SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:16
Así que no es del que quiere, ni del que corre, sino de Dios que tiene misericordia.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 9:16
Verse 16. So then it is not of him that willeth, &c.] I conclude, therefore, from these several instances, that the making or continuing any body of men the peculiar people of God, is righteously determined; not by the judgment, hopes, or wishes of men, but by the will and wisdom of God alone. For Abraham judged that the blessing ought, and he willed, desired, that it might be given to Ishmael; and Isaac also willed, designed, it for his first-born, Esau: and Esau, wishing and hoping that it might be his, readily went, ran a hunting for venison, that he might have the blessing regularly conveyed to him: but they were all disappointed- Abraham and Isaac, who willed, and Esau who ran: for God had originally intended that the blessing of being a great nation and distinguished people should, of his mere good pleasure, be given to Isaac and Jacob, and be confirmed in their posterity; and to them it was given. And when by their apostasy they had forfeited this privilege, it was not Moses' willing, nor any prior obligation God was under, but his own sovereign mercy, which continued it to them.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth , etc..] This is not a consequence drawn by an adversary, showing that if this be the case, it signifies nothing for men to will or do, they may even sit still and do nothing, but depend on the mercy of God; but this is a conclusion of the apostle's from the above cited testimony, inferring from thence, that election, which is what he is discoursing of, is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth : that is, is not owing to the will or works of men, to the desires, inclinations, and affections of their minds, or to the actions of their lives; these are not the motives, conditions, or causes of this act: but of God that sheweth mercy ; in a free sovereign way and manner, which he is not obliged to by anything the creature wills or works; he is at full liberty, notwithstanding whatever they will or do, to give his grace and mercy, when, where, and to whom he pleases; and therefore to give it to some, and deny it to others, can never be accounted an act of injustice, since he is not bound to give it to any. Some make the it to be the blessing of Isaac, which was not of the will of any of the parties concerned; not of Isaac who willed it to Esau; nor of Esau who willed it to himself, but had it not; nor of the will of the persons who had their desires, not of the will of Rebecca, who was desirous of it for her son Jacob, nor of the will of Jacob, who desired it for himself, though he had it; nor of either of them that ran, not of Esau, who made haste to hunt for, and prepare venison for his father, nor of Jacob, who ran to the flock, for two kids of the goats; but of God that showed mercy to him, who, according to his sovereign will and pleasure, had signified before to Rebecca, that the elder should serve the younger, ( Genesis 25:23 Romans 9:12): as the apostle had mentioned this so lately, it might still be in his thoughts, and he may allude to it; but election being what he is discoursing of in the context, that is the it here designed; and what is true of that, is true of salvation in all its parts, and therefore some understand it in the large sense of salvation; though by others so qualified and limited, as to spoil the glory of the text: some saying that the sense is, it is not of him that willeth and runneth wrong, but of the grace and mercy of God; but as no man would ever assert, that salvation is of him that wills and runs wrong, so the apostle had no occasion to deny it: others say, that it is not only of him that wills, and only of him that runs, but also of God that shows mercy; making man's will and works joint causes with the mercy of God in man's salvation; and besides, as Austin long ago observes, according to this sense, the words might as well be read, it is not only of God that shows mercy, but of him that willeth, and of him that runneth, which no Christian would dare to say: the true sense is, that as election, which is the leading step to salvation, is not owing at all to the will of men, but to the good pleasure and will of God; and not at all to the works of men, that being done before them, and they being the fruits and effects of that, but to the free love, grace, and good will of God; so salvation in all its parts and branches, as redemption, justification, regeneration, calling, and conversion, faith, repentance, hope, love, etc.. and eternal life, is not to be ascribed at all to the will of men, nor at all to the works of men, but entirely and alone to the love, grace, and mercy of God through Christ.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-24 - Whatever God does, must be just. Wherein the holy, happy people of God differ from others, God's grace alone makes them differ. In thi preventing, effectual, distinguishing grace, he acts as a benefactor whose grace is his own. None have deserved it; so that those who ar saved, must thank God only; and those who perish, must blame themselve only, Hos 13:9. God is bound no further than he has been pleased to bind himself by his own covenant and promise, which is his reveale will. And this is, that he will receive, and not cast out, those tha come to Christ; but the drawing of souls in order to that coming, is a anticipating, distinguishing favour to whom he will. Why does he ye find fault? This is not an objection to be made by the creature agains his Creator, by man against God. The truth, as it is in Jesus, abase man as nothing, as less than nothing, and advances God as sovereig Lord of all. Who art thou that art so foolish, so feeble, so unable to judge the Divine counsels? It becomes us to submit to him, not to repl against him. Would not men allow the infinite God the same sovereig right to manage the affairs of the creation, as the potter exercises i disposing of his clay, when of the same lump he makes one vessel to more honourable, and one to a meaner use? God could do no wrong however it might appear to men. God will make it appear that he hate sin. Also, he formed vessels filled with mercy. Sanctification is the preparation of the soul for glory. This is God's work. Sinners fi themselves for hell, but it is God who prepares saints for heaven; an all whom God designs for heaven hereafter, he fits for heaven now Would we know who these vessels of mercy are? Those whom God ha called; and these not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles. Surel there can be no unrighteousness in any of these Divine dispensations Nor in God's exercising long-suffering, patience, and forbearanc towards sinners under increasing guilt, before he brings utte destruction upon them. The fault is in the hardened sinner himself. A to all who love and fear God, however such truths appear beyond their reason to fathom, yet they should keep silence before him. It is the Lord alone who made us to differ; we should adore his pardoning merc and new-creating grace, and give diligence to make our calling an election sure.
Greek Textus Receptus
αρα 686 PRT ουν 3767 CONJ ου 3756 PRT-N του 3588 T-GSM θελοντος 2309 5723 V-PAP-GSM ουδε 3761 ADV του 3588 T-GSM τρεχοντος 5143 5723 V-PAP-GSM αλλα 235 CONJ του 3588 T-GSM ελεουντος 1653 5723 V-PAP-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth. It, the participation in God's mercy. Of him, i.e., dependent upon. Runneth, denoting strenuous effort. The metaphor from the foot-race is a favorite one with Paul. See 1 Cor. ix. 24, 26; Gal. ii. 2; v. 7; Philippians ii. 16; 2 Thess. iii. 1. God is laid under no obligation by a human will or a human work.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:16 {So qen} (ara oun). In view of this quotation. {It is not of} (ou). We must supply estin eleos with ou. "Mercy is not of." The articular participles (tou thelontos, tou trechontos, tou ele"ntos) can be understood as in the genitive with eleos understood (mercy is not a quality of) or as the predicate ablative of source like epilusews in #2Pe 1:20. Paul is fond of the metaphor of running.
