For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all.

“This, therefore, was the [object of the] long-suffering of God, that man, passing through all things, and acquiring the knowledge of moral discipline, then attaining to the resurrection from the dead, and learning by experience what is the source of his deliverance, may always live in a state of gratitude to the Lord, having obtained from Him the gift of incorruptibility, that he might love Him the more; for "he to whom more is forgiven, loveth more:" and that he may know himself, how mortal and weak he is; while he also understands respecting God, that He is immortal and powerful to such a degree as to confer immortality upon what is mortal, and eternity upon what is temporal; and may understand also the other attributes of God displayed towards himself, by means of which being instructed he may think of God in accordance with the divine greatness. For the glory of man [is] God, but [His] works [are the glory] of God; and the receptacle of all His wisdom and power [is] man. Just as the physician is proved by his patients, so is God also revealed through men. And therefore Paul declares, "For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon all;" not saying this in reference to spiritual Aeons, but to man, who had been disobedient to God, and being cast off from immortality, then obtained mercy, receiving through the Son of God that adoption which is [accomplished] by Himself. For he who holds, without pride and boasting, the true glory (opinion) regarding created things and the Creator, who is the Almighty God of all, and who has granted existence to all; [such an one, ] continuing in His love and subjection, and giving of thanks, shall also receive from Him the greater glory of promotion, looking forward to the time when he shall become like Him who died for him, for He, too, "was made in the likeness of sinful flesh," to condemn sin, and to cast it, as now a condemned thing, away beyond the flesh, but that He might call man forth into His own likeness, assigning him as [His own] imitator to God, and imposing on him His Father's law, in order that he may see God, and granting him power to receive the Father; [being] the Word of God who dwelt in man, and became the Son of man, that He might accustom man to receive God, and God to dwell in man, according to the good pleasure of the Father.”

“"For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they may also obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all." He shows here that those of the Gentiles were called first. Then, as they would not come, the Jews were elected, and the same result occurred again. For when the Jews would not believe, again the Gentiles were brought over. And he does not stop here, nor does he draw the whole to a conclusion at their rejection, but at their having mercy shown them again. See how much he gives to those of the Gentiles, as much as he did to the Jews before. For when ye, he would say, "in times past did not obey," being of the Gentiles, then the Jews came in. Again, when these did not obey, ye have come. However, they will not perish forever. "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief," that is, hath convinced them, hath shown them disobedient; not that they may remain in disobedience, but that He may save the one by the captiousness of the other, these by those and those by these. Now consider; ye were disobedient, and they were saved. Again, they have been disobedient, and ye have been saved. Yet ye have not been so saved as to be put away again, as the Jews were, but so as to draw them over through jealousy while ye abide.”

“After the Apostle has led the Gentiles into the knowledge of the divine judgments, in which the divine goodness and severity are manifested, here, as though these were not yet sufficient for them to consider what has been said, he sets forth what seems to him concerning these matters. And first he proposes the fact; second he proves it, at the place as it is written, etc.; third he assigns the reason, at the place for if, etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he proposes his intention, saying: therefore I have led you to consider the goodness and severity of God, for I do not want you, brothers, to be ignorant of this mystery — for you cannot grasp all mysteries. For this belongs to the perfect, to whom the Lord says, Luke 8:10: to you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. Wisdom 6:24: I will not hide the mysteries of God from you. But ignorance of this mystery would be harmful to you. 1 Corinthians 14:38: if anyone is ignorant, he will be ignored. Second he assigns the reason for his intention, that you may not be wise in your own conceit, that is, that you should not presume upon your own judgment, and, condemning others out of your own judgment, prefer yourselves to them. Below, chapter 12:16: do not be wise in your own estimation. Isaiah 5:21: woe to you who are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own sight. Third he proposes what he intends. First indeed as to the case of particular Jews, when he says that blindness has happened in Israel — not universally, but in part, as has been shown above. Isaiah 6:10: blind the heart of this people. Second he sets down the limit of this blindness, saying until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in — to the faith — that is, not only some particular ones from among the Gentiles, as were being converted then, but, either wholly or for the greater part, the Church would be founded among all the Gentiles. Psalm 23:1: the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. Now the Gentiles converted to the faith are said to come in, as it were passing from the exterior and visible things which they used to venerate, into what is spiritual and into the divine will. Psalm 99:2: come in before his sight in exultation. And it is to be noted that this adverb until can designate the cause of the blinding of the Jews — for on account of this God permitted them to be blinded, that the fullness of the Gentiles might come in, as is clear from what has been said above. It can also designate a limit, namely that the blindness of the Jews will last only until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in to the faith. And with this agrees what he adds below concerning the future remedy of the Jews, when he says and then — namely when the fullness of the Gentiles shall have come in — all Israel will be saved, not particularly as now, but universally, all of them. Hosea 1:7: I will save them in the Lord their God. Micah, last chapter: he will turn again, and have mercy on us. Then, when he says as it is written, etc., he proves what he had said about the future salvation of the Jews. And first he proves this by authority; second by reason, at the place according to my Gospel, etc. He says therefore first: I say that all Israel will be saved, as it is written in Isaiah 56:20 — though our text has it thus: there shall come out of Zion a redeemer, and to them that return to Jacob, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. But the Apostle brings this in according to the Septuagint text, and he touches on three things stated here. First the coming of the Savior, when he says he shall come — namely God made man, to save us — out of Zion, that is, out of the people of the Jews, who are signified by Zion, which was the citadel of Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judea. Hence it is said in Zechariah 9:9: rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king comes to you, etc. John 4:22: salvation is from the Jews. Or he says that he comes out of Zion, not because he was born there, but because from there his teaching went out into the whole world, through the fact that the apostles received the Holy Spirit in the upper room of Zion. Isaiah 2:3: out of Zion shall the law go forth. Second he sets down the salvation offered to the Jews through Christ, saying who shall deliver, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And deliverance can be referred to liberation from punishment. Psalm 114:8: he shall deliver my soul from death. But what he says he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob can be referred to liberation from guilt. Psalm 13:7: the Lord shall turn away the captivity of his people. Or both are referred to liberation from guilt, but he says who shall deliver on account of the few, who now are converted with difficulty, as it were by a certain violence. Amos 3:12: as if a shepherd should snatch out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be snatched out. But he says he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, to show the ease of the conversion of the Jews at the end of the world. Micah, last chapter: who is a God like unto you, who takes away iniquity, and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? Third he shows the manner of the salvation, when he says and this shall be the covenant — namely the new one — to them from me, when I shall have taken away their sins. For the old covenant did not take away sins, because, as is said in Hebrews 10:4: it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sins should be taken away. And therefore, on account of the imperfection of the old covenant, a new covenant is promised to them. Jeremiah 31:31: I will make with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant. This will indeed have efficacy for the remission of sin through the blood of Christ. Matthew 26:28: this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto the remission of sins. Micah, last chapter: he will put away our iniquities, and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Then, when he says according to my Gospel, etc., he proves the proposition by reason. And first he brings forward the proof; second he removes an objection, at the place for the gifts. He says therefore first that their sins will be taken away, and that since they have sins, it is manifest that they are enemies of Christ. According to the Gospel indeed they are enemies — that is, as far as pertains to the teaching of the Gospel, which they attack — for your sake, that is, it redounds to your benefit, as has been said above. Hence it is said in Luke 19:27: but as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them here, and slay them before me. John 15:24: but now they have both seen, and hated both me and my Father. Or he says according to the Gospel to mean that their enmity pertains to the benefit of the Gospel, whose preaching, on the occasion of such enmity, is spread everywhere. Colossians 1:5-6: in the word of the truth of the Gospel, which has come to you, as also it is in the whole world, and it brings forth fruit and grows. But they are most dear to God on account of the fathers, and this according to election — namely because, on account of the grace of their fathers, he chose their seed. Deuteronomy 4:37: he loved your fathers, and chose their seed after them. This is not to be understood as though the merits shown by the fathers were the cause of the eternal election of the children, but because God from eternity freely chose both the fathers and the children, yet in this order, that the children should obtain salvation on account of the fathers — not as though the merits of the fathers sufficed for the salvation of the children, but he says this on account of a certain abundance of divine grace and mercy, which was shown to the fathers to such a degree that, on account of the promises made to them, even the children would be saved. Or according to election is to be understood as referring to those elect from that people, as has been said above, in whom election has taken effect. But if they are most dear to the Lord, it is reasonable that they should be saved by God, according to that saying, Isaiah 64:4: the eye has not seen, O God, besides you, what things you have prepared, etc. Then, when he says for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, he excludes an objection. For someone might object and say that the Jews, even if they were once most dear on account of the fathers, nevertheless the enmity which they exercise against the Gospel prevents them from being saved in the future. But the Apostle asserts that this is false, saying for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance — as if to say: that God grants something to some, or calls some, is without repentance, because God does not repent of this, according to that saying, 1 Kings 15:29: the triumpher in Israel will not spare, nor be moved to repentance. Psalm 109:5: the Lord has sworn, and he will not repent. But this seems false. For the Lord says, Genesis 6:6: it repents me that I have made man. And Jeremiah 18:9-10: I will speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build up and to plant it. If it does evil in my sight, I will repent of the good that I have spoken to do to it. But it must be said that just as the Lord is said to be angry, not because there is in him a disturbance of anger, but because he conducts himself after the manner of one who is angry as regards the effect of punishment, so also he is sometimes said to repent, not as though there were in him a change of repentance, but because he conducts himself after the manner of one repenting, in that he changes what he had done. But still it seems that the gifts and calling are not without repentance, because gifts divinely granted are frequently lost, according to that saying, Matthew 25:28: take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For the calling of God also sometimes seems to be changed, since it is written, Matthew 22:14: many are called, but few are chosen. But it must be said that gift here is taken for the promise, which is made according to God's foreknowledge or predestination. But calling here is taken for election, because, on account of the certainty of each, what God promises he already in a certain way gives; and those whom he has chosen, he already in a certain way calls. And yet this temporal gift of God and temporal calling is not made void through a change on God's part as though he were repenting, but through a change on man's part, who casts away the grace of God, according to that saying, Hebrews 12:15: looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God. It can also be understood otherwise what is said here, so that we say that the gifts of God which are given in Baptism, and the calling by which the baptized person is called to grace, are without repentance on the part of the baptized man — which indeed is brought in here, lest anyone despair of the future salvation of the Jews on the ground that they do not seem to repent of their sin. But against what is said here is that Peter says, Acts 2:38: do penance, and be baptized every one of you. But it must be said that repentance is twofold: interior and exterior. Interior repentance indeed consists in contrition of heart, by which one grieves over past sins, and such repentance is required of the one to be baptized, because, as Augustine says in the book On Repentance: no one who has been constituted the arbiter of his own will can begin a new life unless he repents of the old life; otherwise he approaches Baptism deceitfully. Exterior repentance, however, consists in exterior satisfaction, which is not required of the baptized person, because through baptismal grace man is freed not only from guilt but also from all punishment through the power of the Passion of Christ, who made satisfaction for the sins of all, as has been said above at chapter 6:3: all we who have been baptized in Christ Jesus, have been baptized in his death. Hence it is said in Titus 3:5-6: by the laver of regeneration, and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he has poured out upon us abundantly. But since the keys of the Church and all the other sacraments operate by the power of the Passion of Christ, it seems that by the same reasoning all the other sacraments should free man from guilt and from all punishment. But it must be said that the Passion of Christ operates in Baptism after the manner of a certain generation, which requires that man wholly die to his former life, so that he may receive a new life. And therefore in Baptism the whole debt of punishment, which pertains to the oldness of the former life, is taken away. But in the other sacraments the power of the Passion of Christ operates after the manner of a healing, as in Penance. Now healing does not require that all the remnants of the infirmity be immediately taken away. And the same reasoning holds in the other sacraments. But since the confession of sins pertains to exterior repentance, it can be asked whether confession of sins is required of the baptized — and it seems that it is. For it is said, Matthew 3:6, that men were baptized by John, confessing their sins. But it must be said that the Baptism of John was a Baptism of repentance, because, namely, by receiving that Baptism, they professed in a certain way that they were going to undertake repentance for their sin, and therefore it was fitting that they should confess, so that repentance might be established for them according to the manner of their sin. But the Baptism of Christ is a Baptism of the remission of all sins, such that no satisfaction remains due from the baptized for past sins, on account of which there is no necessity of vocal confession. For confession is necessary for this purpose in the sacrament of Penance, that the priest, by the power of the keys, may fittingly absolve or bind the penitent. Then, when he says for as you also in times past, etc., he assigns the reason for the future salvation of the Jews after their unbelief. And first he sets down a likeness between the salvation of each people; second he shows the cause of this likeness, at the place for God has concluded, etc. He says therefore first: thus I say that all Israel will be saved, although they are now enemies. For as you also, Gentiles, in times past did not believe God. Ephesians 2:12: you were at that time without God in this world; but now you have obtained mercy — below, chapter 15:9: but that the Gentiles are to honor God for his mercy. Hosea 2:23: I will have mercy on her that has not obtained mercy. And this on account of their unbelief, which indeed was the occasion of your salvation, as has been said above. So also these, namely the Jews, now, that is, in the time of grace, have not believed, namely in Christ. John 8:43: why do you not believe me? And this is what he adds, unto your mercy, that is, unto the grace of Christ, through which you have obtained mercy. Titus 3:5: according to his mercy he saved us. Or, they did not believe, so that through this they might come into your mercy. Or, they did not believe, which turned occasionally unto your mercy, so that they also might at some time obtain mercy. Isaiah 14:1: the Lord will have mercy on Jacob. Then, when he says for God has concluded, etc., he assigns the reason for this likeness, namely that God willed that his mercy should have a place in all. And this is what he adds: for God has concluded — that is, he has permitted to be concluded — all, that is, the whole human race, both Jews and Gentiles, in unbelief, as though in a certain chain of error. Wisdom 17:7: they were all bound together with one chain of darkness. That he may have mercy on all — that is, that his mercy may have a place in every kind of man. Wisdom 11:24: you have mercy upon all, O Lord. This indeed is not to be extended to demons, according to the error of Origen, nor even to all men individually, but to all kinds of men. For here a distribution is made for the kinds taken as wholes, and not for the individuals of the kinds. Now the reason God wills all to be saved through his mercy is that from this they may be humbled, and may ascribe their salvation not to themselves, but to God. Hosea 13:9: your destruction is from yourself, O Israel; your help is only from me. Above, chapter 3:19: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become subject to God.”

“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief,.... Both Jews and Gentiles, particularly God's elect among them: some think the metaphor is taken from the binding up of sheaves in bands; and that Jews and Gentiles are the sheaves, and unbelief the band, in which they are bound together; but the apostle is not speaking of their being together in unbelief, but as separate, first the Gentiles, and now the Jews: rather it seems to be taken from a prison, and Jews and Gentiles are represented as prisoners, and unbelief the prison, in which they are shut up by God: not that God is the author of unbelief, or of any other sin in men; he does not put it into them, or them into that, but finding them in unbelief, concludes them in it, or leaves them in such a state, and does not as yet however deliver out of it, or say to the prisoners, go forth: moreover, to be "concluded in unbelief", is the same as to be "concluded under sin", Gal 3:22; that is, to be thoroughly convinced of it; and to be held and bound down by such a sense of it in the conscience, as to see no way to escape deserved punishment, or to obtain salvation, but by fleeing to the mercy of God in Christ: that he might have mercy upon all: not upon all the individuals of Jews and Gentiles; for all are not concluded in, or convinced of the sin of unbelief, but only such who are eventually believers, as appears from the parallel text, Gal 3:22; and designs all God's elect among the Jews, called "their fulness", Rom 11:12; and all God's elect among the Gentiles, called "the fulness of the Gentiles", Rom 11:25; for whom he has mercy in store, and will bestow it on them; and in order to bring them to a sense of their need of it, and that he may the more illustriously display the riches of it, he leaves them for a while in a state of unbelief, and then by his Spirit thoroughly convinces them of it, and gives them faith to look to, and believe in, the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life.”

“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief - Συνεκλεισε γαρ ὁ Θεος, God hath shut or locked them all up under unbelief. This refers to the guilty state of both Jews and Gentiles. They had all broken God's law - the Jews, the written law; the Gentiles, the law written in their hearts; see Rom 1:19, Rom 1:20; Rom 2:14, Rom 2:15. They are represented here as having been accused if their transgressions; tried at God's bar; found guilty on being tried; condemned to the death they had merited; remanded to prison, till the sovereign will, relative to their execution, should be announced; shut or locked up, under the jailer, unbelief; and there both continued in the same state, awaiting the execution of their sentence: but God, in his own compassion, moved by no merit in either party, caused a general pardon by the Gospel to be proclaimed to all. The Jews have refused to receive this pardon on the terms which God has proposed it, and therefore continue locked up under unbelief. The Gentiles have welcomed the offers of grace, and are delivered out of their prison. But, as the offers of mercy continue to be made to all indiscriminately, the time will come when the Jews, seeing the vast accession of the Gentile world to the kingdom of the Messiah, and the glorious privileges which they in consequence enjoy, shall also lay hold on the hope set before them, and thus become with the Gentiles one flock under one shepherd and bishop of all their souls. The same figure is used Gal 3:22, Gal 3:23. But the Scripture hath concluded συνεκλεισεν, locked up all under sin, that the promise, by faith of Christ Jesus, might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept, εφρουρουμεθα, we were guarded as in a strong hold, under the law; shut up, συγκεκλεισμενοι, locked up together unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. It is a fine and well chosen metaphor in both places, and forcibly expresses the guilty, helpless, wretched state of both Jews and Gentiles.”

“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief--"hath shut them all up to unbelief" that he might have mercy upon all--that is, those "all" of whom he had been discoursing; the Gentiles first, and after them the Jews [FRITZSCHE, THOLUCK, OLSHAUSEN, DE WETTE, PHILIPPI, STUART, HODGE]. Certainly it is not "all mankind individually" [MEYER, ALFORD]; for the apostle is not here dealing with individuals, but with those great divisions of mankind, Jew and Gentile. And what he here says is that God's purpose was to shut each of these divisions of men to the experience first of an humbled, condemned state, without Christ, and then to the experience of His mercy in Christ.”