Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 3 · Subsection 24 – Subsection 25
19. Quest. Of the particular explication of the sinnes, wherewith the Apostle here chargeth both Iewes and Gentiles.
v. 10. There is none righteous: in the Psalme it is, there is none that doth good, but the sense is the same, for he that is righteous doth that which is good, & he that doth not good, is not iust or righteous, so he proueth the antecedent, by the consequent. No not one: though this be not in that place of the Psalme, according to the Hebrew, it is added for a more full explanation, to shew, that none are excluded: some vnderstand this of iustification by faith in Christ, there was none which beleeued in him: gloss. interlin. Gorrhan. but the Apostle sheweth, what eueryevery one was by nature: otherwise there were alwaies some in the world, to whome the Lord gaue faith and beleefe in him.
v. 11. There is none that vnderstandeth: the Apostle here omitteth some words of the Psalme: for there it is set downe affirmatiuely, the Lord looked downe from heauen, whether any would vnderstand: but S. Paul keeping the sense, Beza, expresseth it by a negation: Pareus. The Apostle condemneth them all of ignorance, which is the mother of prophannes: Tolet vnderstandeth this peculiarly of the Gentiles who were idolaters, and had not the right knowledge of God: some doe specially refer it to their ignorance concerning Christ, that they did not know him to be God. gloss. interlin. Gorrhan. But it is more generall: they had no knowledge of God at all, no true and effectuall knowledge, which might bring them to the seruice and obedience of God. Mart.
There is none that seeketh God. This Tolet specially vnderstandeth of the Iewes, who though they knew God, yet they did not seeke him, to liue according to his commandement: but it is more generall, comprehending both Iewes and Gentiles: some hauehave particular reference to Christ, that they did not seeke to know him, whome they might hauehave found out to be God by his miraculous workes: gloss. interl. But the Apostle comprehendeth more times, then that onelyonly wherein Christ liued: Lyranus hath here a corrupt glosse: they did not seeke God, per opera meritoria, by the merit of their works: but so God shall neuer be foūd: the prophannes then of men in general is here set forth, that had no care to seeke vntounto God, and to depend vponupon him, but they were addicted to themselues, and their owne lusts, conforming themselues vntounto this present world, Rom. 12.2. Gryneus.
v. 12. They hauehave all gone out of the way. They fell away, beeing destitute of grace from the way which leadeth vntounto life, vntounto the broad way, that bringeth vntounto euerlasting destruction: Gryneus: and they became vnprofitable, beeing cut off from God, as the branch from the vine, they could bring forth no fruit: Tolet. the Hebrew word signifieth to rot and corrupt, so they became as rotten and corrupt branches, Pareus. There is none that doth good, no not one: here none are excluded: some thus giuegive the sense, none sauing one, namely Christ, gloss. interlin. Gorrhan, and so Augustine before them: but the originall will not beare that sense: the words are, none vntounto one, that is, no not one.
v. 13. Their throat is an open sepulchre. 1. They are instar voraginis, like vntounto a gulph to destroy men, and therefore are compared to a sepulchre. 2. and an open sepulchre, quod tetros spargit odores, which sendeth forth stinking smells: so they doe vtter filthie and vaine words. 3. and they are likened to an open sepulchre, quia vsus scelerum, verecundiam sustulit, their custome in sinne hath taken away all shamefastnes and modestie, they are impudent in their sinne. Origen. 4. and as an open graue can neuer be satiate, but it receiueth one bodie after an other; so they doe still seeke to deuoure men, and as it were eate them vp, with their filthie and slanderous tongues. They hauehave vsed their tongues to deceit: where they can not openly deuoure, they attempt to doe it by craft and deceit. gloss. interlin.
The poison of aspes is vnderunder their lippes. The biting and venemous tongue is thus resembled: 1. because this serpent doth morsu inficere, infect and poison by biting. Gryneus. 2. it is insanabile, a poison incurable: gloss. interlin. Pellic. 3. and they are incorrigible and intractable, like as the serpent stoppeth the eares, and will not heare the voice of the charmer.
v. 14. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitternes. 1. Their mouth is said to be full, because ex pleno oris vasculo, out of their mouth, as a full vessell doe continually flow forth bitter and cruell words. Origen. 2. as they hauehave gall and bitternes in their heart, Act. 8.23. so they doe vtter it with their mouth, Gryneus. 3. thus the Apostle sheweth how they abuse all the instruments of speaking, their throat, their tongues, their lippes, their mouth, Tolet. 4. And as before they were giuen to flatterie and deceit, so they sometime brake forth into open blasphemie both against God and man. Calvin. 5. Haymo specially refereth it to the bitter and blasphemous words, which the Iewes vttered against Christ: charging him to hauehave a deuill, and crying out against him to be crucified.
v. 15. Their feete are swift to shed blood. 1. The Apostle hetherto alleadged those testimonies out of the Psalmes, now he citeth the Prophet Isa; because in the mouth of two or three witnesses eueryevery word shall be established: Faius. 2. by the feete are vnderstood their affections, as Origen expoundeth, consilium quo agimus iter vitae, the counsell, whereby we take in hand the trauell of this life: and hereby their readines is signified, vponupon eueryevery occasion to shed blood. Tolet. 3. as Doeg by his false tongue caused many innocent Priests to be slaine, Gryneus. 4. and, by this phrase, of shedding, is shewed how they doe vilipend the blood of the Saints, powring it out as water. Gorrhan.
v. 16. Destruction and calamitie are in their waies. 1. Whereas the word is foreign contrition, Origen vnderstandeth it of their sinne and disobedience, whereby they doe … rere iugum domini, cast off and beat in pieces the Lords yoake: so also the Greeke schol…: as by the way, he vnderstandeth life, so by contrition, sinne; whereby the life is worne, as the way is beaten with trampling. 2. some vnderstand it passiuely of the destruction and … l…mitie, which was brought vponupon them by the Romanes: gloss. interlin. Haymo, Gorrha…. 3. but it is better taken actiuely, for the destruction and calamitie, which they bring vponupon others: they are the authors and deuisers of nothing but mischiefe: Gryn. Calv. Pare. as the Romane histories doe write of Hannibal, who in his dreame following one, that was sent of Iupiter to be his guide into Italie, seemed to see behind him an huge serpent, deuouring and destroying all as he went: whereby was signified the horrible vastitie, which he should bring vponupon Italie.
v. 17. The way of peace they hauehave not knowne. 1. Origen vnderstandeth Christ to be … way of peace, whome they acknowledged not: so also Haymo, Gorrhan. gloss. 3. but thereby is signified their turbulent nature, who delighted in warre, and filled the world with tumults and troubles: Gryneus, Pareus: and although some among the heathen did seeke to preserue the peace and tranquilitie of the commonwealth, yet it did not helpe them any thing toward their euerlasting peace. Osiand.
v. 18. The feare of God is not before their eyes. 1. As the feare of God is the beginning of true wisdome, and pietie, so the want of that feare giueth way vntounto all impietie: and therefore, sine retinaculo currunt ad malum, they runne into all kind of mischiefe without any stay. Lyran. These doe not say, there is no God, yet they doe not feare God: August. ex Beda: and so are giuen ouer to all impietie.
20. Quest. v. 19. Whatsoeuer the Law saith: what is here vnderstood by the law, and how diuersly this word is taken.
Hierome, epist. 151. noteth this word Law, to hauehave sixe seuerall significations in the Scripture: 1. it is taken precisely for the Law giuen by Moses, which contained both morall precepts, iudiciall, and ceremoniall: as Ioh. 1.17. The Law was giuen by Moses. 2. the law signifieth not the precepts onelyonly, but the historie of the old Testament: as S. Paul calleth Abrahams historie concerning his two sonnes, the law, Gal. 4.22. 3. the book of the Psalmes is called the law, Ioh. 15.25. It is written in the law, they hated me without a cause. 4. the prophesie of Isai is called the law: 1. Cor. 14.21. In their law it is written, by men of other tongues, &c. will I speake vntounto this people: which testimonie is taken out of Isa, c. 28.21. 5. the spirituall sense and meaning of the old Testament is called the law: as the Apostle saith, The Law is spirituall, Rom. 7. 6. the law is taken for that naturall light which is imprinted in the minde by nature: as S. Paul saith, c. 2.14. The Gentiles which hauehave not the law, are a law vntounto themselues. Here then by the Law, the Apostle generally vnderstandeth the old Testament, as the booke of the Psalmes, and the Prophets.