who shows mercy, even God. — tGj <&apuu, to the Pharaoh ) who lived in the time of Moses. — on slg avro rovro s^ysipd as, oarug evbsiB,ojfjjai sv col rrjv bvvaju/v /j,ov x.r.X.) Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee. The LXX, Ex. ix. 16, xa/' zvsxsv rovrov bisrqpi jlhjg sug rov vvv, ha svdstf'.ufiai sv aoi rfiv )ayyv juov x.r.X. For this cause , thou hast been preserved until now , that I might show my power , etc. — s^ysipd as) TTTiftyn lxx. Int. bisrripriOrig (as Exod. xxi. 21, nroy, bia(3iovv, to pass one's life), but Paul according to his custom says more significantly, e^qysipd as : but it should be carefully observed, that by s^sysipu here the meaning of the word D'pn is not expressed, as it is used in Zech. xi. 16, butT’Dyn, which in all cases presupposes the subject previously produced. See the difference of these two Hebrew verbs in 1 Kings xv.. 4. The meaning then is this : I have raised thee up to be a king very powerful (in whom I might show My power) and illustrious (by means of whom [owing to whom] My name might be proclaimed throughout all the earth). Therefore this s%s yspaig, raising up, includes the bi arr,ps7v, preserv- ing, as the lxx. render it, using the milder term : and also in- cludes the svsyxsTv, which in ver. 22, is introduced from this very passage of Moses. The predecessor [the former Pharaoh] had previously begun rather to oppress Israel ; Exod. ii. 23 : nor vet did the successor repent. The Or do Temporum \, p. 161 [Ed. II. 142], determines his reign to have been very short, and therefore his whole administration was an experiencing of the Divine power. It must be added, that this was told to Pharaoh not at first, but after he had been frequently guilty of excessive obstinacy, and it was not even then intended to discourage him from acknow- ledging Jehovah and from letting the people go, but to bring about his reformation. — bbvafuv, power) by which Pharaoh with all his forces was drowned. — biayysX/j, might be declared) This is being done even to the present day.
18. "Ov QsXsi) whom He will. Moreover, as regards the ques- tion, to whom God wills to show mercy, and whom He wills to harden ; Paul shows that in other passages. — sXssT, has mercy) as for example on Moses. — czXrtpbvsi, hardens) as He did Pharaoh. He uses, hardens, for, has not mercy, by metonymy of [substitut- ing, for the antecedent,] the consequent, although not to have mercy has a somewhat harsher meaning : so, is sanctified, for,