John Bengel Commentary - Romans 2:5 - 2:5

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John Bengel Commentary - Romans 2:5 - 2:5


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Rom 2:5. Δὲ, but) The antithesis is between the despising of the riches of His goodness, and the treasuring up of wrath.-σκληρότητα, hardness) Its antithesis is χρηστόν.-ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν) The antithesis is μετάνοιαν. He meant to say ἀμετανοησίαν: to which word, later writers show no aversion; but Paul avoided an unusual term.-θησαυρίζεις, thou treasurest up), although thou, O man, thinkest, that thou art treasuring up all kinds of blessedness. O what a treasure may a man lay up, during so many hours of his life, on either side! [either for heaven, or else hell], Mat 18:24; 1Ti 6:18.-σεαυτῷ) for thyself, not for the other, whom thou judgest.-ὀργὴν-ὀργῆς, wrath-of wrath) The idea of Δεινότης [vehemence] of language is here conveyed with great force. Why is it, that many have no sense of wrath? [Because] The day of wrath is not yet; but it shall be.-ἐν ἡμέρᾳ).[22] When ἐν refers to time, it denotes the present; εἰς, the future.[23] That day is present to God [therefore ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, present, is used]. But this expression may also be construed with ὈΡΓΉΝ. [Beng. seems to have construed ἘΝ ἩΜΈΡᾼ with ΘΗΣΑΥΡΊΖΕΙς].-ἈΠΟΚΑΛΎΨΕΩς, of the revelation) When God shall be revealed, the secrets of man shall be revealed, Rom 2:16.-καὶ δικαιοκρίσιας). By far the greatest weight of testimony, and the unquestionable antithesis between ἈΝΟΧῆς and ἈΠΟΚΑΛΎΨΕΩς, which is most worthy of the apostle (such as there is also between ἈΝΟΧῊΝ and ἜΝΔΕΙΞΙΝ, ch. Rom 3:26; Psa 50:21), confirm the reading of the particle ΚΑἸ, Rom 2:4, Τῆς ΧΡΗΣΤΌΤΗΤΟς, ΚΑῚ Τῆς ἈΝΟΧῆς, ΚΑῚ Τῆς ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΊΑς· Rom 2:5, ὈΡΓῆς ΚΑῚ ἈΠΟΚΑΛΎΨΕΩς, ΚΑῚ ΔΙΚΑΙΟΚΡΙΣΊΑς.[24] ἈΝΟΧῊ and ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙς have respect to God, and are compared together, as ἈΝΟΧῊ and ἜΝΔΕΙΞΙς are at ch. Rom 3:25; ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΊΑ and ΔΙΚΑΙΟΚΡΙΣΊΑ refer to the sinner, ΧΡΗΣΤΌΤΗς and ὈΡΓῊ are put generally. Wherefore the particle ΚΑῚ should not have been admitted, as it is by some; it is supported also by Orige[25], in his work against Celsus, in the MS. at Bâle, as Sam. Battier informs us in his Biblioth. Brem., Class vi., p. 98. Instead of ἈΠΟΚΑΛΎΨΕΩς the Alex. MS. has ἈΝΤΑΠΟΔΌΣΕΩς. I formerly omitted to notice this various reading, which arose from its having the same letters at the beginning as the verb ἈΠΟΔΏΣΕΙ, and is quite out of place here; nor do I use it now to defend that ΚΑῚ which follows immediately after. Erasmus observes, that ΔΙΚΑΙΟΚΡΙΣΊΑς, was a word newly coined to express a thing not formerly known among [acknowledged on the part of] men.

[22] Wrath to be revealed in the day of wrath.-ED.

[23] ἐις τὴν ἡμέραν would be against the coming day.-ED.

[24] The later Syr. Version, and Origen in three passages, also the Λ MS., read the καί before δικαιοκρ. But ABG Vulg. Syr. Memph. fg. Origen in three other passages, and Lucifer, agree with Rec. Text, in omitting καί.-ED.

[25] rigen (born about 186 A.D., died 253 A.D., a Greek father: two-thirds of the N. Test. are quoted in his writings). Ed. Vinc. Delarue, Paris. 1733, 1740, 1759.