Rom 10:5-6 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 5. For Moses describeth, etc. This is found in , "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, which if a man do he shall live in them." This appeal is made to Moses, both in regard to the righteousness of the law and that of faith, in accordance with the usual manner of Paul to sustain all his positions by the Old Testament, and to show that he was introducing no new doctrine. He was only affirming that which had been long before taught in the writings of the Jews themselves. The word describeth is, literally, writes , (γραφει) a word often used in this sense. The righteousness , etc. The righteousness which a perfect obedience to the law of God would produce. That consisted in perfectly doing all that the law required. The man which doeth these things . The man who shall perform or obey what was declared in the previous statutes. Moses here had reference to all the commandments which God had given, moral and ceremonial. And the doctrine of Moses is that which pertains to all laws, that he who shall render perfect and continued compliance with all the statutes made known, shall receive the reward which the law promises. This is a first principle of all law; for all law holds a man to be innocent, and, of course, entitled to whatever immunities and rewards it has to confer, until he is proved to be guilty. In this case, however, Moses did not affirm that in fact any one either had yielded or would yield perfect obedience to the law of God. The Scriptures elsewhere abundantly teach that it never has been done. Doeth . Obeys, or yields obedience. So also , "Shall do and teach them;" . "Whosoever heareth these sayings--and doeth them;" . Shall live. Shall obtain felicity. Obedience shall render him happy, and entitled to the rewards of the obedient. Moses doubtless referred here to all the results which would follow obedience. The effect would be to produce happiness in this life and in the life to come. The principle on which happiness would be conferred, would be the same whether in this world or the next. The tendency and result of obedience would be to promote order, health, purity, benevolence; to advance the welfare of man, and the honour of God, and thus must confer happiness. The idea of happiness is often in the Scriptures represented by the word life . . It is evident, moreover, that the Jews understood Moses here as referring to more than temporal blessings. The ancient Targum of Onkelos renders the passage in Leviticus thus --"The man who does these things shall live in them to eternal life." So the Arabic version is, "The retribution of him who works these things is that he shall live an eternal life." By them . (εναυτοις). In them. In their observance he shall find happiness. Not simply as a result, or reward , but the very act of obeying shall carry its own reward. This is the case with all true religion. This declaration of Moses is still true. If perfect obedience were rendered, it would, from the nature of the case, confer happiness and life as long as the obedience was rendered. God would not punish the innocent. But in this world it never has been rendered, except in the case of the Lord Jesus; and the consequence is, that the course of man has been attended with pain, sorrow, and death. (m) "righteousness"

Romans 10:5-6

Verse 5. For Moses describeth, etc. This is found in Lev 18:5, "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, which if a man do he shall live in them." This appeal is made to Moses, both in regard to the righteousness of the law and that of faith, in accordance with the usual manner of Paul to sustain all his positions by the Old Testament, and to show that he was introducing no new doctrine. He was only affirming that which had been long before taught in the writings of the Jews themselves. The word describeth is, literally, writes, (γραφει) a word often used in this sense.

The righteousness, etc. The righteousness which a perfect obedience to the law of God would produce. That consisted in perfectly doing all that the law required.

The man which doeth these things. The man who shall perform or obey what was declared in the previous statutes. Moses here had reference to all the commandments which God had given, moral and ceremonial. And the doctrine of Moses is that which pertains to all laws, that he who shall render perfect and continued compliance with all the statutes made known, shall receive the reward which the law promises. This is a first principle of all law; for all law holds a man to be innocent, and, of course, entitled to whatever immunities and rewards it has to confer, until he is proved to be guilty. In this case, however, Moses did not affirm that in fact any one either had yielded or would yield perfect obedience to the law of God. The Scriptures elsewhere abundantly teach that it never has been done.

Doeth. Obeys, or yields obedience. So also Mt 5:19, "Shall do and teach them;" Mt 7:24,26. "Whosoever heareth these sayings--and doeth them;" Mt 23:3, Mk 3:35, 6:20, Lk 6:46, 47, 49.

Shall live. Shall obtain felicity. Obedience shall render him happy, and entitled to the rewards of the obedient. Moses doubtless referred here to all the results which would follow obedience. The effect would be to produce happiness in this life and in the life to come. The principle on which happiness would be conferred, would be the same whether in this world or the next. The tendency and result of obedience would be to promote order, health, purity, benevolence; to advance the welfare of man, and the honour of God, and thus must confer happiness. The idea of happiness is often in the Scriptures represented by the word life. Jn 5:24. It is evident, moreover, that the Jews understood Moses here as referring to more than temporal blessings. The ancient Targum of Onkelos renders the passage in Leviticus thus --"The man who does these things shall live in them to eternal life." So the Arabic version is, "The retribution of him who works these things is that he shall live an eternal life."

By them. (εναυτοις). In them. In their observance he shall find happiness. Not simply as a result, or reward, but the very act of obeying shall carry its own reward. This is the case with all true religion. This declaration of Moses is still true. If perfect obedience were rendered, it would, from the nature of the case, confer happiness and life as long as the obedience was rendered. God would not punish the innocent. But in this world it never has been rendered, except in the case of the Lord Jesus; and the consequence is, that the course of man has been attended with pain, sorrow, and death.

(m) "righteousness" Lev 18:5 Verse 6. But the righteousness which is of faith. It is observable here that Paul does not affirm that Moses describes anywhere the righteousness by faith, or the effect of the scheme of justification by faith. His object was different, to give the law and state its demands and rewards. Yet though he had not formally described the plan of justification by faith, yet he had used language which would fitly express that plan. The scheme of justification by faith is here personified as if it were living, and describing its own effects and nature. One describing it would say, Or the plan itself speaks in this manner. The words here quoted are taken from De 30:11-14. The original meaning of the passage is this: Moses near the end of his life, having given his commandments to the Israelites, exhorts them to obedience. To do this, he assures them that his commands are reasonable, plain, intelligible, and accessible. They did not require deep research, long journeys, or painful toil. There was no need of crossing seas, and going to other lands; of looking into the profound mysteries of the high heavens, or the deep abyss; but they were near them, had been plainly set before them, and were easily understood. To see the excellency of this characteristic of the Divine law, it may be observed, that, among the ancients, it was not uncommon for legislators and philosophers to travel to distant countries in pursuit of knowledge. They left their country, encountered dangers on the sea and land, to go to distant regions that had the reputation of wisdom. Egypt was peculiarly a land of such celebrity; and in subsequent times Pythagoras, and the principal philosophers of Greece, travelled into that country to converse with their priests, and to bear the fruits of their wisdom to benefit their native land. And it is not improbable that this had been done to some extent even in or before the time of Moses. Moses says that his precepts were to be obtained by no such painful and dangerous journeys. They were near them, plain, and intelligible. This is the general meaning of this passage. Moses dwells on the thought, and places it in a variety of forms by the questions, "Who shall go up to heaven for us," etc.; and Paul regards this as appropriately describing the language of Christian faith; but without affirming that Moses himself had any reference in the passage to the faith of the gospel.

On this wise. In this manner.

Say not in thine heart. The expression, to say in the heart, is the same as to think. Do not think, or suppose, that the doctrine is so difficult to be understood, that one must ascend to heaven in order to understand it.

Who shall ascend into heaven? This expression was used among the Jews, to denote any difficult undertaking. To say that it was high as heaven, or that it was necessary to ascend to heaven to understand it, was to express the highest difficulty. Thus Job 11:7, "Canst thou by searching find out God? It is high as heaven, what canst thou do?:" etc. Moses says it was not so with his doctrine. It was not impossible to be understood, but was plain and intelligible.

That is, to bring Christ, etc. Paul does not here affirm that it was the original design of Moses to affirm this of Christ. His words related to his own doctrine. Paul makes this use of the words, because

(1.) they appropriately expressed the language of faith.

(2.) If this might be affirmed of the doctrines of Moses, much more might it of the Christian religion. Religion had no such difficult work to do as to ascend to heaven to bring down a Messiah. That work was already accomplished when God gave his Son to become a man, and to die. To save man it was indeed indispensable that Christ should have come down from heaven, But the language of faith was that this had already been done. Probably the word Christ here includes all the benefits mentioned in Rom 10:4, as resulting from the work of Christ.

(n) "Say not in thine heart" De 30:12-14