SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:33
¶ ¡Oh profundidad de las riquezas de la sabiduría y de la ciencia de Dios! ¡Cun incomprensibles son sus juicios, e inescrutables sus caminos!
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 11:33
Verse 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!] This is a very proper conclusion of the whole preceding discourse. Wisdom may here refer to the designs of God; knowledge, to the means which he employs to accomplish these designs. The designs are the offspring of infinite wisdom, and therefore they are all right; the means are the most proper, as being the choice of an infinite knowledge that cannot err; we may safely credit the goodness of the design, founded in infinite wisdom; we may rely on the due accomplishment of the end, because the means are chosen and applied by infinite knowledge and skill.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 33. O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God , etc..] These words are the epilogue, or conclusion of the doctrinal part of this epistle, and relate to what is said throughout the whole of it hitherto; particularly to the doctrines of salvation by Christ, justification by his righteousness, predestination, the calling of the Gentiles, the rejection of the Jews, and their restoration in the latter day; upon the whole of which, the apostle breaks forth into this pathetic exclamation; the design of which is to show, how much of the wisdom and knowledge of God is displayed in these doctrines, and how small a part of it is known by the best of men, and therefore ought not to be cavilled at and objected to, because of some difficulties attending them, but to be received upon the testimony of divine revelation: and if there was a depth in these things unsearchable and past finding out by so great a man as the apostle, who had by revelation such knowledge in the mysteries of grace, and who had been caught up into the third heaven, and heard things unutterable, how much less is it to be fathomed by others, and therefore should be silent: by the wisdom and knowledge of God, one and the same thing is meant; and design not so much the perfections of the divine nature, which are infinite and unsearchable, the understanding of which is too high for creatures, and not be attained to by them; nor the display of them in the works of creation and providence, in which there are most glorious and amazing instances; but rather the effects of them, the counsels and decrees of God; which are so wisely formed and laid, as not to fail of their accomplishment, or to be frustrated of their end; and the doctrines of grace relating to them, in which are treasures, riches, that is, an abundance of wisdom and knowledge; and a depth, not to be reached to the bottom of, in this imperfect state, and in which the knowledge and wisdom of God are wonderfully displayed: thus in the doctrine of redemption and salvation by Christ, wherein God has abounded in all wisdom and prudence; in the person fixed upon to be the Saviour, his own Son; who by the assumption of human nature, being God and man in one person, was very fit and proper to be a Mediator between God and man, to transact the affair of salvation; was every way qualified for it, and able to do it: so likewise in the manner in which it is accomplished, being done in a way which glorifies all the divine perfections; in which the rights of God's justice and the honour of his holiness are secured, as well as his love, grace, and mercy, displayed; in which Satan is most mortified, sin condemned, and the sinner saved; and also in the persons, the subjects of it, ungodly sinners, enemies, the chief of sinners, whereby the grace of God is the more illustrated, and all boasting in the creature excluded. The wisdom of God manifestly appears, in the doctrine of a sinner's justification; which though it proceeds from grace, yet upon the foot of redemption and satisfaction, in a way of strict justice; so that God is just, whilst he is the justifier; it is of persons ungodly, and without a righteousness in themselves, and yet by a perfect and complete righteousness, answerable to all the demands of law and justice; and the grace of faith is wisely made the recipient of this blessing, that it might appear to be of free grace, and not of works, and that the justified ones might have solid peace, joy, and comfort, from it. The doctrine of predestination is full of the wisdom and knowledge of God; his choice of some to everlasting life in his Son, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, for the glorifying of his grace and mercy, in a way of righteousness; and his passing by others, leaving them to themselves, and in their sins, justly to perish for them, for the glorifying of his justice, are acts of the highest wisdom, and done according to the counsel of his will. The account just given of the call of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jews, is an astonishing scheme of infinite wisdom; that, on the one hand salvation should come to the Gentiles, through the fall of the Jews, and they should obtain mercy through their unbelief; and on the other hand that the restoration of the Jews should be as life from the dead to the Gentiles; and the Jews, through their mercy, obtain mercy; and that both, in their turns, should be shut up in unbelief by God, that he might have mercy on them all, O the depth, etc.. To which is added, how unsearchable are his judgments ! which are not to be understood of his awful judgments on wicked men in particular, nor of the administrations of his providence in general; though these are a great deep, and in many instances are unsearchable, and cannot be counted for in the present state, but will hereafter be made manifest; nor of the commands of God, sometimes called his judgments, which are all plain, and may be easily searched out in his word; but rather of the counsels and purposes of God, and the doctrines of grace relating thereunto; which are the deep things of God, and are only searched out by the Spirit of God, who reveals them to us: and his ways past finding out ! not the methods and course of his providence, though his way in this respect is often in the deep, his footsteps are not to be known, discerned, and traced, by finite creatures; but rather the goings forth and steps of his wisdom from everlasting, in his purposes and decrees, council and covenant, which are higher than the ways of men, even as the heavens are higher than the earth; and which are all mercy and truth to his chosen people, and strict justice to others, and not to be found out by any; particularly his ways and methods, and dealings, with both Jews and Gentiles; that he should for so many hundred years leave the Gentiles in blindness and unbelief; and now for as many years his favourite people the Jews in the same, and yet gather in his elect out of them both; these are things out of our reach and comprehension.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 33-36 - The apostle Paul knew the mysteries of the kingdom of God as well a ever any man; yet he confesses himself at a loss; and despairing to find the bottom, he humbly sits down at the brink, and adores the depth. Those who know most in this imperfect state, feel their ow weakness most. There is not only depth in the Divine counsels, but riches; abundance of that which is precious and valuable. The Divin counsels are complete; they have not only depth and height, but breadt and length, Eph 3:18, and that passing knowledge. There is that vas distance and disproportion between God and man, between the Creator an the creature, which for ever shuts us from knowledge of his ways. What man shall teach God how to govern the world? The apostle adores the sovereignty of the Divine counsels. All things in heaven and earth especially those which relate to our salvation, that belong to ou peace, are all of him by way of creation, through him by way of providence, that they may be to him in their end. Of God, as the Sprin and Fountain of all; through Christ, to God, as the end. These includ all God's relations to his creatures; if all are of Him, and throug Him, all should be to Him, and for Him. Whatever begins, let God' glory be the end: especially let us adore him when we talk of the Divine counsels and actings. The saints in heaven never dispute, but always praise __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ω 5599 INJ βαθος 899 N-NSN πλουτου 4149 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ σοφιας 4678 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ γνωσεως 1108 N-GSF θεου 2316 N-GSM ως 5613 ADV ανεξερευνητα 419 A-NPN τα 3588 T-NPN κριματα 2917 N-NPN αυτου 846 P-GSM και 2532 CONJ ανεξιχνιαστοι 421 A-NPF αι 3588 T-NPF οδοι 3598 N-NPF αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge. So both A.V. and Rev., making depth govern riches, and riches govern wisdom and knowledge. Others, more simply, make the three genitives coordinate, and all governed by depth: the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge. "Like a traveler who has reached the summit of an Alpine ascent, the apostle turns and contemplates. Depths are at his feet, but waves of light illumine them, and there spreads all around an immense horizon which his eye commands" (Godet). Compare the conclusion of ch 8."Therefore into the justice sempiternal The power of vision which your world receives As eye into the ocean penetrates; Which, though it see the bottom near the shore, Upon the deep perceives it not, and yet 'Tis there, but it is hidden by the depth. There is no light but comes from the serene That never is o'ercast, nay, it is darkness Or shadow of the flesh, or else its poison." DANTE, "Paradio," xix. 59-62.
Compare also Sophocles:
"In words and deeds whose laws on high are set Through heaven's clear ether spread, Whose birth Olympus boasts, Their one, their only sire, Whom man's frail flesh begat not, Nor in forgetfulness Shall lull to sleep of death; In them our God is great, In them he grows not old forevermore." "Oedipus Tyrannus," 865-871.
Wisdom - knowledge (sofiav - gnwsewv). Used together only here, 1 Cor. xii. 8; Col. ii. 3. There is much difference of opinion as to the precise distinction. It is agreed on all hands that wisdom is the nobler attribute, being bound up with moral character as knowledge is not. Hence wisdom is ascribed in scripture only to God or to good men, unless it is used ironically. See 1 Cor. i. 20; ii. 6; Luke x. 21. Cicero calls wisdom "the chief of all virtues." The earlier distinction, as Augustine, is unsatisfactory: that wisdom is concerned with eternal things, and knowledge with things of sense; for gnwsiv knowledge, is described as having for its object God (2 Cor. x. 5); the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. iv. 6); Christ Jesus (Philip. iii. 8). As applied to human acquaintance with divine things, gnwsiv knowledge, is the lower, sofia wisdom, the higher stage. Knowledge may issue in self-conceit. It is wisdom that builds up the man (1 Cor. viii. 1). As attributes of God, the distinction appears to be between general and special: the wisdom of God ruling everything in the best way for the best end; the knowledge of God, His wisdom as it contemplates the relations of things, and adopts means and methods. The wisdom forms the plan; the knowledge knows the ways of carrying it out. 60 Past finding out (anexicniastoi). Only here and Eph. iii. 8. Appropriate to ways or paths. Lit., which cannot be tracked.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
11:33 {O the depth} (o baqos). Exclamation with omega and the nominative case of baqos (see on 2Co 8:2; Ro 8:39). Paul's argument concerning God's elective grace and goodness has carried him to the heights and now he pauses on the edge of the precipice as he contemplates God's wisdom and knowledge, fully conscious of his inability to sound the bottom with the plummet of human reason and words. {Unsearchable} (anexeraunta). Double compound (a privative and ex) verbal adjective of ereunaw (old spelling -eu-), late and rare word (LXX, Dio Cassius, Heraclitus), only here in N.T. Some of God's wisdom can be known (#1:20f.), but not all. {Past tracing out} (anexichniastoi). Another verbal adjective from a privative and exicniazw, to trace out by tracks (icnos #Ro 4:12). Late word in Job (#Job 5:9; 9:10; 34:24) from which use Paul obtained it here and #Eph 3:8 (only N.T. examples). Also in ecclesiastical writers. Some of God's tracks he has left plain to us, but others are beyond us.
