1Paul's prayer for Israel, who were misled by blind zeal. 4The difference between justification by the law and by faith explained from scripture. 11Salvation open to all that believe, both Jews and Gentiles. 14The necessity of preaching to the Gentiles inferred. 19God's acceptance of the Gentiles known before to the Jews; 21as also their own refusal of his offered mercy.
1BRETHREN, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they 1might be saved.
1 That is, that they may be converted, and so saved; which must be understood of them who erred out of ignorance, as appears from the following verse; not of those who sinned against the Holy Spirit, about which Christ speaks in Mat. 12:31.
2For I bear them record that they have 2aa zeal of God, but 3not according to knowledge.
2 Gr. zeal for God, that is, they have a fervent desire to maintain the law of God, and the worship of God instituted by Moses, and to withstand those who seemed to be willing to alter the same.
a Acts 22:3; Rom. 9:31; Gal. 4:17.
3 Or, not with understanding, that is, not with the right knowledge, for which the law and the worship of God in the Old Testament was instituted, as the following verse also implies.
3For they being ignorant of 4God’s righteousness, and goingb about 5to establish 6their own righteousness, 7have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 That is, which God has revealed in the Gospel, and which God through Christ freely gives us, 2 Cor. 5:21; Philip. 3:9.
b endeavoring, trying*
5 Gr. to make firm. Here is signified the arrogance of man’s mind, that would uphold his own righteousness before God, as the Pharisees, Luke 18:11, 12.
6 Namely, by their own works, or by the obedience of the law; wherein notwithstanding they come far too short, as is proved of all men, chapter 3, and of Abraham and David, chapter 4 of Romans.
7 That is, will not submit themselves to it; and therefore they cannot come to the righteousness which will exist before God; as Rom. 8:7.
4Forc Christ is 8the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
c Mat. 5:17; Acts 13:38; 2 Cor. 3:13; Gal. 3:24.
8 That is, the aim why the law is given by Moses, is in order that men, being thereby brought to the knowledge of their sins, should fly for refuge unto Christ and His righteousness, as He has perfectly fulfilled the law for us. See Gal. 3:19, etc.
59For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That thed man which doeth 10those things shall live by them.
9 In these seven verses following, the apostle puts a clear difference between the righteousness of the law and of faith, and proves both one and the other by the words of Moses himself.
d Lev. 18:5; Ezek. 20:11; Gal. 3:12.
10 Namely, perfectly, and without omitting anything, Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10; James 2:10.
6But the righteousness which is of faith 11speaketh on this wise, 12Saye not 13in thine heart, 14Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, 15to bring Christ down from above:)
11 That is, sound thus; or, thus it is spoken of it, Deut. 30:11, 12.
12 Some think that these words are properly spoken by Moses of the commands of faith, seeing just before he had treated of the circumcision of the heart and true conversion, which properly are promises of the Gospel, and not of the law. Others think because Paul says not, Moses speaks thus, but: the righteousness of faith speaks thus, that these three verses are by Paul applied to faith by way of application, seeing he also omits some words and some he adds; in this sense: if Moses said this of the commandments of the law, much more the same may be said of the promises and commands of the Gospel, which are not only easy to be understood, as the law is, but also are easier to observe by the power of God’s Spirit, Who by the Gospel works faith in us, Gal. 3:2.
e Deut. 30:12.
13 Namely, as doubting where thou shalt seek or find the way of salvation.
14 Namely, to fetch us from there the will of God concerning our righteousness and salvation.
15 Namely, with us, Christians, it is as much as if we denied that Christ once has descended from heaven to reveal that way unto us, and to procure us righteousness, and that He must once again come down for this purpose.
7Or, Who shall descend 16into the deep? (that is, 17to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
16 Namely, there to see how we might be redeemed from hell, and to fetch that knowledge from there.
17 That is, even as much as if man would that Christ would yet once more suffer the pains of death and hell to redeem us, and so arise from that place; which He has done once already, and is sufficiently revealed unto us.
8But 18what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, 19the word of faith, which 20we preach;
18 Namely, the righteousness which is of faith, as verse 6, where he did but answer what it said not, but now he answers what it says.
19 That is, of the Gospel, by which we are exhorted and brought to faith, Rom. 1:16.
20 Namely, apostles, as witnesses and messengers of Christ in His name, 2 Cor. 5:20.
9That if thou 21shalt confess with thy mouth 22the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him 23from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
21 Namely, uprightly according to the faith of your heart; and the apostle here introduces confession first, because this is first known of others.
22 Namely, to be thy Lord and Savior, after the example of Paul, Gal. 2:20; 1 Tim. 1:15, 16.
23 Namely, after that He had died for the reconciliation of your sins, Rom. 4:25.
10For with the heart man 24believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth 25confession is made unto salvation.
24 Namely, as being a means whereby the righteousness of Christ is received, imputed and freely given unto us, Rom. 3:24, 25 and 4:5.
25 True confession is here put as a way whereby we must come unto salvation, which is procured for us by Christ’s righteousness, Mat. 10:32, and as an evidence of true faith which is hid in the heart, 1 John 4:15.
11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth 26onf him 27shall not be ashamed.
26 Namely, on Christ, of Whom is prophesied by Isaiah, Isa. 28:16.
f Isa. 28:16; Rom. 9:33.
27 The Hebrew word in Isa. 28:16 signifies properly shall not make haste, but in the Greek translation is rendered, shall not be ashamed, that is, deceived in his opinion; because he that makes overmuch haste without knowing whither he shall betake himself for refuge, is most commonly ashamed or deceived.
12Forg there is 28no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for 29the same Lord over all is 30rich unto all 31that call upon him.
g Acts 15:9; Rom. 3:22.
28 Namely, now in the times of the New Testament, Eph. 2:13.
29 Namely, God in Christ. Or, the same Lord of all, is rich towards all, etc.
30 That is, abundantly gracious or merciful.
31 Namely, by a true faith, as follows. And from this it appears that the word confess, in verses 9, 10, contains also true invocation, which is a principal part of our confession before God and men, Dan. 6:11.
13Forh whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
h Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21.
1432How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have 33not heard? and how shall they 34hear without a preacher?
32 In the remainder of this chapter the apostle declares the means whereby faith in Christ is obtained, namely, by the preaching of the Gospel, preached by them who are lawfully sent for this purpose; although the same has not the fruit it ought in all.
33 That is, have no knowledge, whereunto they are brought by the hearing of God’s Word; seeing knowledge is necessarily required to faith, John 17:3.
34 Namely, the Word of God. The Greek word keryssein signifies properly to make proclamation or public declaration, which is made to the citizens by the city officers in the magistrate’s name, and is here, as also continuous in the Holy Scripture, taken for the proclamation of the Gospel, which is made unto men by the apostles and other teachers in the name of Christ. See Mat. 3:1, 4:17, 23; Mark 1:4, 7, 16:15; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20.
15And 35how shall they preach, except they be 36sent? as it is written, Howi37beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of 38peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
35 Namely, rightly and duly, by Christ’s authority, and in Christ’s name as before. For there have been also others who ran and prophesied before they were sent, Jer. 23:21.
36 Namely, by Him Whose Word they proclaim, whether this occurs extraordinarily by God and Christ Himself, or ordinarily by the churches and their ministers, who are authorized thereunto by God.
i Isa. 52:7; Nah. 1:15.
37 That is, pleasant. These words are taken out of Isa. 52:7, where is treated of the redemption and propagation of God’s church by Christ, and of the proclamation of that redemption.
38 Namely, with God through Christ. See Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14.
16But they have not 39all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord,j who hath believed our 40report?
39 Namely, to whom the Gospel is preached.
j Isa. 53:1; John 12:38.
40 Gr. hearing; whereof see John 12:38.
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing 41by the word of God.
41 Namely, that is preached; or, by the command of God Who has sent them to preach.
18But I say, Have 42they not heard? 43Yes verily, 44theirk sound went into all the earth, and their words 45unto the ends of the world.
42 Namely, Jews and Gentiles; for he speaks afterwards differently of both.
43 Namely, all have truly heard it.
44 This place, taken out of the 19th Psalm, which speaks properly of the knowledge of God, which all men can have by beholding the heavens and the creatures which are therein, some think contains also a prophecy in it of what would come to pass in the apostles’ times. But seeing the apostle does not properly produce that as foretold by David, as he does so elsewhere, this may very suitably be taken for an holy accommodation or application of these words to the apostle’s purpose, as in verse 6, similarly is seen in the place of Deut. 30:12; and therefore he also changes a word or two therein, which agrees not to his purpose.
k Psalm 19:4.
45 Namely, by the apostles and evangelists amongst all nations of the world, even amongst the Gentiles, according to the command of Christ, Mat. 28:19. Mark 16:15, whereof the fulfillment already then came to pass; Rom. 1:8, 15:19; Col. 1:6.
19But I say, 46Did not Israel 47know? First Moses 48saith, Il will provoke you to 49jealousy by them that are 50no people, and by 51a foolish nation I will anger you.
46 Here the apostle proves by three different places of Scripture from the Old Testament that the Jews also have heard it as well as the Gentiles, but that the Gentiles have embraced it, and the Jews for the most part rejected it. And he lays thus the ground of what he had purposed to handle in the following chapter, concerning the receiving of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews.
47 That is, not heard it? Namely, the word of the Gospel, or of the righteousness of faith.
48 Namely, to Israel, that is, to the people of the Jews.
l Deut. 32:21.
49 Namely, because ye shall see that I will give the Gentiles, who now are not My people, more advantage in embracing the Gospel in the times of the Messiah, than to you, Jews, who are now My people; and to punish your unthankfulness, and thereby to call and stir you up to repentance. For jealousy is properly a dissatisfaction which one has for this, that he sees another has more part in anyone’s love or benefit than he has himself, whereas he thinks that it rather belongs to him more. See Rom. 11:11.
50 Namely, of God, as the Gentiles were at that time.
51 As such he calls the Gentiles, because they had not the right knowledge of God and His judgments, Psalm 147:19, 20.
20But Esaias is 52very bold, and saith, Im was 53found of them 54that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
52 That is, speaks yet more boldly concerning the conversion of the Gentiles and of their calling, notwithstanding the Jews’ displeasure.
m Isa. 65:1.
53 Namely, by the proclamation of My Gospel, and the powerful working of My Spirit on the Gentiles, who did not seek God, but went in their own ways to destruction. See Acts 14:16; 17:30
54 That is, who carelessly followed after their ignorance and worldly lusts. See Eph. 2:1, etc.; Titus 3:3, 4, 5.
21But to Israel he saith, Alln day long I have stretched forth 55my hands unto a disobedient and 56gainsaying people.
n Isa. 65:2.
55 Namely, to call and invite them unto Me and My righteousness. See a similar phrase, Prov. 1:20, etc.
56 That is, rebellious, obstinate. See an example, Jer. 44:16; Ezek. 3:7.