When the Gentiles heard this - Heard that the gospel was to be preached to them. The doctrine of the Jews had been that salvation was confined to themselves. The Gentiles rejoiced that from the mouths of Jews themselves they now heard a different doctrine.
They glorified the word of the Lord - They honored it as a message from God; they recognized and received it as the Word of God. The expression conveys the idea of praise on account of it, and of reverence for the message as the Word of God.
And as many as were ordained - ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι hosoi ēsan tetagmenoi. Syriac, “Who were destined,” or constituted. Vulgate, “As many as were foreordained (quotquot erant praeordinati) to eternal life believed.” There has been much difference of opinion in regard to this expression. One class of commentators has supposed that it refers to the doctrine of election - to God’s ordaining people to eternal life, and another class to their being disposed themselves to embrace the gospel - to those among them who did not reject and despise the gospel, but who were disposed and inclined to embrace it. The main inquiry is, what is the meaning of the word rendered “ordained”? The word is used only eight times in the New Testament: Matthew 28:16, “Into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them”; that is, previously appointed - before his death; Luke 7:8, “For I also am a man set under authority”; appointed, or designated as a soldier, to be under the authority of another; Acts 15:2, “They determined that Paul and Barnabas, etc., should go to Jerusalem”; Acts 22:10, “It shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do”; Acts 23:23, “And when they appointed him a day,” etc.: Romans 13:1, “the powers that be are ordained of God; 1 Corinthians 16:15, They have addicted themselves to the ministry of saints.” The word τάσσω tassō, properly means “to place” - that is, to place in a certain rank or order. Its meaning is derived from arranging or disposing a body of soldiers in regular military order. In the places which have been mentioned above, the word is used to denote the following things:
(1) To command, or to designate, Matthew 28:16; Acts 22:10; Acts 28:23.
(2) To institute, constitute, or appoint, Romans 13:1; compare 2 Samuel 8:11; 1 Samuel 22:7.
(3) To determine, to take counsel, to resolve, Acts 15:2.
(4) To subject to the authority of another, Luke 7:8.
(5) To addict to; to devote to, 1 Corinthians 16:15. The meaning may be thus expressed:
(1) The word is never used to denote an internal disposition or inclination arising from one’s own self. It does not mean that they disposed themselves to embrace eternal life.
(2) It has uniformly the notion of an ordering, disposing, or arranging from without; that is, from some other source than the individual himself; as of a soldier, who is arranged or classified according to the will of the proper officer. In relation to these persons it means, therefore, that they were disposed or inclined to this from some other source than themselves.
(3) It does not properly refer to an eternal decree, or directly to the doctrine of election - though that may be inferred from it; but it refers to their being then in fact disposed to embrace eternal life. They were then inclined by an influence from without themselves, or so disposed as to embrace eternal life. That this was done by the influence of the Holy Spirit is clear from all parts of the New Testament, Titus 3:5-6; John 1:13. It was not a disposition or arrangement originating with themselves, but with God.
(4) This implies the doctrine of election. It was, in fact, that doctrine expressed in an act. It was nothing but God’s disposing them to embrace eternal life. And that he does this according to a plan in his own mind a plan which is unchangeable as he himself is unchangeable is clear from the Scriptures. Compare Acts 18:10; Romans 8:28-30; Romans 9:15-16, Romans 9:21, Romans 9:23; Ephesians 1:4-5, Ephesians 1:11. The meaning may be expressed in few words - who were then disposed, and in good earnest determined, to embrace eternal life, by the operation of the grace of God upon their hearts.
Eternal life - Salvation. See the notes on John 3:36.