1The Jew's prerogative; 3which is not vacated by the unbelief of some; 5nor is God's justice impeached in punishing their sinfulness. 9The law itself convinceth the Jews also universally of sin; 20so that no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law; 21but all indiscriminately by God's grace through faith in Christ: 31yet without annulling the obligations of the law.
1WHAT 1advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
1 Or, the excellence; namely, above the Gentiles, if so be the outward Judaism and circumcision avails not before God unto righteousness, as is taught in the five last verses of the previous chapter.
2Much every way: 2chiefly,a because that unto them were committed 3the oracles of God.
2 That is firstly, or most principal, which is the foundation of all other advantages, which the apostle recounts more at large in Rom. 9:4, 5; Eph. 2:11, 12.
a Psalm 147:19; Rom. 9:4.
3 That is, the instruments of His covenant, contained in the writings of Moses and the prophets, Psalm 147:19, 20; Acts 7:38.
3For what if 4some did not believe? Shallb5their unbelief make 6the faith of God without effect?
4 That is, a great part of them, namely, who by their own unbelief make the advantages granted them by God of none effect. See Hosea 8:12; Heb. 3:16, 17, 18.
b Num. 23:19; Rom. 9:6; 2 Tim. 2:13.
5 That is, disbelief, either of them, or of such.
6 That is, the faithfulness and truth of God, Who, notwithstanding the unthankfulness of many, would always preserve His own amongst that people, and still preserves them, to whom the promises of God refers especially, and on whom they have their force, Rom. 9:8, 27, and 11:1, etc.
4God forbid: yea,c let God 7be true, butd every man a liar; as it is written, Thate thou mightest be 8justified in thy sayings, and mightest 9overcome when thou 10art judged.
c John 3:33.
7 Namely, in keeping His covenant, and fulfilling of His promises, albeit that men are unworthy of the same.
d Psalm 116:11.
e Psalm 51:4.
8 That is, acknowledged to be just and faithful.
9 That is, be found pure and without spot in Thy judgments. David breaks forth into this acknowledgment, by considering of his sin committed against God, and of the promise of forgiveness declared unto him by Nathan.
10 Or, thou judgeth; for the Greek word may bear both these translations, but the Hebrew text requires when thou judgest, which also best agrees with Paul’s intent, which is to prove that God remains always pure and righteous, or overcometh when He judgeth, that is, punisheth the sins of men in the children of disobedience according to desert, or when according to His promises He hath compassion on the sins of His children, which is also done by God’s judgment, yet in mercy, Mat. 12:18, 20. The truth of God in keeping of His promises, is also called in the Scripture the righteousness of God, Psalm 143:11; 1 John 1:9.
5But if our unrighteousness 11commend the 12righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who 13taketh vengeance? (I speak 14as a man)
11 Or, affirm; that is, make it laudable and apparent, Rom. 5:8.
12 That is, faithfulness and truth, as before.
13 That is, either punishment, properly so called upon some, or else Fatherly chastisements upon His own; Psalm 6:1.
14 That is, according to the thought or judgment of men, who might think that God should not punish what advances His glory.
615God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
15 Gr. let it not be done, namely, that God, although He does such a thing, would therefore be unrighteous, seeing He is Judge of the entire world, Who always does all things wisely and righteously, even though men cannot always comprehend it. See Gen. 18:25; Mal. 2:17.
7For if the truth of God hath 16more abounded 17through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged 18as a sinner?
16 That is, more manifest, more apparent.
17 That is, faithlessness, disobedience; and is here contrasted to the truth or faithfulness of God in keeping His promises.
18 That is, accounted and punished, verse 5.
8And not rather, (19as we be slanderously reported, and as 20some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? 21whose damnation is just.
19 That is, as such consequences are slanderously laid to our charge from what we teach concerning God’s grace and righteousness.
20 Namely, perverse men, who wrest our doctrine.
21 In these words is a short confutation of that which heretofore, verses 7, 8, was brought against Paul’s doctrine, namely, that it is so far removed from that, that he would agree to such consequences, that he even threatens the judgment of God to those who say it.
9What then? are 22we 23better than they? No, in no wise: for we have 24before 25proved both Jews and Gentiles, thatf they are all under sin;
22 Namely, Jews.
23 That is, better of ourselves, more righteous, namely, than the Gentiles.
24 Namely, in the first two chapters.
25 That is, proved or convinced by firm reasons. The Greek word signifies often to accuse anyone in judgment, and to convince him by good proof.
f Gal. 3:22.
1026As it is written, Thereg is none righteous, no, not one:
26 From all these places the apostle proves that not only the Gentiles, but also the Jews are in themselves unrighteous before God.
g Psalm 14:3; 53:3.
11There is none that 27understandeth, there is none that seeketh 28after God.
27 Namely, to know God aright.
28 Namely, to serve Him aright.
12They are all gone 29out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
29 That is, incapable of doing any good, compared to rotting and foul smelling things which one casts away.
13Theirh throat is 30an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; 31the poisoni of asps is under their lips:
h Psalm 5:9.
30 Namely, wherein is nothing but filthiness, and (from which) comes out nothing but stench.
31 That is, deadly poison of evil speaking.
i Psalm 140:4.
14Whosej mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
j Psalm 10:7.
15Theirk feet are swift to shed 32blood:
k Prov. 1:16; Isa. 59:7.
32 That is, to commit all manner of cruelty and violence.
16Destruction and 33misery are in their ways:
33 Namely, which they bring upon others.
17And 34the way of peace have they not known:
34 Namely, to live in peace themselves, and to leave others in peace.
18Therel is no 35fear of God before their eyes.
l Psalm 36:1.
35 Namely, which is the ground and foundation of all other virtues; whereby the apostle concludes that not all these vices do always powerfully break forth alike in all natural men, but because the evil fountain of all these is in them, and that always some of them are manifest in their lives.
19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it 36saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may 37become guilty before God.
36 The apostle adds this reason to show that he rightly points this to the Jews, since God speaks to the Jews in His Word through His prophets.
37 That is, guilty of damnation, or of the righteous judgment of God.
2038Thereforem by the deeds of the law there shall 39no flesh 40be justified in his sight: forn by the law is 41the knowledge of sin.
38 Here Paul concludes from the forgoing proofs, from the 17th verse of the first chapter until now, that a man cannot be justified before God by his works.
m Gal. 2:16.
39 That is, no living person, Psalm 143:2; Gal. 2:16.
40 Which does not signify to infuse righteousness or holiness; for, it would have no sense here: righteousness cannot be infused into flesh before God, but it signifies to be acquitted from condemnation before God’s judgment, and to be accounted just. See Job 9:2, 3; Psalm 143:2; Rom. 8:33, 34; Gal. 2:16, 17, etc.
n Rom. 7:7; Heb. 7:18.
41 Namely, when the law sets before a man what God commands and forbids; and a man’s conscience convinces him that he has sinned against it, by thoughts, lusts, words and deeds. Rom. 7:7; Gal. 3:19, 22.
21But now 42the righteousnesso of God 43without the law is manifested, being witnessed 44by the law and the prophets;
42 That is, which is valid before God, and which God freely gives.
o Rom. 1:17; Philip. 3:9.
43 That is, not by the law, which requires perfect obedience of man himself, but by the Gospel, that directs us to the obedience of Christ, Rom. 1:16, 17.
44 That is, from the writings of Moses, which testify of the righteousness of God through Christ, as also the prophets. See John 5:46; Acts 15:11, and 26:22, etc.
22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is 45no difference:
45 Namely, between Jews and Greeks, if they do but believe.
23For all have sinned, and 46come short of the glory of God;
46 Gr. husterountai; which properly signifies to be wanting or to come short in the obtaining of some matters, especially in running towards the prize, and for that cause become in want of them; as all men come short who seek to obtain the glory of God, that is, eternal life by their works.
2447Beingp justified 48freely by his grace through 49the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
47 From here onward the apostle describes all the causes and attributes of the justification of faith, which is revealed to us in the Gospel. The supreme cause therefore is the undeserved grace of God; the moving and meritorious cause is the reconciliation and redemption made by Christ; the means whereby that is imputed to us, is faith in Christ’s blood; the end is the showing forth of God’s righteousness, and the forgiveness of sins. The attribute is, that all boasting of man before God is hereby excluded, and that the same is revealed not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles
p Isa. 53:5.
48 Gr. gratuitously, that is, by mere gift without any merit.
49 Gr. apolytrosis, which, although it be sometimes taken somewhat broader for any kind of deliverance, yet notwithstanding it properly signifies a deliverance which occurs by redemption or payment of a ransom, as Christ Himself speaks, Mat. 20:28. See also 1 Cor. 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18.
25Whomq God 50hath set forth tor be a 51propitiations through faith 52in his blood, 53to declare his righteousness for the remissiont of sins 54that are past, 55through the forbearance of God;
q 2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20; Heb. 4:16; 1 John 4:10.
50 Namely, first in His eternal counsel, and afterwards by the execution thereof in the fullness of time, and finally by the preaching of the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1:9, 10, 11; 1 Peter 1:20, 21, 22.
r Exod. 25:17.
51 Gr. hilasterion; that is, to be a Reconciler, namely, of sinners. The apostle here alludes to the mercy seat or propitiatory cover made of pure gold, which covered the ark of the covenant in which laid the tables of the law; which is also called hilasterion, Heb. 9:5, and was a type that Christ by His purity and obedience would cover our transgression against the law, before the face of God, and reconcile us to Him.
s the wrath-ending sacrifice by which the Lord Jesus Christ secured His people’s pardon.
52 That is, in or by His bloody passion and death. These words may be joined either with the word propitiation, that Christ by His blood reconciled us to God; or with the word faith, because faith, whereby we are justified, chiefly refers to Christ’s obedience unto the death of the cross; and whereupon it relies and trusts; which seems best to agree with the aim of the apostle. See also 2 Cor. 5:19, 20, 21; Gal. 2:20.
53 That is, to show forth His faithfulness and truth in keeping of His promises, Luke 1:69, 70, or also to show that He is righteous, seeing He even punishes sin in Christ; which in the Old Testament He forgave upon the account of this reconciliation which was to be accomplished, and in the New (Testament) daily forgives believers upon the account of the same satisfaction which now is accomplished; which the following words seem to hold forth.
t forgiveness, pardon*
54 Namely, under the Old Testament, which God first punished in Christ in the fullness of time, overlooking the same until that time, Heb. 9:15. Or: which men have committed before they are justified by faith. Though the sins, which are committed also after conversion, are no otherwise forgiven but by the satisfaction of Christ, Philip. 3:9; Heb. 10:14; 1 John 1:7; 2:2.
55 Gr. in. These words are by some joined to the following verse, but cohere better with the previous.
2656To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
56 See the exposition of the previous verse.
27Where is 57boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by 58the law of faith.
57 That is, whereof any man may be able to boast in his justification before God.
58 That is, the prescript, or the doctrine of faith, which by an Hebraism and by a similitude he calls a law, as Isa. 2:3.
28Therefore we concludeu that a man is justified by faith 59without the deeds of the law.
u Acts 13:38; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 2:16; Heb. 7:25.
59 Namely, not only which are done before conversion, but also after conversion, as shall be clearly proven by the apostle in the next chapter, by the examples of Abraham and David.
2960Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
60 Namely, now in the New Testament, when the difference between Jew and Gentile is taken away, Eph. 2:16, 17, 18.
30Seeing it is one God, whichv shall justify 61the circumcision by faith, and 62uncircumcision through faith.
v who*
61 That is, the Jews.
62 That is, the Gentiles by descent.
31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, 63we establish the law.
63 Namely, because the doctrine of the Gospel explains that Christ has fulfilled the law for us for our justification; and that He also so renews by His Spirit those who are justified, that they seek to frame their lives according to all God’s commandments, Rom. 8:1, 2, 3. Not to be justified before God thereby, but to show due thankfulness unto God for this His benefit, to edify our neighbor, and to be more and more assured of our own justification before God, as Paul will hereafter declare further in chapters 6, 7 and 8.