Alexander A. Di Lella, «Tobit 4,19 and Romans 9,18: An Intertextual Study», Vol. 90 (2009) 260-263
In this short article I explain how Paul and the author of Tobit share a common theology of Israel’s divine election. Then I analyze the texts and contexts of the rare phrase o#n a@n te/lh| in GII MS. 319 of Tob 4,19 and equally rare o#n qe/lei in Rom 9,18. From this analysis it seems reasonable to conclude that in composing Rom 9,18, Paul had in mind the virtually identical phrase found in Tob 4,19.
262 Alexander A. Di Lella
[the Lord exalts C] on high, and the one whom he wishes he casts down [he
humbles and throws down C] to the netherworld belowâ€.
In 4,19 according to GII 319, Tobit clearly refers to the doctrine of Israel’s
election when he affirms that God has total freedom of choice in granting
good counsel only to Israel, for he alone has the power to lift up as he wills
and to cast down as he wills. This affirmation reflects what we find in Dan
2,21, both in the MT Aramaic and essentially in the two Greek forms of the
book. I cite only the Theodotion-Daniel text: kai; aujto;" ajlloioi' kairou;" kai;
crovnou", kaqista'/ basilei'" kai; meqista'/, didou;" sofivan toi'" sofoi'" kai;
frovnhsin toi'" eijdovsin suvnesin, “And he himself changes the seasons and
times; he sets up kings and removes them, giving wisdom to the wise and
knowledge to those who understand (7)†(my translation).
In Rom 9,1-29 Paul emphasizes that the word of God has not failed but
indeed remains operative because of Israel’s election. He explains in 9,14-18
an essential aspect of his teaching on God’s election of Israel. In particular he
states in 9,18: a[ra ou\n o}n qevlei (+ oJ qeov" D pc a m vgMS.; Ambst) ejleei', o}n de;
qevlei sklhruvnei (8), “Now, therefore, he has mercy upon whom he [some
MSS.: God] wills, and he hardens whom he wills†(my translation). Paul’s
last clause harks back, of course, to the many OT passages regarding the
Lord’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart (9).
Paul emphasizes that God’s sovereign choices do not depend on human
will or agency; rather, God is free to act in human affairs exactly as he wills.
This idea forms the basis of the divine election of Israel (10). Paul seems to
have borrowed the key phrase o}n qevlei (Rom 9,18) from Tob 4,19, o}n a]n
qevlh/, because in that verse the author of Tobit also stresses the doctrine of
election.
In fact, the phrase o}n qevlei recurs, remarkably, only twice in the entire
NT (both times in Rom 9,18) and likewise only twice as the similar phrase o}n
a]n qevlh/ in the LXX (both times in Tob 4,19 of GII MS. 319). The phrase
appears in texts dealing with the absolute will of God to have mercy on whom
he wills and to harden whom he wills (Romans), and to raise on high whom
he wills and to cast down whom he wills (Tobit). These two passages are
embedded in roughly similar contexts about divine election and the
sovereignty of God in dealing with Israel and the Gentiles; this similarity
makes all the more forceful the striking twofold repetition of the very rare
phrase o}n a]n qevlh/ in GII MS. 319 of Tob 4,19 and its virtually identical
twofold repetition in the equally rare o}n qevlei in Rom 9,18.
It appears quite reasonable to conclude that in composing Rom 9,18 Paul
had in mind especially the text of Tob 4,19, o}n a]n qevlh/ only in its GII MS. 319
form, from which he borrowed the repetition of the key phrase o}n qevlei,
(7) I quote this text from the critical edition of J. ZIEGLER – O. MUNNICH (eds.),
Susanna, Daniel, Bel et Draco (Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum 16.2; Göttingen
1999) 249.
2
(8) Text taken from K. ALAND et al. (eds.), Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece
(Stuttgart 261983) 425.
(9) See, for example, Exod 4,21; 7,3; 9,12; 10,1.20.27; 11,10; 14,4.8.17.
(10) See F.J. MATERA, New Testament Theology. Exploring Diversity and Unity
(Louisville, KY – London 2007) 190.