the word mercy; for it intimates that God is bound to none, and that he therefore saves all freely,
for they are all equally lost. But extremely gross is their folly who hence conclude that all shall be
saved; for Paul simply means that both Jews and Gentiles do not otherwise obtain salvation than
through the mercy of God, and thus he leaves to none any reason for complaint. It is indeed true
that this mercy is without any difference offered to all, but every one must seek it by faith.
Romans 11:33-36
- O profunditatem divitiarum et sapientiae
et cognitionis Dei! quam incomprehensibilia^372 - O the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! how
sunt judicia ejus et impervestigabiles^373 viae
ipsius!
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways
past finding out!- Quis enim cognovit mentem Domini? aut
quis illi a consiliis fuit? - For who hath known the mind of the
Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? - Or who hath first given to him, and it 35. Aut quis prior dedit ei et retribuetur illi?
shall be recompensed unto him again? - Quoniam ex illo et per illum et in illum
sunt omnia: Ipsi gloria in secula. Amen. - For of him, and through him, and to him,
are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. - Oh! the depth, etc. Here first the Apostle bursts into an exclamation, which arose
spontaneously from a devout consideration of God’s dealings with the faithful; then in passing he
checks the boldness of impiety, which is wont to clamor against the judgments of God. When
therefore we hear, Oh! the depth, this expression of wonder ought greatly to avail to the beating
down of the presumption of our flesh; for after having spoken from the word and by the Spirit of
the Lord, being at length overcome by the sublimity of so great a mystery, he could not do otherwise
than wonder and exclaim, that, the riches of God’s wisdom are deeper than our reason can penetrate
to. Whenever then we enter on a discourse respecting the eternal counsels of God, let a bridle be
always set on our thoughts and tongue, so that after having spoken soberly and within the limits of
God’s word, our reasoning may at last end in admiration. Nor ought we to be ashamed, that if we
are not wiser than he, who, having been taken into the third heaven, saw mysteries to man ineffable,
and who yet could find in this instance no other end designed but that he should thus humble himself.
Some render the words of Paul thus, “Oh! the deep riches, and wisdom, and knowledge of
God!” as though the word βάθος was an adjective; and they take riches for abundance, but this
seems to me strained, and I have therefore no doubt but that he extols God’s deep riches of wisdom
and knowledge.^374
(^372) “Incomprehensibilia,” so the Vulgate; “ — inscrutabilia — inscrutable,” Beza. It means what cannot be found out
by searching. Our version conveys the correct idea — “unsearchable.” — Ed.
(^373) “Impervestigabiles,” so Beza; “ — investigabiles — ininvestigable,” Vulgate; what cannot be investigated, and of
which there are no footsteps — untraceable; “cannot be traced out” is the version of Doddridge. — Ed.
(^374) It has indeed been thought by many that , riches, is a noun belonging to wisdom and knowledge, used, after the Hebrew
manner, instead of an adjective. It means abundance or exuberance. The sentence, according to our idiom, would then be, “O
the profundity of the abounding wisdom and knowledge of God!” The Apostle, as in the words, “the gifts and calling of God,”
adopts an ascending scale, and mentions wisdom first, and then knowledge, which in point of order precedes it. Then in the