Commentari biblici

What advantage then hath the Jew? (τ ουν το περισσον του Ιουδαιου?). Literally, "What then is the overplus of the Jew?" What does the Jew have over and above the Gentile? It is a pertinent question after the stinging indictment of the Jew in chapter 2. The profit (η ωφελια). The help. Old word, only here in N.T. See Mark 8:36 for ωφελε, the verb to profit.

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Much every way (πολυ κατα παντα). Πολυ points back to το περισσον. So it means the overplus of the Jew is much from every angle. First of all (πρωτον μεν). As in Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 11:18 Paul does not add to his "first." He singles out one privilege of the many possessed by the Jew. They were intrusted with (επιστευθησαν). First aorist passive indicative of πιστευω, to intrust, with accusative of the thing and dative of the person in the active. In the passive as here the accusative of the thing is retained as in 1 Thessalonians 2:4. The oracles of God (τα λογια του θεου). In the accusative case, therefore, the object of επιστευθησαν. Λογιον is probably a diminutive of λογος, word, though the adjective λογιος also occurs (Acts 18:24). The word was early used for "oracles" from Delphi and is common in the LXX for the oracles of the Lord. But from Philo on it was used of any sacred writing including narrative. It occurs four times in the N.T. (Acts 7:38, which see; Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 4:11). It is possible that here and in Acts 7:38 the idea may include all the Old Testament, though the commands and promises of God may be all.

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For what if? (τ γαρ ει?). But Westcott and Hort print it, Τ γαρ? ε. See Philippians 1:18 for this exclamatory use of τ γαρ (for how? How stands the case?). Some were without faith (ηπιστησαν). First aorist active indicative of απιστεω, old verb, to disbelieve. This is the common N.T. meaning (Luke 24:11; Luke 24:41; Acts 28:24; Romans 4:20). Some of them "disbelieved," these "depositaries and guardians of revelation" (Denney). But the word also means to be unfaithful to one's trust and Lightfoot argues for that idea here and in 2 Timothy 2:13. The Revised Version renders it "faithless" there. Either makes sense here and both ideas are true of some of the Jews, especially concerning the Messianic promises and Jesus. The faithfulness of God (την πιστιν του θεου). Undoubtedly πιστις has this sense here and not "faith." God has been faithful (2 Timothy 2:13) whether the Jews (some of them) were simply disbelievers or untrue to their trust. Paul can use the words in two senses in verse Romans 3:3, but there is no real objection to taking ηπιστησαν, απιστιαν, πιστιν, all to refer to faithfulness rather than just faith.

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Let God be found true (γινεσθω ο θεος αληθης). "Let God continue to be true" (present middle imperative). But every man a liar (πας δε ανθρωπος ψευστης). The contrast in δε really means, "though every man be found a liar." Cf. Psalms 116:12. As it is written (καθως γεγραπτα). Psalms 51:6. That thou mightest be justified (οπως αν δικαιωθηις). Hοπως rather than the common ινα for purpose and αν with the first aorist passive subjunctive of δικαιοω. Used of God this verb here has to mean "declared righteous," not "made righteous." Mightest prevail (νικησεις). Future active indicative with οπως of νικαω, to win a victory, though B L have νικησηις (first aorist active subjunctive, the usual construction). When thou comest into judgement (εν τω κρινεσθα σε). "In the being judged as to thee" (present passive infinitive or, if taken as middle, "in the entering upon trial as to thee"). Common construction in the LXX from the Hebrew infinitive construct.

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What shall we say? (τ ερουμεν?). Rhetorical question, common with Paul as he surveys the argument. Commendeth (συνιστησιν). This common verb συνιστημ, to send together, occurs in the N.T. in two senses, either to introduce, to commend (2 Corinthians 3:1; 2 Corinthians 4:2) or to prove, to establish (2 Corinthians 7:11; Galatians 2:18; Romans 5:8). Either makes good sense here. Who visiteth the wrath (ο επιφερων την οργην). "Who brings on the wrath," "the inflicter of the anger" (Vaughan). I speak as a man (κατα ανθρωπον). See Galatians 3:15 for same phrase. As if to say, "pardon me for this line of argument." Tholuck says that the rabbis often used κατα ανθρωπον and τ ερουμεν. Paul had not forgotten his rabbinical training.

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For then how (επε πως). There is a suppressed condition between επε and πως, an idiom occurring several times in the N.T. (1 Corinthians 15:29; Romans 11:6; Romans 11:22). "Since, if that were true, how."

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Through my lie (εν τω εμω ψευσματ). ] Old word from ψευδομα, to lie, only here in N.T. Paul returns to the imaginary objection in verse Romans 3:5. The MSS. differ sharply here between ε δε (but if) and ε γαρ (for if). Paul "uses the first person from motives of delicacy" (Sanday and Headlam) in this supposable case for argument's sake as in 1 Corinthians 4:6. So here he "transfers by a fiction" (Field) to himself the objection.

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And why not (κα μη). We have a tangled sentence which can be cleared up in two ways. One is (Lightfoot) to supply γενητα after μη and repeat τ (κα τ μη γενητα, deliberative subjunctive in a question): And why should it not happen? The other way (Sanday and Headlam) is to take μη with ποιησωμεν and make a long parenthesis of all in between. Even so it is confusing because οτ also (recitative οτ) comes just before ποιησωμεν. The parenthesis is necessary anyhow, for there are two lines of thought, one the excuse brought forward by the unbeliever, the other the accusation that Paul affirms that very excuse that we may do evil that good may come. Note the double indirect assertion (the accusative and the infinitive ημας λεγειν after φασιν and then the direct quotation with recitative οτ after λεγειν, a direct quotation dependent on the infinitive in indirect quotation. Let us do evil that good may come (ποιησωμεν τα κακα ινα ελθη τα αγαθα). The volitive aorist subjunctive (ποιησωμεν) and the clause of purpose (ινα and the aorist subjunctive ελθη). It sounds almost uncanny to find this maxim of the Jesuits attributed to Paul in the first century by Jews. It was undoubtedly the accusation of Antinomianism because Paul preached justification by faith and not by works.

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