Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

“Whether the apostle quoted them as in their primary intention applicable to his subject (as OLSHAUSEN, ALFORD, &c.), or only "used scriptural language to express his own ideas, as is done involuntarily almost by every preacher in every sermon" [HODGE], expositors are not agreed.”

I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation…

“But I say, Did not Israel know?--know, from their own Scriptures, of God's intention to bring in the Gentiles? First--that is First in the prophetic line [DE WETTE].”

But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

“(6) The blessing of a covenant relation to God is the irrevocable privilege of no people and no Church; it can be preserved only by fidelity, on our part, to the covenant itself (Ro 10:19).”

I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

“I say then, Hath--"Did" God cast away his people? God forbid--Our Lord did indeed announce that "the kingdom of God should be taken from Israel" (Mt 21:41); and when asked by the Eleven, after His resurrection, if He would at that time "restore the kingdom…”

God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed…

“Wot--that is, "Know" ye not that the scripture saith of--literally, "in," that is, in the section which relates to Elias? how he maketh intercession--"pleadeth" against Israel--(The word "saying," which follows, as also the particle "and" before "digged down," should be omitted, as without manuscript authority).”

What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did.

“What then?--How stands the fact? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for--better, "What Israel is in search of (that is, Justification, or acceptance with God--see on Ro 9:31); this he found not; but the election (the elect remnant of Israel) found it, and…”

And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them.

“And David saith-- (Ps 69:23), which in such a Messianic psalm must be meant of the rejecters of Christ. Let their table, &c.--that is, Let their very blessings prove a curse to them, and their enjoyments only sting and take vengeance on them.”

May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”

“The apostle's object in making these quotations is to show that what he had been compelled to say of the then condition and prospects of his nation was more than borne out by their own Scriptures.”

I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

“God forbid; but--the supplement "rather" is better omitted. through their fall--literally, "trespass," but here best rendered "false step" [DE WETTE]; not "fall," as in our version.”

That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.

“Well--"Be it so, but remember that" because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest--not as a Gentile, but solely by faith--But as faith cannot live in those "whose soul is lifted up" (Hab 2:4).”

And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

“Individual Jews have been at all times admissible, and have been admitted, to the Church through the gate of faith in the Lord Jesus.”

so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.

“Even so have these--the Jews. now not believed--or, "now been disobedient" that through your mercy--the mercy shown to you. they also may obtain mercy--Here is an entirely new idea.”

For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.

“And what he here says is that God's purpose was to shut each of these divisions of men to the experience first of an humbled, condemned state, without Christ, and then to the experience of His mercy in Christ.”

O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

“The "knowledge," then, points probably to the vast sweep of divine comprehension herein displayed; the "wisdom" to that fitness to accomplish the ends intended, which is stamped on all this procedure.”

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

“(5) As we are "justified by faith," so are we "kept by the power of God through faith"--faith alone--unto salvation (Ro 11:20-32). (6) God's covenant with Abraham and his natural seed is a perpetual covenant, in equal force under the Gospel as before it.”

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

“In this view the presentation of ourselves, as living monuments of redeeming mercy, is here called "our rational service"; and surely it is the most rational and exalted occupation of God's reasonable creatures.”

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

“Such then is the great general duty of the redeemed--SELF-CONSECRATION, in our whole spirit and soul and body to Him who hath called us into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ.”

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment…

“This is merely a strong way of characterizing all undue self-elevation. according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith--Faith is here viewed as the inlet to all the other graces, and so, as the receptive faculty of the renewed soul--that is…”

We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him…

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace given to us--Here, let it be observed, all the gifts of believers alike are viewed as communications of mere grace. whether--we have the gift of prophecy--that is, of inspired teaching (as in Ac 15:32).”

if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

“Or ministry, let us wait on--"be occupied with." our ministering--The word here used imports any kind of service, from the dispensing of the word of life (Ac 6:4) to the administering of the temporal affairs of the Church (Ac 6:1-3).”

if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let…

“Or he that exhorteth--Since all preaching, whether by apostles, prophets, or teachers, was followed up by exhortation (Ac 11:23; 15:32, &c.), many think that no specific class is here in view.”

Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

“Let love be without dissimulation--"Let your love be unfeigned" (as in 2Co 6:6; 1Pe 2:22; and see 1Jo 3:18). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good--What a lofty tone of moral principle and feeling is here inculcated!”

Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

“Another reading--"serving the time," or "the occasion"--which differs in form but very slightly from the received reading, has been adopted by good critics [LUTHER, OLSHAUSEN, FRITZSCHE, MEYER]. But as manuscript authority is decidedly against it, so is internal evidence; and comparatively few favor it.”

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

“If our "hope" of glory is so assured that it is a rejoicing hope, we shall find the spirit of "endurance in tribulation" natural and easy; but since it is "prayer" which strengthens the faith that begets hope and lifts it up into an assured…”

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

“Bless--that is, Call down by prayer a blessing on. them which persecute you, &c.--This is taken from the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:44), which, from the allusions made to it, seems to have been the storehouse of Christian morality among the churches.”