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Rom 9:4. οἵτινες, inasmuch as being those who) He now explains the cause of his sorrow and grief: viz. the fact that Israel does not enjoy so great benefits. He uses great ‘euphemia’ [softening of an unwelcome truth. Append.] in words.-ὧν ἡ υἱοθεσία-ἐπαγγελίαι, whose is the adoption of [as] sons-the promises) Six privileges are enumerated by three pairs of correlatives; and in the first pair, regard is had to God the Father; in the second, to Christ; in the third, to the Holy Spirit: with which comp. Eph 3:6, note.-ἡ υἱοθεσία καὶ ἡ δόξα, the adoption of sons and the glory) i.e. that Israel is the first-born son of God, and the God of glory is their God, Deu 4:7; Deu 4:33-34; Psa 106:20, (Psa 47:5); but by the force of the correlatives, God is at the same time the Father of Israel, and Israel is the people of God. In like manner this relation is expressed in abbreviated form (the two respective correlatives being left to be supplied. end. on locutio concisa) in Rev 21:7; comp. Rom 8:18-19. Some understand δόξαν, the glory, of the ark of the covenant; but Paul is not speaking here of anything corporeal. God Himself is called the Glory of His people Israel, by the same metonymy, as He is called the Fear, instead of the God [the Object of fear], of Isaac, Gen 31:42; Gen 31:54.-καὶ αἱ διαθῆκαι, καὶ ἡ νομοθεσία, and the covenants and the giving of the law) comp. Heb 8:6. The reason why the covenants are put before the giving of the law, is evident from Gal 3:17. Διαθῆκαι is plural, because the testament, or covenant, both was frequently repeated, Lev 26:42; Lev 26:45; Eph 2:12; and was given in various modes [πολυτρόπως], dispositions [one, the law received by the disposition of angels, the other the Gospel covenant under Jesus], Heb 1:1; and because there were two administrations of it, Gal 4:24, the one promising, the other promised [the subject of the promise].-καὶ ἡ λατρεία καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, and the service of God and the promises) Act 26:6-7; Eph 1:13; Heb 8:5-6. Here the giving of the law and the service of God, the covenants and the promises correspond by chiasmus.[108] For the promises flow from the covenants; and the service of God was instituted by the giving of the law. [It was the promises that procured (gained) for the service of God its peculiar dignity. Moreover, the Holy Spirit was promised, Gal 3:14.-V. g.]
[108] See Appendix.