Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 3:3
Verse 3. JEW. For what] ti gar, What then, if some did not believe, &c. If some of the Jewish nation have abused their privileges, and acted contrary to their obligations, shall their wickedness annul the PROMISE which God made to Abraham, that he would, by an everlasting covenant, be a God to him and to his seed after him? Gen. xvii. 7. Shall God, therefore, by stripping the Jews of their peculiar honour, as you intimate he will, falsify his promise to the nation, because some of the Jews are bad men?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. For what if some did not believe ? etc..] It is suggested, that though the Jews enjoyed such a privilege, some of them did not believe; which is an aggravation of their sin, that they should have such means of light, knowledge, and faith, such clear and full evidences of things, and yet be incredulous: though it should be observed that this was the case only of some, not of all; and must be understood, not of their disbelief of the Scriptures being the word of God, for these were always received as such by them all, and were constantly read, heard, and attended to; but either of their disobedience to the commands of God required in the law, or of their disregard to the promises of God, and prophecies of the Messiah, and of their disbelief in the Messiah himself when he came; but now this was no objection to the advantage they had of the Gentiles, since this was not owing to want of evidence in the word of God, but to the darkness and unbelief of their minds: and, shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect ? no, their unbelief could not, and did not make void the veracity and faithfulness of God in his promises concerning the Messiah, recorded in the oracles of God, which they had committed to them; for notwithstanding this, God raised up the Messiah from among them, which is another advantage the Jews had of, the Gentiles; inasmuch as of them, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is God over all, blessed for evermore, ( Romans 9:5), and he sent him to them, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, as a prophet and minister; he sent his Gospel to them first, and called out by it from among them his elect, nor did he take it from them until he had done this: and he took it away only; until the fulness of the Gentiles, ( Romans 11:25), is brought in; and then the Gospel shall come to them again with power, and all Israel shall be saved (( Romans 11:26)).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The law could not save in or from sins, yet it gave the Jews advantage for obtaining salvation. Their stated ordinances, education in the knowledge of the true God and his service, and many favours shown to the children of Abraham, all were means of grace, and doubtless wer made useful to the conversion of many. But especially the Scripture were committed to them. Enjoyment of God's word and ordinances, is the chief happiness of a people. But God's promises are made only to believers; therefore the unbelief of some, or of many professors cannot make this faithfulness of no effect. He will fulfil his promise to his people, and bring his threatened vengeance upon unbelievers God's judging the world, should for ever silence all doubtings an reflections upon his justice. The wickedness and obstinate unbelief of the Jews, proved man's need of the righteousness of God by faith, an also his justice in punishing for sin. Let us do evil, that good ma come, is oftener in the heart than in the mouth of sinners; for fe thus justify themselves in their wicked ways. The believer knows tha duty belongs to him, and events to God; and that he must not commit an sin, or speak one falsehood, upon the hope, or even assurance, that God may thereby glorify himself. If any speak and act thus, their condemnation is just.
Greek Textus Receptus
τι 5101 I-NSN γαρ 1063 CONJ ει 1487 COND ηπιστησαν 569 5656 V-AAI-3P τινες 5100 X-NPM μη 3361 PRT-N η 3588 T-NSF απιστια 570 N-NSF αυτων 846 P-GPM την 3588 T-ASF πιστιν 4102 N-ASF του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM καταργησει 2673 5692 V-FAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Did not believe (hpisthsan). Rev., were without faith. Not, as some, were unfaithful, which is contrary to New Testament usage. See Mark xvi. 11, 16; Luke xxiv. 11, 41; Acts xxviii. 24; Rom. iv. 20, etc. The Rev. rendering is preferable, as bringing out the paronomasia between the Greek words: were without faith; their want of faith; the faithfulness of God. Faith of God. Better, as Rev., faithfulness; the good faith of God; His fidelity to His promises. For this sense see on Matt. xxiii. 23. Compare Tit. ii. 10, and see on faithful, 1 John i. 9; Apoc. i. 5; iii. 14. Compare 1 Corinthians i. 9; x. 13; 2 Cor. i. 18.Make without effect (katarghsei). See on Luke xiii. 7. The word occurs twenty-five times in Paul, and is variously rendered in A.V. make void, destroy, loose, bring to nought, fail, vanish away, put away, put down, abolish, cease. The radical meaning is to make inert or idle. Dr. Morison acutely observes that it negatives the idea of agency or operation, rather than of result or effect. It is rather to make inefficient than to make without effect. So in Luke xiii. 7, why should the tree be allowed to make the ground idle? 1 Cor. xiii. 8, prophecies shall fail, or have no more work to do. 2 Tim. i. 10 Christ abolished death. There is no more work for it. Rom. vi. 6, the body of sin is rendered inactive. Rom. iii. 31, Do we deprive the law of its work - render it a dead letter?
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:3 {For what if?} (ti gar ei?). But Westcott and Hort print it, Ti gar? ei. See #Php 1:18 for this exclamatory use of ti gar (for how? How stands the case?). {Some were without faith} (epistesan). First aorist active indicative of apistew, old verb, to disbelieve. this is the common N.T. meaning (#Lu 24:11,41; Ac 28:24; Ro 4:20). Some of them "disbelieved," these "depositaries and guardians of revelation" (Denney). But the word also means to be unfaithful to one's trust and Lightfoot argues for that idea here and in #2Ti 2:13. The Revised Version renders it "faithless" there. Either makes sense here and both ideas are true of some of the Jews, especially concerning the Messianic promises and Jesus. {The faithfulness of God} (tn pistin tou qeou). Undoubtedly pistis has this sense here and not "faith." God has been faithful (#2Ti 2:13) whether the Jews (some of them) were simply disbelievers or untrue to their trust. Paul can use the words in two senses in verse #3, but there is no real objection to taking pistsan, apistian, pistin, all to refer to faithfulness rather than just faith.
