And again, Isaias saith: There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope.
και παλιν ησαιας λεγει εσται η ριζα του ιεσσαι και ο ανισταμενος αρχειν εθνων επ αυτω εθνη ελπιουσιν
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The Apostle brings all this forward to prove that all must be united and glorify God. At the same time he humbles the Jew, so that he not exalt himself over the Gentile, since all the prophets also call the Gentiles. He also teaches modesty to the Gentile, showing that he has benefited more from grace.
The words "There shall be the root of Jesse" are spoken in place of: from the root of Jesse shall grow the One who will arise to rule the nations, that is, Christ.
He cited this to prove that already from the time of their prophets the entrance of the Gentiles had been inscribed. It had been prefigured through the manifestation of the root of Jesse: "in Him the Gentiles shall hope" (cf. Isa 11:10).
To assure the Gentiles and leave no doubt in their hope, Paul supports God’s ordinance with many testimonies. He shows that all nations will be blessed in Christ. They need not grow despondent because of the unbelief of the Jews, nor doubt the hope that was given by God to Abraham for the sake of the Jews. All this is so that joy and assurance may increase.
Why is Christ said to be from the root of Jesse, and not from the root of Boaz, a righteous man (cf. Ruth 2:1-4:22), or from the root of Obed (cf. Ruth 4:17-22; 1 Chr 2:12)? It is because He is called the Son of David according to kingship. For He was begotten by God unto the kingdom, and according to the flesh He was born from David.
The root of Jesse refers to the tree of David, which bore fruit on the branch that is the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Christ.
(10 - Deut 32:43) (11 - Ps 116:1). (12 - Isa 11:10). The Apostle cited these testimonies to teach the believers from among the Jews not to be grieved at the salvation of the Gentiles, but to believe the prophecies concerning them.
Finally, justice itself requires that the strong adapt themselves to the weak, and not the reverse (Rom 15:1–13). "We who are strong," that is, who understand the true meaning of food and drink, "ought to bear the infirmities of the weak," that is, of those who have not risen to such understanding, "and not to please ourselves. For Christ also did not please Himself."
Therefore Christians from among the Jews, still weakened by attachment to Old Testament ritual, and Christians from among the Gentiles, free from this attachment, must receive one another. They must not avoid one another, but have communion among themselves, "that with one mind and one mouth they may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," "as Christ also received" both "to the glory of God."
"I mean," the Apostle adds, "that Jesus Christ became a minister to the circumcised for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy," as the prophets had foretold.
The Apostle Paul himself offered in himself a living example of how one must bear the infirmities of the weak. As St. Chrysostom notes, "he himself circumcised, cut his hair, offered the Jewish sacrifice, and so forth." Or, as the Apostle says of himself, "I became all things to all men," of course in matters indifferent, "that by all means I might save some" (1 Cor 9:22).
Again persuading Christians to treat all the weak with love, the Apostle reminds them that Jesus Christ received us when we were unworthy. He received some for the sake of the promise to the fathers, and others solely by mercy. Therefore He received both, not because of their personal perfections.
So believers also must treat one another with condescension. In particular, they must not let national distinctions govern their relations. The conversion of the Gentiles is as much a work foreordained and prepared by God as the justification of the Jews.
If anything is lacking in any of them, one may hope that God will supply the deficiency by the power of His Holy Spirit. He guides into all truth and consoles in everything with the highest hope. By this hope all our present shortcomings are covered, and all the perfections and gifts of God, abundantly given to us, are brought to fulfillment.
The Apostle confirms by many prophecies that the Gentiles were called by God through mercy. According to St. John Chrysostom, in them he "brings everything forward as proof that all must be united and glorify God." At the same time, he wishes "to humble the Jew, so that he will not exalt himself over the Gentile. Because all the prophets call the Gentiles to the glorification of God." He also wishes "to teach modesty to the Gentile, showing that he is bound to give greater thanks to God."
At the conclusion of his exhortation, the Apostle prays to the Lord Himself. He asks Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to fill the Romans with the spirit of joy, peace, and all-perfect hope.
Concerning this prayer, Bishop Theophan observes: "This prayer, while verbally attached to the prophet’s words just cited, corresponds in its content to the whole preceding section, chapters 14 and 15. The object of the prayerful good wish is abundance of hope. For this to exist, he wishes the heart to be filled with joy and peace. Faith is indicated as the source of these gifts. Faith gives birth to joy and peace. Joy and peace multiply hope. All this comes about by the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit engenders spiritual life. It sustains it and leads it to perfection. From it come all movements and changes in the spiritual life. In view of the Romans’ condition, the Apostle especially wishes them joy and peace. When these are present, the minor differences in convictions of which he speaks will no longer have the harmful consequences that now arise from them. Joy and peace will suppress every quarrel, division, and estrangement, and will no longer allow them to arise."
Through hope in the Lord and His Christ, everything will be ordered in the best way for our good and salvation.
The fourth prophecy is taken from the prophet Isaiah (cf. Isa 11:10). “The words, ‘There shall be the root of Jesse,’ are said instead of this: from the root of Jesse shall grow Him Who will rise to rule the nations, that is, Christ” (blessed Theophylact).
“By many testimonies the Apostle proves that it was the eternal decree of God for all nations to be deemed worthy of blessing in Christ Jesus. He proves this in order to impress upon the nations that their hope is firm and admits no doubt” (Ambrosiaster).
The Gentiles who believed also hope. Since they hope for great things, they cannot refrain from glorifying God, especially after receiving sure pledges that confirm the reception of what they hope for.
Chrysostom concludes these testimonies with this inference: “The Apostle brings all this as proof that all must be united and glorify God. At the same time, by this he wishes to humble the Jew, so that he not exalt himself over the Gentile. For all the prophets call the Gentiles also to the glorification of God. He also teaches modesty to the Gentile, showing that he is bound to give God greater thanks.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 18 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS