Romans 11:33

Romans 11:33. the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

As Paul now looks back upon the last 11 Chapter s, of the themes he has discussed and how God has brought salvation to both Jews and Gentiles, and how even the sinful responses of men, God has been able to use to bring salvation to others.

'The doxology of verses 33-36 rounds off not merely Chapter s 9-11; it concludes the whole argument of Chapter s 1-11.'

"O the depth" -'Paul's argument concerning God's..goodness has carried him to the heights and now he pauses on the edge of the precipice as he contemplates God's wisdom and knowledge, fully conscious of his inability to sound the bottom with the plummet of human reason and words.' (Robertson p. 400)

-a universal figure for what is immeasurable or incalculable. (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 686)

'How inexhaustible God's resources, wisdom, and knowledge are!' (Gspd); 'Frankly,. stand amazed at the unfathomable complexity of God's wisdom and God's knowledge.' (Phi)

"riches" -many commentators seem to feel that this is to be understood as. separate category. 'There is some doubt whether the words wisdom and knowledge are genitives after riches..or parallel with it'. (Alford p. 948) Most are agreed that if this is to be taken as. separate category, it refers to the 'riches of God's goodness and His love'.

'the unsearchable wealth of love that enables God to meet and far more than meet the appalling necessities of the world; love less deep would soon be bankrupt at the task.' (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 686) (Romans 2:4; Romans 10:12; Ephesians 2:4; John 3:16)

"wisdom and the knowledge" -

'The intellectual resources are brought into view with which God has ordered, disposed and controlled all the forces of the world and of man's history so as to make them subservient to His love. The world, with its conflict of races, religions, passions and even vices, may seem to be. realm of chaos; but when we see it in the light of God as Paul did, we see the signs of wisdom and knowledge, of. conscious purpose transcending human thought.'

'God's comprehensive view of all things and his penetrating perception of details, which enable him to adapt his love to all the forces and conditions of the world, even to failure and unbelief and sin, and to work out his plans and purposes of grace.'

"how unsearchable are his judgements" -the word 'judgements' would refer to both judgements involving condemnation and salvation. 'The judgements are God's "decisions". (Lenski p. 741)

'It enables God to grant perfect free will to man, and still (enables) him to foresee his every act, and empowers him to combine men of free will in endless social, political and commercial complications, and yet foresee results arising from myriads of combined free agencies, thus enabling him to discern the effects upon the Gentiles wrought by the rejection of the Jews, and the results, proximate and ultimate, wrought upon the Jew by the acceptance and rejection of the Gentiles. Such are samples of the knowledge of God exhibited in Romans. The wisdom of God enables him to design the best purposes, and most blessed and happy results, the most perfect and satisfactory ends, while his knowledge empowers him to choose the best means, employ the best methods or modes or procedure, devise the best plans, select the most perfect instruments, etc..., for accomplishing of those holy and benevolent purposes.'

"his ways past tracing out" -'how trackless His footsteps' (Wey). 'Some of God's tracks he has left plain to us, but others are beyond us.' (Robertson p. 400)

Mordecai understood this. (Esther 4:14) He are informed about God's character and nature, and the principles upon which He judges nations. But when it comes down to the precise method, in which God has caused. nation to rise or fall, (the details, every move and step in the plan), we soon lose the trail.