Romans 11:35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

God alone knows His own works completely. Therefore the Apostle added: "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him, that it should be repaid to him?" These words mean that God, being so wise, does not borrow wisdom from another, but is Himself the source of good things. He has done so much for us and granted so much to us, yet He did not give us what He borrowed from another. He poured it out from Himself. He is not obliged to repay anyone as though He had received something from another. He Himself is always the chief cause of good things.

"For who has first given to Him," that is, to God, "that it should be repaid to him?" This means: so that the benefaction bestowed by God might be considered a repayment to the one who gave.

Or what did the people give Him from themselves, that they should complain because He will not repay them? (cf. Is 40:13-14). The Greek and other texts have "who?" Another reading has "added"; the Slavonic has "first gave."

The Apostle set forth these three questions to show three excellences: riches, wisdom, and knowledge. "Who has known the mind of the Lord?" shows knowledge. "Who has been His counselor?" shows wisdom. "Who has first given to Him, that it should be repaid to him?" shows riches. For the riches of goodness are so immeasurable that He gave being to those who did not exist. To those brought into being He grants well-being. He does not repay, but gives good things. Yet in His love for mankind He calls the giving a repayment.

No good work is accomplished by the dead, and no righteousness takes its beginning from the ungodly (cf. Ps 88:10). All salvation has been given to men freely. Therefore, when the one who is glorified is glorified in Him whose glory he needed, this is done to the glory of God.

"For God has shut up all in disobedience, that He might have mercy on all" (Rom 11:32). Holy Chrysostom interprets the expression "God has shut up all in disobedience" in this way: God convicted all by declaring them disobedient. He shut all into one rank of the disobedient, not so that all should remain disobedient, but so that He might save some through the stubbornness of others. He saves the Jews through the Gentiles, and the Gentiles through the Jews. This mystery arouses wonder at the incomprehensible wisdom of God: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways," and so forth (Rom 11:33-36).

Finally, moved by the greatness and wisdom of God’s providence for all people, the Apostle cries out that, in the salvation of all mankind, an unsearchable abyss is revealed: grace, wisdom, and knowledge beyond full comprehension. Therefore no one may demand that the ways of the Lord conform to our desires. Still less can anyone do something for God by which he might count on salvation as a deserved wage. As all things began to exist from God and are upheld by Him, so all things must be directed to Him. Nothing exists outside dependence on Him. Therefore praise must be offered to Him, as the Apostle Paul does, teaching the same to all of us. We owe the Lord both our life and its ordering toward our good and eternal salvation.

These are the words of the Prophet Isaiah (cf. Isa 40:13-14). The whole passage in him reads thus: "Who has known the mind of the Lord? And who has been His counselor, to instruct Him? Or with whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him? Or who showed Him judgment? Or who showed Him the way of understanding? Or who first gave to Him, and it shall be repaid to him?"

"These words mean that God, being so wise, does not borrow wisdom from another, but is Himself the source of wisdom and of all good things. He Who has done so much for us and bestowed so many blessings on us did not give us what was borrowed from another, but poured it out from Himself.