Romans 1:2
d(Which he had promised *afore eby his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις,
Textual key: no entry
d:
*:
afore-before, previously.
e:
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Romans 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
the meaning is not, that the history of the gospel was promised by the prophets, but that Jesus Christ, with all his benefits, (which is the direct subject of the gospel history and revelation), was promised or foreshown by them.
this word is added to prevent the imputation of novelty: q.d. Let none object and say, the gospel is a new and modern doctrine; for it was promised or foretold of old, by all the prophets which have been since the world began, Luk 1:70.
by prophets we may understand, not only those that were commonly dignified with that title, but all those also whom God condescended to converse with in a familiar manner, revealing his secrets to them: that such are called prophets, see Gen 20:7 Psa 105:15.
to wit, of the Old Testament; he hath respect to the oracles and promises therein contained, concerning Christ and his kingdom; chiefly to Gen 3:15 49:8,10 Deu 18:18 Psa 16:10 Psa 22:1-31 40:1-17 110:1 Isa 7:14 9:6 53:1-12 63:1-3 Dan 9:24-26 Mic 5:2 Zec 9:9 Mal 3:1, &c. He hereby intimates, that there is a great harmony and consent betwixt the prophets and apostles, the doctrine of the Old Testament and the New; see Luk 24:44 Joh 12:16 Act 10:43. Our modern translators include this verse in a parenthesis; the ancients did not.