Rom 2:8. Τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐριθείας, but unto them that are [influenced by contention] contentious. Paul shrunk from saying directly: God will render to them, that are contentious, death or everlasting destruction. He therefore leaves that matter to be supplied, by the conscience of the sinner, from the preceding antithesis; He will render, not certainly eternal life; and he turns the discourse to those things, which follow. Τοῖς here, has therefore the force of ל prefixed, and signifies as concerns. Comp. ch. Rom 4:12, notes. Accordingly there follows, with great propriety, ἐπὶ πᾶσαν; for we have also, Exo 20:5, ἐπὶ τέκνα, ἐπὶ τρίτην καὶ τετάρτην γενεὰν, τοῖς μισοῦσί με, upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation, as concerns them that hate me. Furthermore, ἐξ, from or of, as in Rom 2:27, and often elsewhere, denotes a party or sect; in reference to those, who are of a contentious party or nation, like thee, O Jew, setting themselves in resistance to God. The character of false Judaism is disobedience, contumacy, impatience.-τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, τῃ ἀδικίᾳ, truth, unrighteousness) These two are often opposed to each other, 1Co 13:6; 2Th 2:10; 2Th 2:12; truth includes righteousness, and unrighteousness implies at the same time falsehood.-θυμὸς καὶ ὀργή) LXX., Psalms 78 (77):49, θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν καὶ θλίψιν; θυμὸς inflicts punishment; ὀργή follows up an offence. The propriety respectively of these words is seen in Eph 4:31-32, where τὸ χαρίζεσθαι is opposed to τῇ ὀργῇ, and εὔσπλαγχνον to θυμὸς. θυμὸς is defined by the Stoics to be ὀργὴ ἀρχομένη, the beginning of anger. Nor should we despise the explanation of Ammonius, θυμὸς μἐν ἐστι πρόσκαιρος, ὀργὴ δὲ πολυχρόνιος μνησικακία; θυμὸς is only temporary; ὀργὴ is the lasting remembrance of injuries.[27]
[27] θύμος Th. θύω, boiling indignation; ὀργή, abiding wrath, with a settled purpose of revenge, ἐπιθνμία τιμωρίας.-ED.