should this be. In the Old Testament that symbolical manifestation of the divine presence which filled the tabernacle and rested over the ark, is called the glory of the Lord. Ex. 40 : 34, " A cloud covered the tent of the congregation; and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle;" Ex. '■21 : 43. Lev. 16 : 2. 1 Kings 8:11. 2 Chron. 5 : 14. Hag. 2 : 7. By the Jews this symbol was called the Shekinah, i. e. the presence of God. Be- sides this, the manifestation of God's presence in general is called his glory ; Isa. 6:4," The whole earth is full of his glory," &c. It is pro- bable, therefore, that Paul intended by this word to refer to the fact that God dwelt in a peculiar manner among the Jews, and in various ways manifested his presence, as one of their peculiar privileges.
The covenants. The plural is used because God at various times entered into covenant with the Jews and their forefathers ; by which he secured to them innumerable blessings and privileges; see Gal. 3 : 16, 17. Eph. 2 : 12. The giving of the law, the legislation. The word is sometimes used for the law itself, it may here be taken strictly, that giv' ing of the law, i. e. the solemn and glorious annunciation of the divine will from Mount Sinai. The former is the most probable ; because the possession of the law was the grand distinction of the Jews, and one on which they peculiarly relied; see ch. 2: 17. The service means the whole ritual, the pompous and impressive religious service of the taber- nacle and temple. The promises relate, no doubt, specially to the pro- mises of Christ and his kingdom. This was the great inheritance of the nation. This was the constant subject of gratulation and object of hope. See Gal. 3 : 16, " Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made;" v. 21, "Is the law against the promises of God"?" So in other places the word promises is used specially for the predictions in reference to the great redemption. Acts 26 : 6.
(5) Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concer^iing the flesh, Christ came, &c. The descent of the Jews from men so highly favoured of God as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, was justly regarded as a great distinction. And of whom. The and here shows that whom refers, not to the fathers, but to the Israelites, to whom pertained the adoption, the law, the service, and of whom Christ came. This was the great honour of the Jewish race. For this they were separated as a peculiar people, and preserved amidst all their afflictions. As it was true, however, only in one sense, that Christ was descended from the Israelites, and as there was another view of his person, according to which he was infinitely exalted above them and all other men, the apostle qualifies his declaration by saying as concerning the flesh. The word flesh is used so often for human nature in its present state, or for men, that the phrase as to the flesh, in such con- nexions, evidently means in as far as he was a man, or as to his human nature, ch. 1:3. In like manner, when it is said Christ was manifested or came in the flesh, it means, he came in our nature, 1 Tim. 3 : 16. 1 John 4 : 2, &c.
WTio is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. There is but one in-