How earnestly the Apostle loved his own people! All their hatred of him could not extinguish the passionate devotion which he entertained for them. "Apostle to the Gentiles" he might be, but he was essentially an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, Romans 11:1. The whole reason of their rejection of the gospel lay in their inveterate refusal to submit, Romans 10:3. Is not that the difficulty with us all? It is not that we cannot believe, but that we will not submit to God's way of righteousness, so humbling is it to our pride.
If only God would allow us to scale the heights or plumb the depths, to do some great thing, to make some vast sacrifice, we should be satisfied to be saved, and His help in the process would not be resented. But it is intolerable to our proud hearts to be told that our own efforts are useless, and that the exclusive source of salvation is God's grace.
Notice the distinction between righteousness and salvation, Romans 10:9. The one is objective; the other subjective. The first, our standing before God, the latter, the sanctification of our inner life, which not only depends upon the belief of the heart, but requires the confession that Jesus Christ has become Lord and King of the whole nature. [source]
Chapter Summary: Romans 10
1The difference between the righteousness of the law, and that of faith; 11all who believe, both Jew and Gentile, shall not be shamed; 18and that the Gentiles shall receive the word and believe 19Israel was not ignorant of these things
Greek Commentary for Romans 10:7
Into the abyss [εις την αβυσσον] See note on Luke 8:31 for this old Greek word (α a privative and βυσσος bussos) bottomless like sea (Psalm 106:26), our abyss. In Revelation 9:1 it is the place of torment. Paul seems to refer to Hades or Sheol (Acts 2:27,Acts 2:31), the other world to which Christ went after death. [source]
To bring Christ up [Χριστον αναγαγειν] Second aorist active infinitive of αναγω anagō and dependent on καταβησεται katabēsetai (shall descend). Christ has already risen from the dead. The deity and resurrection of Christ are precisely the two chief points of attack today on the part of sceptics. [source]
To bring up [] There is no need. He is already risen. [source]
Descend into the deep [] Rev., abyss. Septuagint, Who shall pass through to beyond the sea? See on Luke 8:31. Paul changes the phrase in order to adapt it to the descent of Christ into Hades. The two ideas may be reconciled in the fact that the Jew conceived the sea as the abyss of waters on which the earth rested. Compare Exodus 20:4. Thus the ideas beyond the sea and beneath the earth coincide in designating the realm of the dead. Compare Homer's picture of the region of the dead beyond the Ocean-stream:“As soon as thou shalt cross.Oceanus, and come to the low shore And groves of Proserpine, the lofty groups-DIVIDER-
Of poplars, and the willows that let fall-DIVIDER-
Their withered fruit, moor thou thy galley there-DIVIDER-
In the deep eddies of Oceanus,-DIVIDER-
And pass to Pluto's comfortless abode.”“Odyssey,” x. 508-513.“Our barkReached the far confines of Oceanus. There lies the land and there the people dwell-DIVIDER-
Of the Cimmerians, in eternal cloud-DIVIDER-
And darkness.”“Odyssey,” xi. 13-15. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 10:7
Luke 8:31The deep [ἄβυσσον] Lit., the bottomless. Transcribed into ourabyss, as Rev. Mark has a quite different request, that he would not send them out of the country (Mark 5:10). In Romans 10:7, used of Hades, to which Christ descended; and in Revelation always of the bottomless pit. The demons refer to their place of abode and torment. [source]
1 Corinthians 15:55O grave [ἅδη] Which is the reading of the Septuagint. The correct reading is θάνατε Odeath. So Rev. Hades does not occur in Paul's writings. In Romans 10:7he uses abyss. Edwards thinks that this is intentional, and suggests that Paul, writing to Greeks, may have shunned the ill-omened name which people dreaded to utter. So Plato: “People in general use the word (Pluto ) as a euphemism for Hades, which their fears lead them to derive erroneously from ἀειδής theinvisible ” (“Cratylus,” 403). [source]
Hebrews 13:20Who brought again from the dead [ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ἐκ νεκρῶν] The only direct reference in the epistle to the resurrection of Christ. Hebrews 6:2refers to the resurrection of the dead generally. Ἁνάγειν of raising the dead, only Romans 10:7. Rend. “brought up,” and comp. Wisd. 16:13. Ἁνά in this compound, never in N.T. in the sense of again. See on Luke 8:22; see on Acts 12:4; see on Acts 16:34; see on Acts 27:3. The verb often as a nautical term, to bring a vessel up from the land to the deep water; to put to sea. [source]
Hebrews 13:20The God of peace [ο τεος της ειρηνης] God is the author and giver of peace, a Pauline phrase (6 times) as in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. Who brought again from the dead Second aorist active articular participle of αναγω anagō (cf. Romans 10:7), the only direct mention of the resurrection of Jesus in the Epistle, though implied often (Hebrews 1:3, etc.). That great shepherd of the sheep This phrase occurs in Isaiah 63:11 except τον μεγαν ton megan which the author adds as in Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 10:21. So here, “the shepherd of the sheep the great one.” With the blood of the eternal covenant This language is from Zechariah 9:11. The language reminds us of Christ‘s own words in Mark 14:24 (Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25) about “my blood of the covenant.” [source]
Revelation 9:1Fallen [πεπτωκοτα] Perfect active participle of πιπτω piptō already down. In Luke 10:18 note πεσοντα pesonta (constative aorist active, like a flash of lightning) after ετεωρουν etheōroun and in Revelation 7:2 note αναβαινοντα anabainonta (present active and linear, coming up, picturing the process) after ειδον eidon the pit of the abyss Αβυσσος Abussos is an old adjective (alpha privative and βυτος buthos depth, without depth), but η αβυσσος hē abussos (supply χωρα chōra place), the bottomless place. It occurs in Romans 10:7 for the common receptacle of the dead for Hades (Sheol), but in Luke 8:31 a lower depth is sounded (Swete), for the abode of demons, and in this sense it occurs in Revelation 9:1,Revelation 9:2,Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1,Revelation 20:3. Πρεαρ Phrear is an old word for well or cistern (Luke 14:5; John 4:11.) and it occurs in Revelation 9:1. for the mouth of the abyss which is pictured as a cistern with a narrow orifice at the entrance and this fifth angel holds the key to it. [source]
What do the individual words in Romans 10:7 mean?
orWhowill descendintotheAbyssthatisChristout from[the] deadto bring up
Greek Commentary for Romans 10:7
See note on Luke 8:31 for this old Greek word (α a privative and βυσσος bussos) bottomless like sea (Psalm 106:26), our abyss. In Revelation 9:1 it is the place of torment. Paul seems to refer to Hades or Sheol (Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31), the other world to which Christ went after death. [source]
Second aorist active infinitive of αναγω anagō and dependent on καταβησεται katabēsetai (shall descend). Christ has already risen from the dead. The deity and resurrection of Christ are precisely the two chief points of attack today on the part of sceptics. [source]
There is no need. He is already risen. [source]
Rev., abyss. Septuagint, Who shall pass through to beyond the sea? See on Luke 8:31. Paul changes the phrase in order to adapt it to the descent of Christ into Hades. The two ideas may be reconciled in the fact that the Jew conceived the sea as the abyss of waters on which the earth rested. Compare Exodus 20:4. Thus the ideas beyond the sea and beneath the earth coincide in designating the realm of the dead. Compare Homer's picture of the region of the dead beyond the Ocean-stream:“As soon as thou shalt cross.Oceanus, and come to the low shore And groves of Proserpine, the lofty groups-DIVIDER- Of poplars, and the willows that let fall-DIVIDER- Their withered fruit, moor thou thy galley there-DIVIDER- In the deep eddies of Oceanus,-DIVIDER- And pass to Pluto's comfortless abode.”“Odyssey,” x. 508-513.“Our barkReached the far confines of Oceanus. There lies the land and there the people dwell-DIVIDER- Of the Cimmerians, in eternal cloud-DIVIDER- And darkness.”“Odyssey,” xi. 13-15. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 10:7
Lit., the bottomless. Transcribed into ourabyss, as Rev. Mark has a quite different request, that he would not send them out of the country (Mark 5:10). In Romans 10:7, used of Hades, to which Christ descended; and in Revelation always of the bottomless pit. The demons refer to their place of abode and torment. [source]
Rare old word common in lxx from α a privative and βατς bathūs (deep). So bottomless place (supply χωρα chōra). The deep sea in Genesis 1:2; Genesis 7:11. The common receptacle of the dead in Romans 10:7 and especially the abode of demons as here and Revelation 9:1-11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1, Revelation 20:3. [source]
Which is the reading of the Septuagint. The correct reading is θάνατε Odeath. So Rev. Hades does not occur in Paul's writings. In Romans 10:7he uses abyss. Edwards thinks that this is intentional, and suggests that Paul, writing to Greeks, may have shunned the ill-omened name which people dreaded to utter. So Plato: “People in general use the word (Pluto ) as a euphemism for Hades, which their fears lead them to derive erroneously from ἀειδής theinvisible ” (“Cratylus,” 403). [source]
The only direct reference in the epistle to the resurrection of Christ. Hebrews 6:2refers to the resurrection of the dead generally. Ἁνάγειν of raising the dead, only Romans 10:7. Rend. “brought up,” and comp. Wisd. 16:13. Ἁνά in this compound, never in N.T. in the sense of again. See on Luke 8:22; see on Acts 12:4; see on Acts 16:34; see on Acts 27:3. The verb often as a nautical term, to bring a vessel up from the land to the deep water; to put to sea. [source]
God is the author and giver of peace, a Pauline phrase (6 times) as in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. Who brought again from the dead Second aorist active articular participle of αναγω anagō (cf. Romans 10:7), the only direct mention of the resurrection of Jesus in the Epistle, though implied often (Hebrews 1:3, etc.). That great shepherd of the sheep This phrase occurs in Isaiah 63:11 except τον μεγαν ton megan which the author adds as in Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 10:21. So here, “the shepherd of the sheep the great one.” With the blood of the eternal covenant This language is from Zechariah 9:11. The language reminds us of Christ‘s own words in Mark 14:24 (Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25) about “my blood of the covenant.” [source]
Perfect active participle of πιπτω piptō already down. In Luke 10:18 note πεσοντα pesonta (constative aorist active, like a flash of lightning) after ετεωρουν etheōroun and in Revelation 7:2 note αναβαινοντα anabainonta (present active and linear, coming up, picturing the process) after ειδον eidon the pit of the abyss Αβυσσος Abussos is an old adjective (alpha privative and βυτος buthos depth, without depth), but η αβυσσος hē abussos (supply χωρα chōra place), the bottomless place. It occurs in Romans 10:7 for the common receptacle of the dead for Hades (Sheol), but in Luke 8:31 a lower depth is sounded (Swete), for the abode of demons, and in this sense it occurs in Revelation 9:1, Revelation 9:2, Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1, Revelation 20:3. Πρεαρ Phrear is an old word for well or cistern (Luke 14:5; John 4:11.) and it occurs in Revelation 9:1. for the mouth of the abyss which is pictured as a cistern with a narrow orifice at the entrance and this fifth angel holds the key to it. [source]