Romans 9:22,23 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Bible Comments

What if God, willing, &c. Referring to Romans 9:18-19. That is, Although it were now his will, because of their obstinate unbelief; to show his wrath Which necessarily presupposes sin; and to make his power known This is repeated from Romans 9:17; yet endured As he did Pharaoh With much long-suffering Which should have led them to repentance; the vessels of wrath Those who had moved his wrath, by still rejecting his mercy; fitted for destruction By their own wilful and final impenitence: is there any injustice in this? And that he might make known What if, by showing such long-suffering even to the vessels of his wrath, he did the more abundantly show the greatness of his glorious goodness, wisdom, and power; on the vessels of mercy On those whom he had himself, by his grace; prepared for glory Is this injustice? By vessels of mercy he means such persons as were formerly miserable by being dead in trespasses and sins, but had afterward, through believing the gospel, obtained mercy, even the great mercy of the forgiveness of sins, with the fruits and consequences of it; and by the term προητοιμασεν, he means, God's fitting them for glory, by working in them true repentance and living faith, by justifying and sanctifying them, and giving them all those qualifications necessary for the attainment of it.

Romans 9:22-23

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fittedd to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,