Romans 10:18; Luke 11:28; and Philippians 3:8. Wetstein, on Luke 11:... [ Continue Reading ]
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? HATH NOT THE POTTER POWER OVER THE CLAY, OF THE SAME LUMP TO MAKE ONE VESSEL UNTO HONOUR, AND ANOTHER UNTO DISHONOUR? The objection (as Hodge says) is rounded on ignorance or misa... [ Continue Reading ]
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: WHAT IF GOD, WILLING TO SHOW ('DESIGNING TO MANIFEST') HIS WRATH - His holy displeasure against sin, and to make his power (to punish it) known, endure... [ Continue Reading ]
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, AND THAT HE MIGHT MAKE KNOWN THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY ON THE VESSELS OF MERCY. The word "glory" seems to be used here in the same special sense as in ; in which case the whole exp... [ Continue Reading ]
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? EVEN US, WHOM HE HATH CALLED, [ hous (G3739) kai (G2532) ekalesen (G2564) humas (G5209)] - rather, 'Whom he also called, even us;' that is, that He might make known the riches of His glory in not only 'afore preparing,... [ Continue Reading ]
As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. AS HE SAITH ALSO IN OSEE ('Hosea') - observe here again our apostle's way of viewing the Old Testament Scriptures: I WILL CALL THEM MY PEOPLE, WHICH WERE NOT MY PEOPLE; AND HE... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. AND (ANOTHER QUOTATION FROM ) IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID UNTO THEM, YE ARE NOT MY PEOPLE; THERE SHALL THEY BE... [ Continue Reading ]
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: ESAIAS ALSO ('BUT ESAIAS') CRIETH, [ krazei (G2896)] - an expression denoting a solemn testimony openly borne. (See John 1:15; John 7:28; John 7:37; John 12:44;... [ Continue Reading ]
For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. FOR HE WILL FINISH THE WORK, AND CUT IT SHORT, [ logon (G3056) gar (G1063) sunteloon (G4931) kai (G2532) suntemnoon (G4932)] - rather, 'For He is finishing the matter and cutti... [ Continue Reading ]
And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. AND AS ESAIAS SAID ('HATH SAID') BEFORE - meaning probably in an earlier part of his book, namely, . EXCEPT THE LORD OF SABAOTH - i:e., 'the Lord of Hosts:' the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? (see the note at ) - 'What now is the result of the whole?' The result is this-very different from what one would h... [ Continue Reading ]
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. BUT ISRAEL, WHICH FOLLOWED ('FOLLOWING') AFTER THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, HATH NOT ATTAINED ('ATTAINED NOT') TO THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. [Here again Lachmann and Tregelles omit the second dik... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; WHEREFORE? BECAUSE [THEY SOUGHT IT] NOT BY FAITH, BUT AS IT WERE (RATHER SIMPLY, 'AS') BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW - as being thus attainable, which justification is not.... [ Continue Reading ]
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. AS IT IS WRITTEN ( ; ), BEHOLD, I LAY IN SION A STUMBLINGSTONE AND ROCK OF OFFENCE: AND WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM - or, less definitely, 'believeth thereon,' SHALL... [ Continue Reading ]