Romans 9:24-29 | |
24. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? | 24. Quos etiam vocavit, nimirum nos, non solum ex Iudaeis, sed etiam ex Gentibus: |
25. As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. | 25. Quemadmodum et in Osee dicit, Vocabo populum meum eum qui non est populus, et dilectam cam quae non est dilecta: |
26. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto than, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. | 26. Et erit in loco ubi dictum est eis, Non populus meus ves, illie vo-cabuntur filii Dei viventis. |
27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: | 27. Iesaias autem clamat super Israel, Si fuerit numerus filiorum Israel ut arena maris, reliquiae serva-buntur: |
28. For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. | 28. Sermonem enim consummans et abbrevians,1 quoniam sermonem abbreviatum faciet Dominus in terra: |
29. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. | 29. Et quemadmodum prius dix. erat Iesaias, Nisi Dominus Sabbaoth. Reliquisset nobis semen, instar Sodorate facti essemus, et Gomor-rhae essemus assimilati. |
24.
But though in the relative whom the rule of grammar is not fully observed by Paul, 2 yet his object was, by making as it were a transition, to subjoin that we are the vessels of God's glory, who have been taken in part from the Jews and in part from the Gentiles; and he proves from the calling of God, that there is no difference between nations made in election. For if to be descended from the Gentiles was no hinderance that God should not call us, it is evident that the Gentiles are by no means to be excluded from the kingdom of God and the covenant of eternal salvation.
25.
They who have hitherto been most successful in untying this knot have supposed that Paul meant to adopt this kind of reasoning, -- " What. may seem to be an hinderance to the Gentiles to become partakers of salvation did also exist as to the Jewish nation: as then God did formerly receive into favor the Jews, whom he had cast away and exterminated, so also now he exercises the same kindness towards the Gentiles." But as this interpretation, though it. may be supported, yet seems to me to be somewhat strained, let the readers consider this, -- Whether it would not be a more suitable view to regard the consolation given by the prophet, as intended, not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles: for it was not a new or an unusual thing with the prophets, after having pronounced on the Jews God's vengeance on account of their sins, to turn themselves to the kingdom of Christ., which was to be propagated through the whole world. And this they did, not without reason; for since the Jews so provoked God's wrath by their sins, that they deserved to be rejected by him, no hope of salvation remained, except they turned to Christ, through whom the covenant of grace was to be restored: and as it was based on him, so it was then renewed, when he interposed. And doubtless, as Christ was the only refuge in great extremities, no solid comfort could have been brought to miserable sinners, and such as saw God's wrath impending over them, except by setting' Christ before their eyes. lyes, it was usual with the prophets, as we have reminded you, after having humbled the people by pronouncing on them divine vengeance, to call their attention to Christ, as the only true asylum of those in despair. And where the kingdom of Christ is erected there also is raised up that celestial Jerusalem, into which citizens from all parts of the world assemble. And this is what is chiefly included in the present prophecy: for when the Jews were banished from God's family, they were thus reduced to a common class, and put on a level with the Gentiles. The difference being taken away, God's mercy is now indiscriminately extended to all the Gentiles. We hence see that the prophet's prediction is; fitly applied to the present subject; in which God declares, that after having equalized the Jews and the Gentiles, he would gather a Church for himself from aliens, so that they who were not a people would begin to be so.
The feminine gender of the participle depends on the context of the prophet; for he had said, that a daughter had been born to him, to whom he gave this name,
27.
28.
But Isaiah has not in this instance adopted one word only, but has put down two words, consumption, and termination, or cutting off; so that the affectation of Hebraism in the Greek translator was singularly unseasonable; for to what purpose was it. to involve a sentence, in itself clear, in an obscure and figurative language? It may be further added, that Isaiah speaks here hyperbolically; for by consumption he means diminution, such as is wont to be after a remarkable slaughter.
29.
1 "In righteousness," left out. The word rendered "matter" is "sermo," But it is explained in this sense in the comment. -- Ed.
2 It is an instance of Hebraism, the use of a double pronoun -- whom and us, governed by the same verb. -- Ed.
3 Hosea 2:23. See 1 Peter 2:10.
4 The quotation is from Hosea 2:23, and :is not literal either from the Hebrew or from the Septuagint. The order of the verse is reversed; and the word "beloved" is taken from the Septuagint. "Not beloved," in Hebrew, is lo-ruhamah, i.e., one not pitied, or one who has not received mercy: which is the same in meaning.
In Romans 9:26, the words are taken from Hosea 1:10 and are not verbatim either from the Hebrew or the Septuagint, but the difference is very trifling. -- Ed.
5 Sermonem enim consnmmans et abbrevians," etc.;
A destruction, soon executed,
Shall overflow in righteousness;
For completed and soon executed shall it be;
The Lord, Jehovah of hosts, shall do it,
In the midst of the whole land.
The word rendered above "soon executed," means literally, abbreviated or cut short, signifying the quick execution of a thing or work. "Shall overflow in righteousness," imports, "shall justly or deservedly overflow." -- Ed.
6 There are many venerable names in favour of this opinion, such as Ambrose, Chrysostom, Augustine, etc. Not knowing the Hebrew language, they attached a classical meaning to the expression,
7 Isaiah 1:9. The words of the Septuagint are given literally, and differ only in one instance from the Hebrew; "seed" is put for "remnant ;" but as "seed" in this; ease evidently means a small portion reserved for sowing, the idea of the original is conveyed. Schleusner refers to examples both in Josephus and Plato, in which the word "seed," is used in the sense of a small reserved portion. Its most common meaning in Scripture is posterity.
Paul has given "Sabaoth" from the Septuagint, which is the Hebrew untranslated. This word, in connection with God, is variously rendered by the Septuagint.: for the must part in Isaiah, and in some other places, it; is found untranslated as here; but in the Psalms and in other books, it is; often rendered
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