John Calvin Commentary Romans 10:1

"Brethren, my heart`s desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved." — Romans 10:1 (ASV)

We see here with what careful concern the holy man prevented offenses. For, in order to soften whatever sharpness there might have been in his manner of explaining the rejection of the Jews, he still testifies, as before, to his goodwill toward them and proves it by the effect. For their salvation was an object of concern to him before the Lord, and such a feeling arises only from genuine love.

He may also have been induced by another reason to testify to his love for the nation from which he had come. For his doctrine would never have been received by the Jews had they thought that he was openly hostile to them. And his defection would also have been suspected by the Gentiles, for they would have thought, as we have said in the last chapter, that he became an apostate from the law through his hatred of people.