Rom. 10 Rom. 10:1–3 Paul’s prayer for Israel, who were misled by blind zeal. Rom. 10:4–10 The difference between justification by the law and by faith explained from Scripture. Rom. 10:11–13 Salvation open to all that believe, both Jews and Gentiles. Rom.

The apostle begins this chapter with another prolepsis, or rhetorical insinuation, professing his unfeigned love of his nation, and his hearty desire of their salvation: q.d.

For I bear them record, i.e. I must testify this of them, or of many of them, that they have a zeal of God; that they have a fervent desire to maintain the law of God, with all the Mosaical rites and ceremonies, as thinking thereby to promote the glory of God. But not according to knowledge; i.e.

They being ignorant of God’s righteousness: here he shows more particularly what knowledge the Jews wanted. They knew not the righteousness of God; of which see Rom. 1:17, with the notes there. This was abundantly manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, Rom.

He proves that the Jews were ignorant of the righteousness of God, because they were ignorant of Christ, the true end of the law. Christ is the end of the law: q. d.

In this and the following verses, he shows the great difference that is between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith; and this difference is taught us in the books of Moses himself. As for the righteousness of the law, that is plainly described by Moses, Lev.

The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise: by a prosopopoeia (a frequent figure in Scripture) he puts the person of a reasonable creature upon the righteousness of faith, and bringeth it in speaking and declaring itself as followeth; or else the meaning is, that the Scripture, or…

Who shall descend into the deep? By the deep, here, understand hell: see Luke 8:31, Rev. 9:1, Rev. 20:1, Rev. 20:3. q. d. Do not inquire distrustfully, and despairingly, whether thou shalt go to hell, or who shall go thither, to see, and bring thee word, if such as thou are there.

But what saith it? i.e. what saith the text in Deut. 30:14? or what saith the righteousness of faith? What is its style and language? In the Rom. 10:6–7 he did but tell us what it said not, but here he tells us what it saith. The word is nigh thee; i.e.

q.d. There are but these two things, which the gospel principally requires in order to our salvation: the one is, the confession of Christ with our mouths, and that in spite of all persecution and danger, to own him for our Lord, and for our Jesus; and to declare, that we are and will be ruled and…

With the heart man believeth; in the former verse confession was set first; in this, believing. Faith indeed goes before confession; I believed, says the psalmist, and the apostle after him, therefore have I spoken; yet our faith is discerned and known by our confession. Unto righteousness; i.e.

The saving effect of faith and confession, spoken of immediately before, is here proved by Scripture. Either he refers to Isa. 28:16, or Ps. 25:3; or else he means, that this is the general doctrine of the Scripture. See notes on Rom. 9:33.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: he gives a reason for that universal term, whosoever, which he had added in the precedent verse, and is not found in Isaiah, as was noted before, in Rom. 9:33.

That the Lord is rich unto all that call upon him, is confirmed here by a testimony out of Joel 2:32, which is also cited by St. Peter, Acts 2:21. The apostle’s argument may be thus formed: If whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, then the Lord is rich to all that call upon him;…

The connexion of this verse and the following verses of this chapter is very obscure. Some connect these words with Rom. 10:12. There he said: There is no difference between Jew and Greek, & c.

How shall they preach, except they be sent? viz. immediately, by God or Christ, as the prophets and the apostles: see Gal. 1:1. Or mediately, by men; i.e. by such as have authority from Christ to separate and ordain others to this work.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel: he here preventeth a cavil of the Jews. Thus they might reason: If the apostles and preachers of the gospel are sent with so great authority from God, and bring such a welcome message, how comes it to pass that so few receive it, and yield obedience…

This is the conclusion of the former gradation, Rom. 10:14. He speaketh here of the ordinary means whereby faith is wrought; not confining or limiting the Spirit of God, who worketh, or may work, by extraordinary means, yea, without any means at all. See Poole on “Rom. 10:14”.

He answers an objection, that some one might make in behalf of the Jews, to excuse them; that they could not believe, because they had not heard; and faith, as in the foregoing verse, comes by hearing.

Here he proves by three testimonies out of the Old Testament, that the Jews must needs have heard the sound of the gospel, together with the Gentiles; only they rejected it, when the other embraced it.

Esaias is very bold; i.e. he speaks more boldly concerning the calling of the Gentiles, and the casting off the Jews. He used a holy freedom, though it cost him dear; Jerome saith, he was sawn asunder with a wooden saw. This is a commendable property in a preacher: see Acts 4:13, Acts 28:31.

But to Israel he saith; viz. in Isa. 65:2. In the former verse there is a consolatory prophecy, foretelling the vocation of ignorant and profane Gentiles; and in this, there is a menacing prophecy, threatening the rejecting of the rebellious and stubborn Jews.