25. Breaker of the law (apaS8drns). Rev., transgressor. See on Jas. ii. 11.
Thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. “ But if any citizen be found guilty of any great or unmentionable wrong, either in relation to the gods, or his parents, or the state, let the judge deem him to be incurable, remembering what an education and training he has had from youth upward, and yet has not abstained from the greatest of crimes” (Plato, “ Laws,” 854).
29. Praise. Possibly in allusion to the etymological mean- ing of Jew, the praised one. Compare Gen. xlix. 8. The word here means the holy satisfaction of God as opposed to Jewish vain-glory.
1. Advantage (epicoov). Lit., swrplus. Hence preroga- tive or pre-eminence.
Profit (@péreva). Compare profiteth, ii. 25.
2. Chiefly (zparov). Rev., first of all; i.e., first in order. Paul, however, does not enumerate further, being led away by another thought.
The oracles (ra Aoyia). Diminutive. Strictly, brief utter- ances. Both in classical and biblical Greek, of divine utter- ances. In classical Greek, of prose oracles. See Acts vii. 38 ;
82 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. III.
Heb. v.12; 1 Pet.iv.11. Not especially Messianic passages, but the Old Testament scriptures with the law and the promises.
3. Did not believe (j7riarncav). Rev., were without faith. Not, as some, were unfaithful, which is contrary to New Testa- ment usage. See Mark xvi. 11, 16; Luke xxiv. 11, 41; Acts XXviii. 24; Rom. iv. 20, ete. The Rev. rendering is preferable, as bringing out the paronomasia between the Greek words: were without faith; their want of faith ; the faithfulness of God.
Faith of God. Better, as Rev., faithfulness ; the good faith of God; His fidelity to His promises. For this sense see on Matt. xxiii. 23. Compare Tit. ii. 10, and see on facthful, 1 John i. 9; Apoc. i. 5; iii. 14. Compare 1 Cor. i. 9; x. 1385 2 Cor. i. 18.
Make without effect (catapyjce). See on Luke xiii. 7. The word occurs twenty-five times in Paul, and is variously rendered in A. V. make void, destroy, loose, bring to nought, Jail, vanish away, put away, put down, abolish, cease. The radical meaning is to make inert or idle. Dr. Morison acutely observes that it negatives the idea of agency or operation, rather than of result or effect. It is rather to make inefficient than to make without effect. So in Luke xiii. 7, why should the tree be allowed to make the ground ¢dle? 1 Cor. xiii. 8, prophecies shall fad/, or have no more work to do. 2 Tim. i. 10, Christ abolished death. There is no more work for it. Rom. vi. 6, the body of sin is rendered inactive. Rom. iii. 31, Do we deprive the law of its work—render it a dead letter ?
4, God forbid (yu) yévorro). Lit., may it not have come to pass. Used by Paul fourteen times. It introduces the rebut- tal of an inference drawn from Paul’s arguments by an op- ponent. Luther renders das sey ferne that be far. Wye., fer be wt. It corresponds to the Hebrew chalilah profane, which in the Septuagint is sometimes rendered by it, sometimes by pndapas by no means, sometimes by px) ein may tt not be, and again by tAews God be merciful to us (see on Matt. xvi. 22). It indicates a feeling of strong aversion: “Away with the thought.”
Cu. IIL} THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 33
Let God be true (ywécSw 6 Oeds adnI7js). Rev., better, “let God be found true;” thus giving the force of yivouas to become. See on was, J am, John viii. 58. The phrase is used with reference to men’s apprehension. Let God turn out to be or e found to be by His creatures.
Be justified. Acknowledged righteous. The figure is forensic. God’s justice is put on trial.