- Eruditorem insipientium, doctorem
imperitorum, habentem formam cognitionis ac
veritatis in Lege: - An instructer of the foolish, a teacher of
babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of
the truth in the law. - Qui igitur doces alterum, teipsum non
doces; qui concionaris, non furandum, furaris; - Thou therefore which teachest another,
teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a
man should not steal, dost thou steal? - Qui dicis, nom mœchandum, mœcharis;
qui detestaris idola, Sacrilegium perpetras; - Thou that sayest a man should not commit
adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that
abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? - Qui de Lege gloriaris, Deum per Legis
transgressionem dehonestas: - Thou that makest thy boast of the law,
through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? - Nomen enim Dei propter vos probro
afficitur inter gentes, quemadmodum scriptum
est. - For the name of God is blasphemed
among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
76
17.Behold, thou art named a Jew,etc. Some old copies read εἰ δὲ, though indeed; which, were
it generally received, would meet my approbation; but as the greater part of the manuscripts is
opposed to it, and the sense is not unsuitable, I retain the old reading, especially as it is only a small
difference of one letter.^77
Having now completed what he meant to say of the Gentiles, he returns to the Jews; and that
he might, with greater force, beat down their great vanity, he allows them all those privileges, by
which they were beyond measure transported and inflated: and then he shows how insufficient they
were for the attainment of true glory, yea, how they turned to their reproach. Under the name Jew
he includes all the privileges of the nation, which they vainly pretended were derived from the law
and the prophets; and so he comprehends all the Israelites, all of whom were then, without any
difference, called Jews.
But at what time this name first originated it is uncertain, except that it arose, no doubt, after
the dispersion.^78 Josephus, in the eleventh book of his Antiquities, thinks that it was taken from
Judas Maccabæus, under whose auspices the liberty and honor of the people, after having for some
time fallen, and been almost buried, revived again. Though I allow this opinion to be probable, yet,
if there be some to whom it is not satisfactory, I will offer them a conjecture of my own. It seems,
indeed, very likely, that after having been degraded and scattered through so many disasters, they
were not able to retain any certain distinction as to their tribes; for a census could not have been
made at that time, nor did there exist a regular government, which was necessary to preserve an
order of this kind; and they dwelt scattered and in disorder; and having been worn out by adversities,
they were no doubt less attentive to the records of their kindred. But though you may not grant
(^76) These texts are referred to, Isaiah 52:6; Ezekiel 36:20.
(^77) Griesbach has since found a majority of MSS. in favor of this reading, and has adopted it. But the difficulty is to find a
corresponding clause. There is none, except what begins in Romans 2:21; and do not well respond, except we render the
first, though indeed, and the other, yes or nevertheless somewhat in the sense of an adversative. It will admit this meaning in
some passages. See Matthew 12:12; Matthew 26:64; Romans 10:14. — Ed.
(^78) This is not quite correct. They were called Jews even before the captivity, and during the captivity, but most commonly
and regularly after it. The words Jews, first occurs in 2 Kings 16:6. See Esther 4:3; Jeremiah 38:19; Daniel 3:8; Ezra 4:12;
Nehemiah 2:16. — Ed.