Rom 2:4: "slow to anger" (Exod 34:6) and God's patience

Says Rom 2:4 speaks of τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας ("the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience," literal), and says that God's kindness leads to repentance.

Says At Sinai the Lord proclaims himself אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (el rakhum vekhannun erekh appayim verav-khesed ve'emet, "a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness," Exod 34:6). אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם is literally "long of nostrils" (BDB p. 74, "long"; p. 60, "nostril, nose, face, anger"). Swete's LXX has μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ ἀληθινός. Exod 34:7 adds וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה (venaqqeh lo' yenaqqeh, "but he will by no means clear the guilty").

Says Joel 2:13 joins the formula to a call to וְשׁוּבוּ אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (veshuvu el-YHWH eloheykhem, "return to the Lord your God"), who וְנִחָם עַל־הָרָעָה (venikham 'al-hara'ah, "relents over disaster"). Jonah repeats it (4:2), resenting that God spared Nineveh.

Implies Rom 2:4–5 shares with this confession the pairing of God's patience with repentance, and Exod 34:7 matches 2:5: patience does not mean the guilty go unpunished. Paul's μακροθυμία is the noun of the LXX's μακρόθυμος.

Uncertain Whether Paul alludes to Exod 34:6 in particular. Only μακροθυμία corresponds in wording; χρηστότης and ἀνοχή are not in the LXX formula. The confession recurs often (e.g. Num 14:18; Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8), so Paul may draw on common biblical language.