The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 87

:><lions Tiew (whioh we Christiana IL1'8 by 2-l ; oh. iv. 20 ; xi. 20, 28; 1 Tim. i. 18; eome falt>ely eroneed of holding) that we 2 Tim. ii. IS). Still, it is to be obsorved may do enl that good mar oome. th11t in,the passage before us &tr1n/11 in man is opposed to winar in God, so e.s to suggea& ,e!"l'. 1, 2.-What advantage then bath B more general sense of dw,nlci tho.u more the Jew 1 or what ii the profit of oiNlum- ttnbelief. In view of this opposition, we cisi.on ! Kuch (n>.~ a neuter adjective, may Bdopt the rendering of the whole agreeing ,nth n ~ .......~.,) every way (not passe.ge 1n the Revised Version: "What l,y ali IIIMm; the meaning is that in all if some were without faith? Shall their respecb, the position of the Jew is an want of faith," eto.? Meyer a.nd others, adnmtsgeous one): first (rather than ch~y, understanding (e.s se.id above) by .\o-y,ci the as in the Authorimd Yersion. One point Divine oracles whioh were prophetio of of adnmtage is specified, which might have Christ, refer 711rltr'1"71trav exolnsively to the been followed by a suondly and a thirdly, disbelief in him on the part of the majority etc.. But the ~ter stops here, the mention of the Jews e.t the time of writing. But of this first being sufficient for his purpose. the aorist tense of the verb, e.s well as the Others are enumerated, so as to elucidate context, is against the idea of such reference, the purport of 1ea.-a 9'4,,,.., .,-pl!rov, in eh. ix. at e.ny rate exclusively. The context, both ~ 5) for that they (the Jews) were entrusted in eh. ii. e.nd the latter pa.rt of this chapter with the oracles of God. The word A.!-yu, after ver. 9, carte.inly suggests rather refer- (alv.ays used in the plural in the New ence to the failure of the Jews throughout Testament) occurs also in Aot.s vii. 38; Heh. their history to realize the e.d vantage of their v. 12; 1 Pet. iv. 11. Of these passages privileged position; e.nd this failill'e might the most apposite is Acts vii 38, where properly be attributed to their want of faith, the Divine communications to Moses on to the ""Pit.. ro,,.,pil. d1r,..-..lcis (Heh. iii 12); Mou.nt Sinai are spoken of as Ac!-yui ,~,,.,.., of. Heb. iii. 19; iv. 2, together with eh. iv. 11. (cf. ~umb. x:riv. 4, 16, where Balaa.m. •A.,.,.,...[., in these paese.ges is regarded e.s the speaks of himself as lurooo,v Ad-yui 8a1ii). root of aim9dcz. On the other hand, the whole Some (as Meyer), in view of the supposed drift of eh. xi. in this Epistle-where the reference in the following verse to the Jews' present d.m..-..lci of the chosen people shown in rejection of the gospel, take the word AO-y111 their rejection of the gospel is spoken of e.s here to mean especially the revealed promises not hindering, but furthering, the righteous of the Redeemer. But neither the word purpose of God, e.nd redounding in the end itself nor its w;e el!!ewhere suggests e.ny to bis glory-suggests a like reference here. such limited meaning; nor does the context And it me.y he.ve been in the apostle's really require it. It may denote generally mind, though, for the ree.sons above given, the Divine revelations of the Old Testa- it ce.n hardly be the only one in the passage ment, which., for the eventual benefit of before us. mankind, had been entrusted exclllBively to Ver. 4.--God forbid (there is no better the Jews. English phrase for expressing the indignant Ver. 3.-:For wha.t if IIODle (.-wu. The repudiation of µ.¾, -yJvo,.-o) : yee., let God be expression does not denote whether many true (-ywtu8u, a.\716¾,s; i.e. "let his truth be or few; it only avoids e.seertion of univer- established;" "Fiat, in judicio," Bengel), sality of unbelief ( cf. eh. ri 17 ; l Cor. L 7), but every; man a liar; e.s it is written, That thongh it is implied in the following verse thou mightest be jusufied in thy sayings, tliat, even if it had been nni verl!Bl, the e.nd mightest overcome when thou e.rtjudged. argument woidd stand) did not believe1 We ce.n hardly avoid recogniziog e. refer- i.hall. their unbelief make the faith of God ence to Ps. cxvi. 11 in "every man a liar," with.ou1 1:1fect 1 Alford renden, trrf.<T'TT/tr"" the words of the LXX. being exactly given, .. were unf.ai thfn1," taking it in the senae of though the general purport of the.t pee.Im bei.Dg "nnfaithfa.l to the covenant, the very does not bee.r upon the present argument. cor.ditior. of wl,icb WBB to walk in the we.ys The apostle takes this phrase from it e.s of tLe Lord, r.r,d observe his statutes; " and expres.:ing well what he wants to aay, viz. tL i.;; on the gro11nd that the e..postle is not that though all men were fo.lse (in the sense & yet spt,a.king of faith or the want of it, exprc,ssed e.nd implied by the previous -/in-ltr- but, in accorda= with the idea. of the .,-71,ro.v), yet God's truth stands. But it only Jm,ooding chapter, of a.8/,cui (ver. 5) and lea.di up to the second quotation from Ps. moral guilt. But tLe meaning of words lL, which is the important one, introduoed wllllt not be forced to moot the views of by ,ca8ws -ylpci,r.-a.,. In its final "!'ords, in terpreten, ; and we observe tba.t 4,,.,,.,..,.,,,, 11,tc/itr11s 111 .,.;;, 1<pl111tr6cil ..-,, the LXX. 18 fol- aud i,..,,,,..,./a are ever elstwhcre t11ed in their lowed (so also Vulge.te, 01MII Judioaria), proper &en&e to denote want of falth (cf. though the Hebrew may be more c_orrectly Matt. xiii 58; xvii 20; Mark vL 6; xvi rendered, e.1 in the Authorized VerK1011, "be 11, 14, 16; Luke xiv. 11, 41; Act.I Uri.ii clear when. thou judgeat." The Kpl111tr611t OJL w. 1-81.) THE EPIS'l'LE OF PAUL TO THE ROMA.N9. 81