The Jewish Annotated New Testament (253 page)

10
: Gen 25.21.

11
:
Bad
, Gk “phaulos” can also be translated “petty,” in keeping with the Genesis narrative, wherein Esau values a meal over his birthright, and also “mean.”
Election
, choice.

12
: Gen 25.23.

13
: Mal 1.2–3.
Hated
is hyperbolic to sharpen comparison with the one chosen. The choice of Jacob over Esau does not mean that the Jesus community, as the “younger,” is preferable to Judaism, as the “elder”; instead, it is a pattern from Tanakh that demonstrates the precarious state of humans, for God does the unexpected.

15
: Ex 33.19.

16
:
It
, God’s choice, a choice among Israelites.
Exertion
, lit., “running.” The literal term here is significant, since the theme is Israel’s role as herald of God’s news of good to the nations, and Paul seeks to explain why some Israelites are not presently joining Paul in the task that, in his view, should be undertaken. Note that God’s choice here is not between family members and nonfamily members, but among family members; not Israelites vs. non-Israelites, but among Israelites, as the argument began in 9.1–6. See 9.30–33.

17
: Ex 9.16. The purpose for Pharaoh was the proclamation of God’s name among the nations.

18
:
Chooses
, or wills/wants among Israelites as well as among the Gentiles.
Hardens the heart
, makes resistant to change.

20
–24
: See Isa 29.16; 45.9; 64.8; Jer 18.1–11; Wis 15.7; also Jer 50.25, for vessels of wrath.

20
:
Argue with God
, for contrasting views of this, see Abraham, Gen 18.22–33, and Job 42.1–6.

21
:
Same lump
, i.e., same descent group.
Object
, or vessel;
special use
, lit., “honor”;
ordinary use
, lit., “dishonor.”

22
–24
:
What if
, lit., “But if”;
his power
, or his capability.
Endured
, or brought forth; i.e., threw, as in pottery; or fashioned.
Objects
, or vessels; or “fashioned with much patience the vessels of wrath fit for destruction.”

23
:
And what
, not in Gk.

25
–26
: Hos 2.23; the first part of this verse in LXX, which Paul does not cite, is about “sowing,” i.e., “seed”; see vv. 27–29.

26
: Hos 1.10. Hosea refers to the dispersed northern tribes of Israel in contrast to the Judeans. Paul speaks of the division between the remnant such as himself (i.e., Judea), and those Israelites who are stumbling (the northern tribes). He anticipates 11.26, the declaration that all Israel will be restored.

27–29
: Proofs continue; the theme of hope continues: the remnant will be saved from among those punished.

27
: Isa 10.22 conflated with Hos 1.10, following from v. 26. C
hildren of Israel were
, “are” or “will be”; no verb in Gk.
Only
, not in Gk.
Saved
, restored/rescued from destruction, restored to the task of declaring the good news, albeit presently under some kind of disciplinary state.

28
: Isa 10.23 conflated with Isa 28.22.

29
: Isa 1.9,
survivors
, lit., “seed.” NRSV here translates according to the meaning of Isaiah in Heb, where the reference is to the remnant from among those now living, not to their descendants (“seed”), as in Paul’s text.

30
–33
: A diatribe in elliptical language, leaving out critical verbs and nouns: NRSV supplies
have attained it, that is … that is based … succeed in … strive for it on the basis … as if it were based
. Some heralds from Israel have not carried out their task of proclaiming the good news to the nations, while some Gentiles have come to know the news, an unexpected development (cf. 3.1–2; 11.17–26).

30
:
Who did not strive for
, lit., “who are not pursuing.”

31
:
Did not succeed in fulfilling that law
, lit., “did not arrive sooner”; but Israel, with a convention of delineating the family of righteousness by circumcision, in fact missed the point of the convention, which some Gentiles nevertheless grasped.

32
:
On works
, the action of circumcision for Gentiles completing proselyte conversion. Those Israelites confuse the sign of inclusion (circumcision) with the reason for inclusion, not recognizing the claims of Gentiles based on faithfulness to Christ.

33
: Isa 28.16 (also in 10.11), that God has put an obstruction in the path (see also Isa 8, esp. v. 14). The stone aimed not to cause failure but, ironically, to help them by slowing them down so that they did not miss the righteousness they were to declare. The stone could be Christ, or the proclamation of the gospel, or the inclusion of Gentiles apart from circumcision. Implicitly, they will regain their step and properly achieve the aim of the message, righteousness, albeit by way of faithfulness to the proclamation of the faithfulness of Christ.
A rock that will make them fall
, lit., “a rock of offense”; “fall” is not in the Gk, and goes against the argument, cf. 11.11.
And whoever believes
, whoever is faithful;
in him
, or to it; i.e., the stone.

10.1
–21: Some Israelites do not comprehend the times.
Paul continues at least through v. 5 to defend Israelites who have not joined him as heralds. The degree of current culpability Paul intends to communicate is difficult to assess.

1
–5
: Continuation of argument and elliptical style from 9.30–33.

1
:
Them
, Israelites not sharing Paul’s view. Paul’s language, while involving a critique of fellow Jews, sees these “brothers/sisters” still being righteous ones on a course set for them but in need of stabilization; the comparison (9.32–33) is to messengers running but some tripping, and those need to be stabilized so they do not fall but return to running on the course to achieve the goal.
That they may be saved
, lit., “for their restoration.”

2
:
Not enlightened
, lit., “not possessing complete information/comprehension.”

3
: Not realizing God’s righteousness (in Christ), they attend to the righteousness signified by their special signifier of righteousness, as if circumcision was required to be counted among the righteous.
Their own
, “their own righteousness” in some manuscripts, i.e., Israelite identity and thus circumcision as the necessary signifier of the righteous ones of God.

4
:
Law
(“nomos”), here signifying circumcision. Paul’s message resonates with Deut 9.4–6 (Paul cites 9.4 in v. 6), in that Israel’s entering the land is not on account of Israel’s righteousness, but the covenant promise of God.
End
, as in the “goal.” Christ is the goal toward which the circumcised righteous ones strive: they are to announce to the nations the words God has entrusted to them about Christ: “For the goal of a convention (of circumcision) is Christ [providing] righteousness to everyone who is being faithful.”

5
: Lev 18.5, but the language is closely linked with Deut 30, which Paul develops in the next verses. Paul argues that observing Torah involves being faithful to the revelation of Christ (he is not arguing for the abolition of Torah but for recognizing its ideal goals). Cf. Sir 17.11; Philo,
Prelim. Studies
84–85.
Person
, i.e., Israelite.

6
–8
: A paraphrase of Deut 30.11–14 (the first clause is from Deut 9.4; cf. Deut 8.17).

6
: Christ would be brought down to make this case clear.
Faith
, or, faithfulness.

7
:
Abyss
, i.e., “depths of the sea,” here meaning the underworld, Heb “Sheol” or Gk “Hades,” but Deut 30.13 simply refers to crossing the “sea.” This version is attested in Ps 107.26 (LXX “abyssos”) and
Tg. Neof
. 1. The desire to have news brought back from the dead is attested by Homer,
Od
., 10.487–574; 11.163–65, and see Lk 16.19–31.

8
: Deut 30.14.

9
:
If you
, Gk implies “would.”
Confess with your lips
, proclamation is the theme throughout; that which is at issue is that some Israelites are not proclaiming this news. It is part of the news to announce to the nations that the end of the ages has begun in the present age, since resurrection from the dead is an expectation of the age to come, not a present reality.

10
:
Heart … justified
, righteousness is an expression of one’s intentional activity, of doing right for the right reasons.
Confesses … saved
, the manifestation of this righteousness in the effort to proclaim it to others. Paul is playing off of the elements of heart and mouth in the citations from Deut 30. If speaking to a herald he believes to be stumbling, the two aspects in view are the intention to behave faithfully to what God has revealed in Christ, and the profession of that message to the nations. He may even be drawing a graphic contrast for Israelites between faithfulness, which results in righteousness (standing upright after stumbling), and proclamation, which results in restoration (to running the course once stabilized). There may be a contrast with declaring Caesar as Lord.

11
: Isa 28.16, cited above in 9.33; the original meaning of trust in God to avoid fear here becomes a promise of vindication.

13
: Joel 2.32 (Heb 3.5).

14
–21
: Similar to the issues in ch 3. The topic that was implicit in the adaptation of Deut 30.11–14 in vv. 6–8 is now addressed: What is the proof that this message is known to Israel now? Throughout there is a play on Gk “akouō” (vb, “hear”) and “akoē” (noun, “what is heard”). This corresponds to Heb “shema,” signifying obedient hearing. Paul plays on the citation of Isa 53.1 in v. 16.

15
: Isa 52.7 serves as the proof of the validity of the line of questioning, or alternatively, as an answer. In Isa 52 the heralds run to bring news of deliverance from Babylon, the return of God’s reign, and the restoration to the land in spite of the fact that Jerusalem is in ruins. The nations will then see God acting to restore Israel (Isa 52.10).
Beautiful
, or timely.