Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 3 · Subsection 14 – Subsection 15
Quest. 9. Of the meaning of these words, That thou migh…st be iustified in thy words, and ouercome when thou iudgest.
1. Some doe specially apply these words vntounto Christ: as Augustine, vidit futurum indicem iudicandum, be sawe that the Iudge to come should be iudged, tract. in Psal. 60. to the same purpose Gregory expoundeth, that Christ was iustified in his words, and ouercame when he was iudged of Pilate and the Iewes, there was no guile found in his month: Hugo addeth, that he ouercame when he iudged and triumphed ouer Sathan, and all the infernall powers vponupon the crossē: But in this sense there should be small coherence in Dauids words: for he confessing his sinne, saying, against thee onelyonly hauehave I sinned, adding further, that thou mayest be iustified, &c. hath relation to his present state, how God should be iustified in forgiuing his sinne: and the Hebrewe word is taken actiuely, when thou iudgest, not when thou art iudged, so that it cannot fitly be applyed to Christ beeing iudged.
2. Some giuegive this sense, Against thee only hauehave I sinned, vt dum ego & omnes peccamus, &c. that while I and all other sinne, thou onelyonly mayest appeare to be iust, gloss. ordinar. so also Osiander, agnosco me nihil agere sine peccato, I confesse, that I doe nothing without sinne, to thee onelyonly belongeth the praise of all goodnesse: But Dauid speaketh not of other mens sinnes here, but of his owne, and not of all his, but this speciall sinne, which he had committed, neither doth he meditate of the iustice and goodnesse of God in generall onelyonly, but as he had experience of his goodnesse, in the particular remission of his sinne.
3. Some by words, here vnderstand Gods promises, which he had made to Dauid, touching the continuance of the kingdome in his seed, and the comming of the Messiah: which promises some might thinke God would revoke because of Dauids sinne, and therefore God, though men so iudged of him, that he would alter his promises, yet he would shewe himselfe iust in keeping his word with Dauid: Thomas, Lyranus, Tolet, Perer. But Dauid maketh not mention here of any such particular promises: but such, as other sinners also vponupon their repentance, might hauehave comfort in, as he saith, v. 13. I will teach thy way vntounto the wicked, and sinners shall be conuerted vntounto thee.
4. Calvin and Pareus thus interpret; that Dauid confessing his sinne, acknowledgeth God therein to be iust, whatsoeuer he should lay vponupon him for his sinne, that howsoeuer men might murmure against God, and so iudge him vniust, yet his iudgements were most vpright: and so God should be pure when he was iudged of men, or to reade it actiuely, when he iudged sinners for their sinne: But in this sense, it should not seeme to be much pertinent to S. Pauls purpose; who would prooue by this place, that the Lord is true and iust of his promises, though men doe faile in their obedience.
5. Theodoret and Euthymius thinke, and so likewise Iunius, that Dauid hath speciall relation to that conference, that Nathan had with Dauid, 2. Sam. 12. and the punishment there denounced: confessing it was iustly inflicted vponupon him: and so God was iustified in his words and speaches, which Nathan had in his name with Dauid.
6. Yet further, as I denie not, but that Dauid hath speciall reference vntounto that iudiciall proceeding, which the Lord had with Dauid, when he sent his Prophet Nathan: it is more agreeable to the Apostles purpose, to vnderstand this of Gods promise made to Dauid by Nathan, that his sinne was forgiuen him, then of the iudgment there inflicted: that God notwithstanding Dauids sinne, yet would keepe his promise toward the elect for the remision of their sinnes: and so Vatablus will hauehave it depend vponupon the 2. verse, wash me from …ine iniqu…, that thou mayst be iustified, &c. or Lyranus immediately after these words, against thee only hauehave I sinned, vnderstandeth to be supplyed, remitte mihi, forgiue me: Thus Beza also referreth it to Gods gracious promise of remission of sinnes: And so it is best agreeable to the Apostles purpose, who sheweth by this testimonie, that the vnbeleeefe or some maketh not the faith of Gods promises of no effect: and as before the Apostle set the truth of God, against mans lying: so here in this sentence, mans frailty appeareth on the one side, in Dauids sinne, and Gods truth and constancie in forgiuing the same, Tolet.
7. Now whereas the Apostle followeth the Septuagint, and ouercome when thou … iudged: but out of the Hebrewe it is thus interpreted, and mayst be pure when thou iudgest, first the Apostle retaineth the receiued translation which was much accounted of, specially seeing it kept the sense of the originall: for he which is pure and blamelesse, ouercomme… in right iudgement, Faius. and God being pure and free from the accusations of the wicked, therein ouercommeth their murmurings, against his iudgements, Pareus: secondly, the other word foreign, in iudging, may as well be in the meane voice as the passiue: and so may be taken actiuely, when thou iudgest, as some read passiuely, when thou are iudged, Beza, Pareus.
Quest. 10. Whether a man may doe evill, and commit sinne to that ende, to set forth Gods iustice.
This doubt is mooued by occasion of the Prophets words: because after he had said, I hauehave done euill in thy sight, it followeth, that thou maist be iustified: to the which these answears may be made, 1. Dauid w…n he sinned did not propound this as the ende to himselfe thereby to set forth God, iustice, but this euent followed: this word that, doth not then shewe the cause, but the order rather and euent of the thing, Perer. where is not relation to Dauid, that he did it to this end, but vntounto God, who turned this euill vntounto good. 2. or these words, that thou maist be iustified, are not to be referred, to the words immediately going before, but to the 3. verse, I knowe mine iniquities: Dauid therefore sheweth not, quo sine prius fecerit mal…, with what intent he did euil before, sed quo fine nunc faciat bonis, but with what end he now did well in confessing his sinne, namely, that God might receiue glorie thereby. 3. Vatablus also referreth these words vntounto the 2. verse, where he saith, wash me thoroughly from my sinnes, and then these words in sense are to be annexed, that thou maist be iustified, &c. this was not then sinis peccati, sed precationis, not the ende of Dauids sinne, but of his prayer: that God in forgiuing his sinne might appeare to be iust and true of his promises in forgiuing the sinnes of the elect.