What a dreadful thing it is to have God against us and to know that He who controls the, very breath of our lives, and all the elements of destruction around us, is compelled by His very nature to deal contrary to us, and to consume us, even as fire must consume every combustible thing that it touches! God is compelled to be against sin, and while He pities the sinner He hates the sin; and while we are against God, His very presence must be to us a consuming fire, and even heaven would be hell to the sinful soul, and it would fly from the awful blaze of His holy glance as from a lightning flash and long to hide itself in hell. (A. B. Simpson)

The Lord will not save those whom He cannot command.  He will not divide His offices.  You cannot believe on a half-Christ.  We take Him for what He is—the anointed Savior and Lord who is King of kings and Lord of all lords! He would not be Who He is if He saved us and called us and chose us without the understanding that He can also guide and control our lives. (A. W. Tozer)

Now he answers concerning the reprobate, or those whom God hates who are not yet born, and has appointed to destruction, without any respect of unworthiness.  And first of all he proves this to be true, by alleging the testimony of God himself concerning Pharaoh, whom he stirred up to this purpose, that he might be glorified in Pharaoh's hardening and just punishing. (Geneva Bible Translation Notes)

A seminary professor once said to me, “Try to explain election, and you may lose your mind; but explain it away and you will lose your soul!” (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary.)

There is nothing believers could have done to attain their salvation.  It would be a cruel trick if God made believers jump through hoops of righteousness in order to gain redemption. (Hughes, R. B., & Laney, J. C. (2001). Tyndale concise Bible commentary.)

It is significant that Paul here offers no ‘logical’ explanation for the compatibility of God’s sovereignty with the equally biblical teaching that God is scrupulously fair and that human beings are justifiably blameworthy for their actions.  We would do well to follow his approach: to affirm the truth of these great biblical doctrines without eliminating or weakening one or the other through an insistence on an exhaustive explanation.  This is a point at which, with Paul (cf. 11:33–36), we should be prepared to recognize a mystery beyond our comprehension. (Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition)

Is there injustice with God - Is it unjust in God to give Jacob the blessing rather than Esau? or to accept believers, and them only. God forbid - In no wise.  This is well consistent with justice; for he has a right to fix the terms on which he will show mercy, according to his declaration to Moses, petitioning for all the people, after they had committed idolatry with the golden calf.  I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy - According to the terms I myself have fixed.  And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion - Namely, on those only who submit to my terms, who accept of it in the way that I have appointed. (John Wesley)

What was the fundamental mistake of the Jews?  This may seem a curious question to ask in view of what we have just said. But, paradoxically, Paul holds that though the rejection of the Jews was the work of God, it need never have happened.  He cannot get rid of the eternal paradox—nor does he desire to—that at one and the same time all is of God and man has free-will.  The fundamental mistake of the Jews was that they tried to get into a right relationship with God through their own efforts.  They tried to earn salvation; whereas the Gentiles simply accepted the offer of God in perfect trust.  The Jews should have known that the only way to God was the way of faith and that human achievement led nowhere.  Did not Isaiah say: "No one who believes in him will be put to shame"?  (Isa 28:16; Rom 10:11.)  Did not Joel say: "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved"? (Joel 2:32; Rom 10:13.)  True, no man can have faith until he hears the offer of God; but to the Jews that offer was made.  They clung to the way of human achievement through obedience to the law; they staked everything on works, but they should have known that the way to God was the way of faith, for the prophets had told them so…. (William Barclay)

The diligent perusal of the Holy Scriptures would discover to us our past ignorance. (William Wilburforce)

He proves the casting away of Esau in that he was made servant to his brother: and proves the choosing of Jacob in that he was made lord of his brother, although his brother was the first begotten.  And in order that no man might take what God had said, and refer it to external things, the apostle shows out of Malachi, who is a good interpreter of Moses, that the servitude of Esau was joined with the hatred of God, and the lordship of Jacob with the love of God. (Geneva Bible Translation Notes)

In election, God exercises His sovereign will to accomplish His perfect plan.  Keep in mind that the election discussed in Romans 9–11 is national and not individual.  To apply all the truths of these chapters to the salvation or security of the individual believer is to miss their message completely.  In fact, Paul carefully points out that he is discussing the Jews and Gentiles as peoples, not individual sinners. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (391). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.)

Though of one father, a different destiny was divinely appointed for each of the twins. Hence only the divine disposal constitutes the true and valid succession, and not the bodily descent. (Vincent's Word Studies, Marvin R. Vincent, D.D.)

At this time I will come, saith God, and exert my Divine power, and Sarah, though fourscore and ten years old, shall have a son; which shows that it is the sovereign will and act of God alone, which singles out and constitutes the peculiar seed that was to inherit the promise made to Abraham. (Dr. Adam Clarke)

Whence it appears that not the children who descend from Abraham’s loins, nor those who were circumcised as he was, nor even those whom he might expect and desire, are therefore the Church and people of God; but those who are made children by the good pleasure and promise of God, as Isaac was, are alone to be accounted for the seed with whom the covenant was established. (Dr. Adam Clarke)

Neither because they are lineally the seed of Abraham, will it follow that they are all children of God - This did not hold even in Abraham's own family; and much less in his remote descendants.  But God then said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called - That is, Isaac, not Ishmael, shall be called thy seed; that seed to which the promise is made. (John Wesley)

The Jew might reply, "Why, then, if Israel had such privileges, covenants and promises, is the nation rejected? Has God, if Jesus is really the Christ, made his word of none effect?"  The apostle in the rest of the chapter answers this objection.  The first point is that there is a wider, greater Israel than that of the flesh. Those of Israel are not all Israel.  There is an Israel according to the promise as well as according to the flesh. (The People's New Testament (1891) by B. W. Johnson)

The word “entitlement” has become a part of the public discourse in America these days. Some people suggest that the United States is becoming a society of entitlement, where everything we need or want is owed to us.  When we don’t get what we want we feel we have been treated unfairly.  It’s a natural human trait, actually.  It even seeps into our spiritual lives as well as our material.  (Tom Fuller, Calvary Chapel)
 

Here the apostle most distinctly points out the twofold nature of our Lord - his eternal Godhead and his humanity; and all the transpositions of particles, and alterations of points in the universe, will not explain away this doctrine.  As this verse contains such an eminent proof of the deity of Christ, no wonder that the opposers of his divinity should strive with their utmost skill and cunning to destroy its force. (Dr. Adam Clarke)