of the Jews, " All Israel hath a portion in eternal life." Justin Martyr says, " They suppose that to them universally, who are of the seed of Abraham, no matter how sinful and disobedient to God they may be, the eternal kingdom shall be given." . This interpretation, therefore, makes the verse in question present the objection which the Jews would be most likely to urge. A second consideration in its favour is, that the connexion with the following passage, vs. 4, 5, 6, is thus made much more natural and easy, as will appear from what follows. The words rendered did not believe, and unbelief, may, in perfect accordance with their meaning elsewhere, be rendered were unfaithful, and unfaithfulness. And this rendering is necessary to make the verse harmonious, and to express the apostle's meaning, ' What if some w^ere unfaithful 1 Shall their unfaithfulness make the faithfulness of God without effect 1' By the Jews being unfaithful, is not intended that they did not preserve the Scriptures which were committed to their care, but that they did not act agreeably to the relations in which they stood to God, were not faithful to their duties or advantages. It includes, therefore, every thing which the apostle had charged upon them as the ground of their condemnation. They were unfaithful to their part of the covenant between God and themselves.
4. God forbid: yea, let God be true, but everyman a liar; as it is writ- ten, &c. The objection presented in the preceding verse is, that the apos- tle's doctrine, as to the condemnation of the Jews, is inconsistent with the faithfulness of God. * Is the faith of God without effect!' asks the objector. * By no means,' answers the apostle ; ' such is no fair infer- ence from my doctrine ; let God be true, and every man a liar. There is no breach of the promises of God involved in the condemnation of wicked Jews. Those promises were made not to the natural, but to the spiritual seed of Abraham, and will all be accomplished to the letter, and, there- fore, are not inconsistent with the condemnation of the unbelieving Jew.' All this, which is stated and urged at length in chs. 9 — 11, is included in the strong denial of the apostle that what he had taught was inconsist- ent with the divine faithfulness.
God forbid. These words, which occur so often in our version, are a most unhappy rendering of the original, which means simply let it not be, equivalent, therefore, to by no means, or far from it. It is a mode of expression constantly used to express a strong denial. The Scriptures do not authorize such a use of the name of God, as this phrase shows to have been common among the English translators of the Bible. True, as used in this verse, means faithful, as the context shows, and as the term elsewhere signifies, John 3 : 33, &c. ; and liar expresses the oppo- site, unfaithful. The sentiment is, let God be, i. e. be seen and acknow- ledged as faithful, let the consequences be what they may. ' This must be true, whatever else is false.' This disposition to justify God under all circumstances, and at all events, Paul illustrates by the conduct of David, who acknowledged the justice of God in his own condemnation.