Rom 11:12, 33 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 12. If the fall of them . If their lapse, or falling. If their temporal rejection, and being cast off for a time, has already accomplished so much. Be the riches of the world . The word riches means wealth , abundance of property; more than is necessary to the supply of our wants. Hence it means, also, anything that may promote our comfort or happiness, as wealth is the means of securing our welfare. The gospel is called riches , as it is the means of our highest enjoyment and eternal welfare. It is the means of conferring numberless spiritual blessings on the Gentile world; and as this was done by the fall of the Jews, so it could be said that their fall was the riches of the world. It was the occasion or means without which the blessings of the gospel could not be conferred on the world. The diminishing of them . Margin, Decay . Loss (ηττημα). This word means diminution, defect, that which is lacked or wanting . Hence also judgment, condemnation. Here it means their degradation; the withdrawing of their special privileges; their rejection. It stands opposed to "their fulness." The riches of the Gentiles . The means of conferring important blessings on the Gentiles. How much more their fulness . The word fulness (πληρωμα) means that which fills up , or completes anything. Thus it is applied to that which fills a vessel or cup; also to the piece of cloth which is put in to fill up the rent in a garment, . To the fragments which were left when Christ had fed the five thousand, ; , "Love is the fulfilling of the law," i.e., it is the filling up of the law, or that which renders the obedience complete. See . Here it stands opposed to their fall , and their diminution , and evidently means their complete restoration to the favour of God; their recovery from unbelief and apostasy. That there will be such a recovery the apostle proceeds to show. The sentiment is, If their rejection and punishment--their being cut off from the favour of God--an event apparently so unlikely to promote the spread of true religion; if their being withdrawn from all active influence in spreading the true knowledge of God, be yet the occasion of so many blessings to mankind as have attended the spread of the gospel in consequence of it, how much more shall we expect when they shall be restored--when the energy and zeal of the Jewish nation shall unite with the efforts of others in spreading the knowledge of the true Messiah?" In what way, or when this shall be, we know not. But it is easy to see, that if the Jewish people should be converted to the Christian faith, they would have facilities for spreading the truth which the church has never had without them. (1.) They are scattered in all nations, and have access to all people. (2.) Their conversion, after so long unbelief, would have all the power and influence of a miracle performed in view of all nations. It would be seen why they had been preserved, and their conversion would be a most striking fulfillment of the prophecies. (3.) They are familiar with the languages of the world, and their conversion would at once establish many Christian missionaries in the heart of all the kingdoms of the world. It would be kindling at once a thousand lights fix all the dark parts of the earth. (4.) The Jews have shown that they are eminently fitted to spread the true religion. It was by Jews , converted to Christianity, that the gospel was first spread. Each of the apostles was a Jew; and they have lost none of the ardour, enterprise, and zeal, that always characterized their nation. Their conversion would be, therefore, to give to the Christian church a host of missionaries prepared for their work, familiar with all customs, languages, and climes, and already in the heart of all kingdoms, and with facilities for their work in advance , which others must gain only by the slow toil of many years.

Romans 11:12

Verse 12. If the fall of them. If their lapse, or falling. If their temporal rejection, and being cast off for a time, has already accomplished so much.

Be the riches of the world. The word riches means wealth, abundance of property; more than is necessary to the supply of our wants. Hence it means, also, anything that may promote our comfort or happiness, as wealth is the means of securing our welfare. The gospel is called riches, as it is the means of our highest enjoyment and eternal welfare. It is the means of conferring numberless spiritual blessings on the Gentile world; and as this was done by the fall of the Jews, so it could be said that their fall was the riches of the world. It was the occasion or means without which the blessings of the gospel could not be conferred on the world.

The diminishing of them. Margin, Decay. Loss (ηττημα). This word means diminution, defect, that which is lacked or wanting. Hence also judgment, condemnation. Here it means their degradation; the withdrawing of their special privileges; their rejection. It stands opposed to "their fulness."

The riches of the Gentiles. The means of conferring important blessings on the Gentiles.

How much more their fulness. The word fulness (πληρωμα) means that which fills up, or completes anything. Thus it is applied to that which fills a vessel or cup; also to the piece of cloth which is put in to fill up the rent in a garment, Mt 9:16. To the fragments which were left when Christ had fed the five thousand, Mk 8:20; Rom 13:10, "Love is the fulfilling of the law," i.e., it is the filling up of the law, or that which renders the obedience complete. See Gal 5:14. Here it stands opposed to their fall, and their diminution, and evidently means their complete restoration to the favour of God; their recovery from unbelief and apostasy. That there will be such a recovery the apostle proceeds to show. The sentiment is, If their rejection and punishment--their being cut off from the favour of God--an event apparently so unlikely to promote the spread of true religion; if their being withdrawn from all active influence in spreading the true knowledge of God, be yet the occasion of so many blessings to mankind as have attended the spread of the gospel in consequence of it, how much more shall we expect when they shall be restored--when the energy and zeal of the Jewish nation shall unite with the efforts of others in spreading the knowledge of the true Messiah?" In what way, or when this shall be, we know not. But it is easy to see, that if the Jewish people should be converted to the Christian faith, they would have facilities for spreading the truth which the church has never had without them.

(1.) They are scattered in all nations, and have access to all people.

(2.) Their conversion, after so long unbelief, would have all the power and influence of a miracle performed in view of all nations. It would be seen why they had been preserved, and their conversion would be a most striking fulfillment of the prophecies.

(3.) They are familiar with the languages of the world, and their conversion would at once establish many Christian missionaries in the heart of all the kingdoms of the world. It would be kindling at once a thousand lights fix all the dark parts of the earth.

(4.) The Jews have shown that they are eminently fitted to spread the true religion. It was by Jews, converted to Christianity, that the gospel was first spread. Each of the apostles was a Jew; and they have lost none of the ardour, enterprise, and zeal, that always characterized their nation. Their conversion would be, therefore, to give to the Christian church a host of missionaries prepared for their work, familiar with all customs, languages, and climes, and already in the heart of all kingdoms, and with facilities for their work in advance, which others must gain only by the slow toil of many years.

Romans 11:33

Verse 33. O the depth; etc. This passage should have been translated, "O the depth of the riches, and of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God." The apostle has three subjects of admiration. Our translation, by the word "both" introduced here, confines it to two. The apostle wishes to express his admiration of the riches, and the wisdom, and the knowledge of God. So the Syriac, Arabic, etc. Our translation has followed the Latin Vulgate. The word depth is applied in the Scriptures to anything vast and incomprehensible. As the abyss or the ocean is unfathomable, so the word comes to denote that which words cannot express, or that which we cannot comprehend. Ps 36:6, "Thy judgments are a great deep." 1Cor 2:10, "The Spirit searcheth--the deep things of God." Rev 2:24, "The depths of Satan"--the deep, profound, cunning, and wicked plans of Satan.

Riches. Rom 11:12. The word denotes the abundant blessings and mercies which had been conferred on sinful men by the gospel. These were vast and wonderful. The pardon of sin; the atonement; the hope of heaven; the peace of the gospel; all bestowed on the sinful, the poor, the wretched, and the dying, all bespeak the great mercy and rich grace of God. So every pardoned sinner may still exclaim. The grace of God which pardons him is felt to be indeed wonderful, and past comprehension. It is beyond the power of language to express; and all that the Christian can do, is to follow the example of the apostle, and sit down in profound admiration of the rich grace of God. The expression "the depth of the riches" is a Hebraism, meaning the deep or profound riches.

The wisdom. Wisdom is the choice of the best means to accomplish the best ends. The end or design which God had in view was to bestow mercy on all; i.e., to save men by grace, and not by their own works, Rom 11:32. He intended to establish a glorious system that should present his mercy as the prominent attribute, standing out in living colours in all the scheme of salvation. This was to be alike shown in relation to Jews and Gentiles. The wonderful wisdom with which this was done is the object of the apostle's profound admiration. This wisdom was seen,

(1.)in adapting the plan to the condition of man. All were sinners. The apostle in this epistle has fully shown that all had come short of the glory of God. Man had no power to save himself by his own wisdom. The Jews and Gentiles in different ways had sought to justify themselves, and had both failed. God had suffered both to make the experiment in the most favourable circumstances. He had left the world for four thousand years to make the trial, and then introduced the plan of Divine wisdom, just so as to meet the manifest wants and woes of men.

(2.) This was shown in his making the Jews the occasion of spreading the system among the Gentiles. They were cast off, and rejected; but the God of wisdom had made even this an occasion of spreading his truth.

(3.) The same wisdom was yet to be seen in his appointing the Gentiles to carry the gospel back to the Jews. Thus they were to be mutual aids; until all their interests should be blended, and the entire race should be united in the love of the same gospel, and the service of the same God and Saviour. When, therefore, this profound and wonderful plan is contemplated, and its history traced from the commencement to the end of time, no wonder that the apostle was fixed in admiration at the amazing wisdom of him who devised it, and who has made all events subservient to its establishment and spread among men.

And knowledge. That is, foreknowledge, or omniscience. This knowledge was manifest,

(1.) in the profound view of man, and acquaintance with all his wants and woes.

(2.) In a view of the precise scheme that would be fitted to recover and save.

(3.) In a view of the time and circumstances in which it would be best to introduce the scheme.

(4.) In a discernment of the effect of the rejection of the Jews, and of the preaching of the gospel among the Gentiles. Who but God could see that such effects would follow the rejection of the Jews? Who but he could know that the gospel should yet prevail among all the nations? We have only to think of the changes in human affairs; the obstacles to the gospel; the difficulties to be surmounted; and the vast work yet to be done, to be amazed at the knowledge which can adapt such a scheme to men, and which can certainly predict its complete and final spread among all the families of man.

How unsearchable. The word unsearchable means that which cannot be investigated or fully understood.

His judgments. This word, in this place, evidently means his arrangement, his plan, or proceeding. It sometimes refers to laws; at other times to the decision or determination of God; at others to the inflictions of his justice. In this last sense it is now commonly used. But in the case before us, it means his arrangements for conferring the gospel on men. Comp. Ps 36:6, "His judgments are a great deep."

His ways. The word rendered ways properly denotes a path, or road on which one travels. Hence it comes also to denote the course or manner of life in which one moves; or his principles, or morals; his doctrine or teaching, etc. Applied to God, it denotes his mode or manner of doing things; the order, etc., of his Divine providence; his movements, in his great plans, through the universe. Acts 13:10, "Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" to oppose, or to render vain, his plan of guiding and saving man. Heb 3:10, "They have not known my ways." Ps 77:19, "Thy way is in the sea, thy footsteps are not known." Here it refers particularly to his way or plan of bringing all nations within the reach of his mercy in the gospel.

Past finding out. Literally, which cannot be tracked or traced out. The footsteps cannot be followed. As if his path were in the sea, (Ps 77:19) and the waves closed immediately, leaving no track, it cannot be followed or sought out. It is known that he has passed, but there is no way of tracing his goings. This is a beautiful and striking figure. It denotes that God's plans are deep, and beyond our comprehension. We can see the proofs that he is everywhere; but how it is, we cannot comprehend. We are permitted to see the vast movements around us; but the invisible hand we cannot see, nor trace the footsteps of that mighty God who performs his wonders on the ocean and on the land.

(g) "unsearchable" Job 11:7, Ps 92:5