The passage
      v14. Paul continues to make the case that God's sovereign choice of an elect remnant within Israel has remained consistently the same and properly fulfills his promise to Abraham. Yet, what about the apparent conclusion that God's actions are inherently unjust? Is it not unjust to distinguish between people, not on the basis of their behavior, their inherent worth, but rather on the basis of a seemingly capricious sovereign grace? "Definitely not", says Paul. He now sets out to argue the case.
      v15-17. By quoting Exodus 33:19, Paul establishes the basis of his argument. He reminds his readers of Israel's idolatrous flirtation with the Golden Calf at Mt. Sinai. For their apostasy, Israel should have been annihilated, but thankfully God chose to spare many of the people from the consequences of their actions. This called-out remnant of Israel ("the elect") was not saved by human effort or will, but by God's sovereign grace. Paul also reminds his readers that when Israel was called out from Egypt, it was God's heavy hand against Pharaoh that saved his remnant people; their salvation only ever depended on God's mercy.
      v18. "God shows mercy in the gathering of a people who do not deserve to be gathered to him, and where it is his will, he uses human obstinacy to that end." Paul now sums up his argument against the idea that God's justice in election is arbitrary. The realization of God's sovereign will has as its end the fulfilling of his promises to Abraham (the covenant) - the gathering and preserving of an eternal people for himself. God's sovereign undertaking to this end exhibits his righteousness, not his unrighteousness.
      v19-21. This raises an obvious objection. How can a just God condemn those arbitrarily set aside through an act of His own sovereign will? Quoting Isaiah 29:16 and moving to the thought of Wisdom 15:7, Paul makes the point that a sovereign God rightfully orders the affairs of his creation to achieve his ultimate will. In simple terms, God has the right to draw out from unfaithful Israel a remnant, that such is not arbitrary, but serves his ultimate purpose of gathering a people to himself, ie., God has the right to fulfill the promises to Abraham as he sees fit. God displays his justice in that all of Israel are rightly "objects of his wrath", but in an act of grace he sets apart a remnant for "noble purposes."
      v22-24. "If God, with the right to punish sin, patiently puts up with rebellious Israel (v22), in order to gather a remnant according to grace, ..... (v23), made up of Jews as well as Gentiles (v24), [then who are we to argue with him as if his actions are unjust?]" As God endured a Pharaoh, so he endures rebellious Israel, so that he might ultimately bestow the riches of his glory on "objects of his mercy", ie., save a people to himself, by grace through faith. God's gracious purpose displays both wrath and saving power. Israel, along with all humanity, are rightly objects of God's wrath, "prepared for destruction", yet individual Israelites are not necessarily condemned. As with all people, they can, like Abraham, turn in faith to the source of all mercy, and so in Christ be saved. This is the point of Paul's words, "even us, whom he also called", v24a.

Justice and the sovereign will of God
      "Theologians are unwise to systematize the doctrine of election in such a way that no puzzles, enigmas, or loose ends are left", John Stott.
      Our passage for study has certainly prompted many people to conclude that it teaches predestination and election, namely that it is God's intention "to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation.", Article XVII of the Articles of Religion in the Anglican Prayer Book. We do need to understand that the Bible teaches that God's hand is in all the circumstances of life, both good and bad. How else can we think about an almighty God? Of course, in our age, surrounded by human freedom, such an idea causes some degree of anxiety, particularly among those who feel the Bible is free of enigmas. The problem lies with our difficulty to think laterally. We moderns tend to be linear thinkers, unable to hold the Biblical ideas of God's sovereignty and human free-will in tension. The simple fact is, both ideas are true and so we just have to live with "this perennial paradox", as Douglas Moo puts it.
      Yet interestingly, our passage is not actually about God predestining some individuals for salvation and damning the rest. In fact, such a crude expression of systematic theology would find little Biblical support anyway. What Paul is addressing is the issue of God's failure to save all Israel. Paul's answer is that God never intended to save all Israel because salvation does not rest on a person's race (a descendant of Abraham), or worth (obedience to the law), but rather, on God's gracious mercy, his kindness. Like Abraham of old, it is those who rest in faith on God's mercy who are members of God's chosen people.
      All of Israel, in fact, all of humanity, is like a single lump of potter's clay deserving to be formed into nothing more than a pot "for the kitchen" as William Barclay put it, and ultimately, for the tip. Yet God, in his sovereign mercy, has shaped some pots from the clay "designed for the drawing-room." We can argue that such selectivity is not true to God's promises, although God never promised universal salvation. We can argue that it seems unfair, particularly for the pots that end up in the tip, but then, they deserve to be in the tip. Thankfully, the potter has chosen to produce some works of art from the clay and who are we to argue the justice of his mercy? Best to take up the free offer of art-status and end up in the drawing room.

v14
      Having raised the issue of the election of a godly line / remnant within Israel, v11-13, Paul now sets out to argue for the justice of God in his election of a remnant, v14-18. He develops his case by arguing against the objection that the exercise of divine sovereignty in calling out a godly line / remnant is unjust, and thus by implication, not true to the Abrahamic covenant.
      eroumen (eipon) fut. "[what then] shall we say?" - will we say. A deliberative future. The phrase is often used by Paul "at a point where he recognizes that a false conclusion could be drawn", Cranfield; "are we saying that God is unfair", CEV.
      mh adikia para "[is God] unjust?" - [not] unrighteousness [with God]. The preposition para, "with", expresses the sense, "God has nothing to do with unrighteousness", cf. BAGD. Obviously a question, with the negation implying a negative answer stated strongly with the typical "may it never be." In what sense is God not unrighteous ("in his character", Moo) / unfair (in his dealings with Esau, Jewett) / "partial", Murray? Dumbrell suggests "untrue to his covenant undertakings", or more particularly, referring to God's "inconsistency" in his "dealings with contemporary Israel and his dealings with Abraham's offspring in the remote past", Cranfield.

v15
      gar "for" - Expressing cause/reason, and certainly here providing an explanation why God is not "unrighteous". Scripture provides the reason in the form of a principle, Ex.33:19. Israel's idolatry, in the making of the golden calf, should properly have resulted in its destruction, but only 3,000 died at the hands of the Levites, cf. Ex.32; a remnant was preserved for the realization of the Abrahamic covenant. God's glory is properly evidenced in his free "mercy" apart from "rights or piety", Morris, and such evidences his "righteousness", not his unrighteousness. Again reflecting Paul's salvation history approach to this problem, one his readers should well understand since, apart from the mercy of God, all would be lost, cf. Barrett, Dumbrell.
      oJn an + subj. "on whom [I have mercy]" - whomever, whoever [I may show mercy]. "I will have mercy on anyone, whoever he is, that I will show mercy to in the future", Morris.

v16
      "it" - The subject must be supplied. Cranfield suggests "God's mercy."
      ara oun "therefore" - therefore therefore. "Introducing an inference from the Exodus word just quoted", Cranfield.
      "depend" - The main verb must be supplied, eg. "not a matter of", Moo; "the matter (supplied subject) rests (verb) not on ...", Pilcher. The NIV "depends" is strongly supported, eg. TNT, Barclay, REB...
      tou qelontoV gen. pres. part. "man's desire [or effort]" - of the one desiring [nor of the one running]. Participle as a substantive. The genitive is best treated as a genitive or origin; "God's bestowal of mercy does not come from a person's willing or running, but comes from the God who shows mercy" ("their readiness to do something" or "the actual execution of that desire", Moo; "if salvation were to rest on human willing and human striving we would all be in difficulties", Morris), Moo.

v17
      gar "for" - Again used to express cause / reason such that the quote supports v16 with its idea that salvation depends on God's mercy. So, the reference to Pharaoh does not serve to imply that God raised him up to damn him, rather that he was used to enable the calling out of Israel from Egypt. The reference concerns the preservation of the remnant under the mercy of God. Contra Moo who argues that v17-18, as with v15-16, answers the question "Is God unjust", v14.
      tw/ Faraw "to Pharaoh" - The words are to Pharaoh and are recorded in scripture for our sake.
      exhgeira (exegeirw) aor. "I raised [you] up]" - awaken, raised. Cranfield suggests a general sense is intended, similar to the LXX "you have been preserved", MT root "cause to stand / maintain", even possibly "exist", rather than expressing God's initiative in the actual circumstances of Pharaoh's life, eg. "appoint to a significant role in salvation history", Murray (Pharaoh certainly plays this role, but did God write the part? [Scripture seems to imply that both Pharaoh hardens himself and that God hardens him, cf. Morris p.361]); "I have brought you onto the stage of history", Barclay.
      eiV auto touto "for this very purpose" - for just this thing. Expressing purpose, BDF 290, as NIV.
      oJtwV + subj. "that [I might display]" - in order that, so that. Forming a final (purpose) clause, possibly consecutive (result); "for no other reason than to show my power", TNT.
      thn dunamin (iV ewV) "power" - strength, power. Surely God's saving power in fulfilling the covenant, cf. Dunn, Dumbrell, "saving power .... directed toward the deliverance of God's people", Cranfield, rather than his power in judgment upon Pharaoh (Both?, cf. Moo).
      en "in [you]" - Local/spacial sense is possible, as NIV, but instrumental seems better, "so that I might demonstrate through you my power", Moo.
      diaggelh/ to onoma mou "my name might be proclaimed" - the name of me may be declared, published. Pharaoh's murderous resistance of God's will for Israel will also serve to display ("might be noised abroad", Pilcher) the character of God, encapsulated in his sovereign grace/mercy toward his covenant people (the remnant).

v18
      ara oun "therefore" - therefore therefore / so then. "Wherefore therefore", Morris. "So then, it is undeniable", Jewett.
      oJn qelei "on whom he wants to" - whom he wills. "Everything depends on what God decides to do", CEV.
      sklhrunei (sklhrunw) pres. "he hardens" - he makes hard, stubborn - to cause to be stubborn and obstinate*. The word grouping, noun/pronoun = "hardness", verb, "to be / to make obstinate, stubborn" is often used by Paul to express "an inflexibility and insensibility to the gospel that hinders people from being saved", Schreiner. Here probably in a more general sense of a resistance to the divine will (better than "election to salvation and of reprobation to death", Calvin) which originates from the divine. Many commentators go into apologetic overdrive at this point in an attempt to protect God's good name, cf. Morris. Yet, as already noted, the scriptures never hesitate to affirm God's hand in everything, without in any way watering down our own responsibility. There is also, at this point, a wilting on the part of those who argue for a corporate election, as opposed to the election of individuals for salvation, cf. Sandy and Headlam. Yet, as already noted, the corporate election of Israel, of a remnant through grace/mercy, is firmly in mind here, for which Pharaoh is used to this end. None-the-less, "hardening" is, of itself, the consequence of rebellion rather than an unrelated instrument of predestination. Those who refuse God's mercy find their hearts callused; those who reject a clear word from God are left with riddles (eg., kingdom parables Matt.13:10-17). So, hardening is best viewed as an act of judgment on the part of God, although, at the same time, as with everything in this world (including the independent actions sinful humanity), it can properly serve the divine will.

v19
      Paul now argues for the justice of God in not electing all of Israel, v19-23. He contends against the obvious objection that divine selectivity serves only to abandon the bulk of Israel (who are unable to resist the divine will) to divine "wrath", demonstrating that "God is unrighteous, acting contrary to his covenant promises to Israel", Dumbrell. Paul addresses this problem by pointing out that God has the right to draw out from unfaithful Israel a remnant, that such is not arbitrary, but serves his ultimate purpose of grace - the calling out of a blessed people of God, v23, ie. God has the right to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant as he sees fit. The reality is that all of Israel, due to sin, are rightly "objects of his wrath", but on the basis of God's sovereign grace/"mercy" (appropriated through faith) a remnant is set apart for "noble purposes", and thus "for glory." It is often argued that in this passage Paul addresses the "hardening" of Israel, in terms of the hardening of Pharaoh, yet it is more likely that the issue is that God draws from the "clay" of Israel "pottery for noble purposes", while setting aside the major part of Israel, a pottery "for common use." Paul's point is that God's justice is maintained in that all Israel rightly faces a "common" end, judgment, yet, God shows "patience" toward "the objects of his wrath, prepared for destruction", in order to "make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy." Such maintains God's justice, fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant.
      "Perhaps someone will object: Why then does God condemn Israel, for we are impotent before God." Sin has made Israel impotent and therefore Israel is rightly blamed, but God stays his hand that mercy might be extended toward a remnant in Israel, a people who like Abraham, rest in faith.
      epeiV (eipon) fut. "one of you will say" - ye say [to me therefore]. The "you" is emphatic, so not so much "one of you"; "now you will wish to ask me", Cassirer.
      memfetai (memfomai) pres. "blame" - find fault with, blame. Touching on the injustice of divine selectivity, but surely Israel is in mind, rather than Pharaoh, as suggested by many.
      anqesthken (anqisthmi) perf. "resists" - has opposed, resisted. The perfect is obviously gnomic, so "who has ever resisted God's will?", Jewett. "Resisted" in the sense of "set oneself against", BAGD. This statement supports the question concerning blame, making the point that accountability cannot be morally applied where it is not possible to resist the divine will.
      boulhmati (a atoV) "[his] will" - the will, intent [of him]. "The purposeful intention of God", Schrenk.

v20
      Possible allusion to Isaiah 45:9.
      menounge "but" - on the other hand, on the contrary. Adversative.
      wJ anqrwpe (oV) voc. "O man" - Is Paul here addressing an aggressive opponent, or as is more likely, adopting a rhetorical style for the sake of his argument? "Who are you, my friend", Goodspeed; "my dear sir", Barrett.
      oJ antapokrinomenoV (apokrinomai) pres. part. "to talk back" - answering again, replying again. The participle is adjectival, referring to the man who questions God. The use of this word "underlines the incongruity of the question", Morris. "That you can object to what God has decided", TH.
      mh erei "shall [what is formed] say" - not will say. The negation in the question expects the answer "no". The future tense is deliberative.
      tw/ plasanti (plassw) dat. aor. part. "to him who formed [it]" - to the one having formed. The participle functions as a substantive, taking a dative of interest.
      ouJtwV adv. "like this" - thus. Adverb as a predicate accusative adjective.

v21
      h] "-" - or. Introducing an alternative; "What! has the potter no right over the clay?", Moffatt.
      ouk "[does] not" - The negation in this question prompts the answer "yes".
      exousian (a) "right" - authority, power. As NIV, "right" in the sense of "entitled".
      poihsai (poiew) aor. inf. "to make" - to do, make. The infinitive is epexegetic, explaining the "authority".
      tou autou furamatoV "the same lump" - "The one batch of clay", Morris.
      tou phlou (oV) gen. "[out of the same lump] of clay" - of mud, clay. The genitive is partitive, identifying the whole of which a part is taken. Obviously potter's clay is the material being referred to.
      o} "-" - Accented as a demonstrative pronoun, as translated by Barclay below, but of course, accents are a later addition so it may just be an article.
      men ..... de - Setting up an either/or expression.
      eiV "for" - to, into. Here the preposition is expressing purpose, as NIV.
      atimian (a) "common use" - dishonor. Not "dishonorable / ignoble" use, but "menial" use. "One article which is designed for the drawing room and one which is designed for the kitchen", Barclay. Dodd's distress at the description of man as "a pot" is understandable, but the reality is that due to sin we are all destined for the kitchen and ultimately the tip. In any case, the image is of two pots, remnant Israel and Israel. Thankfully, the potter has chosen to produce some works of art from the worthless clay and who are we to argue the justice of his mercy? Best to take up the free offer of art-status and end up in the drawing room.

v22
      de "-" - but, and. Possibly slightly adversative setting up a contrast with the potter illustration, but better taken as transitional.
      ei "if" - Introducing a conditional sentence, 1st class, covering v22-24, where the condition is assumed to be true; "if God .... bore with great patience ...." The problem is that there does not seem to be an apodosis (the counter to the "if" clause). The apodosis is possibly assumed (although v23 may be the intended apodosis); something like, "then who are we to argue?" cf. v20-21. "If God, ......., patiently puts up with rebellious Israel (v22), in order to gather a remnant according to grace, ..... (v23), made up of Jews as well as Gentiles (v24), [then who are we to argue with God as if his actions are unjust? ("how much the more then should defiant obstinacy turn into humble praise?" Maurer, a less pointed stab in the dark! Morris', then "why complain about injustice?" is closer to the mark)]"
      qelwn (qelw) pres. part. "choosing [to show]" - willing. The participle is obviously adverbial, probably concessive, "though / although"; "though desirous to display his anger and show his might", Moffatt, so also Goodspeed, TNT, NJB. The participle may be causal, "because", NRSV, REB, even possibly temporal, "while ready to display his anger", Cassirer, Weymouth, although both seem unlikely. The sense of the word is possibly "wanted", TEV, in the sense of "desiring", but better "intending"; "although intending to display ...."
      endeixasqai (endeiknumi) aor. inf. "to show [his wrath]" - to demonstrate, exhibit, show forth. As with "to make known [his power]", the infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of a verb of intention, here the verbal participle "willing" = "intending". "Demonstrate" in the sense of reveal God's person, here the God of justice rightly acting against sin, so a revelation exhibiting God as holy. What is on display is God's wrath and power expressed in judgment, which judgment God has [momentarily] stayed in order that / with the result that ..... v23-24.
      hnegken (ferw) aor. "bore" - carried = endured, put up with. God patiently put up with Israel's rebellion, staying his hand of judgment. "Endured with much patience", Pilcher; "patiently put up with them", CEV.
      en "with" - in, on. Here taking a spacial sense.
      skeuh orghV "the objects of wrath" - vessels of anger. Absence of an article indicates a class of people; "the people he is going to judge in his righteous anger." The genitive, "of wrath", is probably descriptive, so they are people facing wrath, facing God's righteous judgment; "vessels on whom God's wrath rests", Moo.
      kathritismena (katartizw) perf. mid/pas. pat. "prepared [for destruction]" - having been prepared, made ready, rendered [toward dishonor]. The perfect tense expresses a completed action with ongoing consequences, "ripe and ready to be destroyed", Moffatt. The participle is adjectival, most likely in the middle voice (ie., they set themselves up for judgment, although Wallace disagrees), although passive is possible with the agent being sin, or even God in the sense of the one who brings the sinner before the judgment seat to be pronounced guilty. Together with "destruction" (used of the final judgment), forming an adjectival phrase modifying an assumed noun, eg., "men and women who deserved nothing but his wrath and who were fit for nothing but destruction", Barclay.

v23
      kai "what if he did this" - and. Maintaining continuity with the v22. "And he has acted in this way", Cassirer.
      iJna + subj. "to [make ..... known]" - that [he might make known]. Usually understood as expressing purpose, "in order to make known his glory", but a consecutive clause expressing result should not be ruled out. The clause presumably depends on "bore with great patience"; "God waited with patience so that he could make known his rich glory", NCV.
      gnwrish/ (gnwrizw) aor. subj. "make [the riches of his glory] known" - As noted above, "make known" is not just a revelation of God's glory, but the exhibition of that glory in the active pouring out of his mercy. God reveals himself with powerful pro-active words that achieve their end.
      thV doxhV (a) gen. "[riches of his] glory" - The genitive may be descriptive, so "God's glorious riches", but "glory" is such a strong word that a partitive sense seems best, "riches consisting especially of the divine glory."
      epi "to" - upon. The NIV goes for "to", but the exhibition of divine glory is evident in the application of mercy upon the remnant, those who are "the objects of his mercy."
      eleouV (oV) gen. "[objects] of his mercy" - [vessels] of mercy. The genitive is descriptive, "vessels on whom his mercy rests", Moo.
      prohtoimasen (proetoimazw) aor. "he prepared in advance" - he prepared beforehand. The active aorist is used to express the divine determination here, as opposed to the passive in "vessels of wrath having been prepared", v22. The prefix expresses predetermination. The idea that salvation results from divine cherry picking prompts numerous responses. The argument that Paul has in the back of his mind the ultimate salvation of all Israel seems unlikely, although he does argue for the salvation of a representative whole in chapter 11, cf. Cranfield, Dunn. Is this an example of "the training through history and life, not to election", Parry? Of course, Paul may just be stating the way it is, God picks and prepares "the objects of his mercy", cf. Moo, Jewett, Schreiner, Osborne etc. The divine initiative is clearly expressed here, but as noted elsewhere in these notes, the initiative applies to a corporate people, rather than individuals. The remnant are the objects of his mercy and these, like Abraham, are the people of faith. Israel may have broken the covenant and face annihilation, but God had long before determined the way forward for his people and so has patiently stayed his hand of judgment for the fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant in the gathering of people by grace, through faith. "Those to whom he has [already] prepared to receive his glory", TEV.