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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJohn Bengel Commentary - Romans 10:6 - 10:6
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Rom 10:6. Ἡ ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοσύνη, the righteousness which is of faith) A very sweet Metonymy, i.e. a man seeking righteousness by faith.-λέγει, speaks) with himself.-μὴ εἴπῃς, say not) for he, who says so, does not find in the law what he seeks; and he does not seek, what he might find in the Gospel: viz. righteousness and salvation, which are in Christ and are ready for believers in the Gospel. And yet, whoever only hears and heeds that from Moses, The man that doeth shall live, considers it necessary, thus to say [who shall ascend into heaven, etc.]-καρδίᾳ, in the heart) The mouth [Rom 10:9] is also attributed to faith; for faith speaks; but unbelief generally mutters.-τίς, κ.τ.λ.) Deu 30:11-14, LXX., ὅτι ἐντολὴ αὕτη, ἣν ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον οὐχʼ ὑπέρογκός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ μακρὰν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐστιν. οὐκ ἐν τῷ σὐρανῷ ἐστι, λέγων· τίς ἀναβήσεται ἡμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ λήψεται ἡμῖν αὐτὴν; καὶ ἀκούσαντες αὐτὴν ποιήσομεν. οὐδε πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης ἐστὶ, λέγων· τίς διαπεράσεται ἡμῖν εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ λήψεται ἡμῖν αὐτὴν. καὶ ἀκόυσαντες αὐτὴν ποιήσομεν. ἐγγύς σου ἐστὶ τὸ ῥῆμα σφόδρα: ἐν στόματί σου καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσί σου, ποῖειν αὐτὸ. “For this commandment which I command thee this day is not overwhelmingly great; nor is it far from thee; it is not in heaven, that thou shouldst say, who amongst us shall go up to heaven and obtain it for us, that we may hear it and do it? nor is it across the sea, that thou shouldst say, who shall cross the sea and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? The word is very near to thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart and in thy hands to do it.” This paraphrase, so to speak, very sweetly alludes to this passage, without expressly quoting it. Moses speaks of heaven, as well as Paul, but the former afterwards says, across the sea, instead of which Paul most dexterously turns his discourse to the abyss, that he may on the contrary [in antithesis to their question as to the abyss] make mention of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The abyss is a huge cavity in the terraqueous globe, at once under the sea and the land. Compare, as to many things connected with this subject, Job 28:14; Job 28:22; Php 2:10, note.-τίς ἀναβήσεται; who shall ascend?) He, who thus speaks, shows his willingness, but declares his inability to ascend and descend, so as to fetch righteousness and salvation from afar.-τοῦτʼ ἔστι, that is) Their perverseness is reproved, who say, Who shall ascend into heaven? for they speak just as if the word concerning the Lord of heaven were not at hand, whom the mouth of the believer confesses to be Lord, Rom 10:9, and they who wish to bring salvation down from heaven, wish to bring Christ (as being the One, without whom there is no salvation) down from heaven, whence He has already descended: but as the latter cannot take place, so neither can the former. The words, That is, in the present is thrice used, with great force.