the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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New Living Translation
Romans 10:18
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But I often wonder, have the folks of Israel heard the good news? Of course they have, "The message has struck a lope throughout the earth, spoken to the whole world."
But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; "THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD."
But I say, have they never heard? On the contrary, they have;"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,And their words to the ends of the world."
But I say, Did not the word come to their ears? Yes, certainly: Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
But I say, Have they not heard? Yea, surely, Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the extremities of the habitable world.
But I ask, "Did they not hear?" Yes, they did: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.
But I say, didn't they hear? Yes, most assuredly, "Their sound went out into all the earth, Their words to the ends of the world."
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily; their voice is gone into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
But, I ask, have they not heard? Yes, indeed: "To the whole world the preachers' voices have sounded forth, and their words to the remotest parts of the earth."
But I say, haue they not heard? yes verely, their sound went into all the earth, and their words vnto the ends of the world.
But I say, Did they not hear? Yes, rather, "into all the earth their voice went out, and to the ends of the world their words." LXX-Psa. 18:5; MT-Psa. 19:4
But I saye: Haue they not herde? No doute their sounde wete out into all londes, and their wordes in to the endes of the worlde.
I reply, have they not heard? on the contrary, "their voice spread thro' all the earth, and their words to the remotest inhabitants thereof ."
But haven't there been plenty of opportunities for Israel to listen and understand what's going on? Plenty, I'd say. Preachers' voices have gone 'round the world, Their message to earth's seven seas. So the big question is, Why didn't Israel understand that she had no corner on this message? Moses had it right when he predicted, When you see God reach out to those you consider your inferiors—outsiders!— you'll become insanely jealous. When you see God reach out to people you think are religiously stupid, you'll throw temper tantrums. Isaiah dared to speak out these words of God: People found and welcomed me who never so much as looked for me. And I found and welcomed people who had never even asked about me. Then he capped it with a damning indictment: Day after day after day, I beckoned Israel with open arms, And got nothing for my trouble but cold shoulders and icy stares.
But I say, did they not hear? Indeed they have; "THEIR VOICE [that of creation bearing God's message] HAS GONE OUT TO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE [farthest] ENDS OF THE WORLD."
But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world.
But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."
But I axe: have they not herde? No dout their sounde went out into all londes: and their wordes in to the endes of the worlde.
But I say, Is it the case that they have not heard? On the contrary, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
but I say, Did they not hear? yes, indeed -- `to all the earth their voice went forth, and to the ends of the habitable world their sayings.'
But I ask: Didn't people hear the Good News? Yes, they heard—as the Scripture says: "Their message went out through all the world; their words go everywhere on earth." Psalm 19:4
But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth , and their words to the ends of the world .
But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
But am I saying that the people of Israel did not hear? No, I am not! The Scriptures say, "The message was told everywhere on earth. It was announced all over the world."
"But, I say, isn't it rather that they didn't hear?" No, they did hear — "Their voice has gone out throughout the whole world and their words to the ends of the earth."
But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."
But I demaund, Haue they not heard? No doubt their sound went out through all the earth, and their wordes into the endes of the worlde.
But I say, Have they not heard? And behold the echoes of their voices have gone out over all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
But I say, didn't they hear? Yes, most assuredly, "Their sound went out into all the eretz, Their words to the ends of the world."
But I ask, "Didn't they hear?" Certainly they did! In fact,1 Kings 18:10; Psalm 19:4; Matthew 4:8; 24:14; 28:19; Mark 16:15; Colossians 1:6,23;">[xr] "Their voice has gone out into the whole world, and their words to the ends of the earth."Psalm 19:4">[fn]
But I say, Have they not heard ? Behold, in all the earth their voice hath gone forth, And to the ends of the world their words !
But I say: Have they not heard? And, lo, their proclamation hath gone out into all the earth; and their words to the ends of the world.
But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:"Their sound has gone out to all the earth,And their words to the ends of the world." Psalms 19:4 ">[fn]
And so I ask, "Did they not hear?" For sure they did. The Holy Writings say, "Their voice was heard over all the earth. The Good News was told to the ends of the earth."
But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world.
But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."
But I say: Have they not heard? Yea indeed, - into all the earth, hath gone forth their sound, and, unto the ends of the inhabited world, their declarations.
But I say: Have they not heard? Yes, verily: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the whole world.
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
But I say, they have not heard, have they? On the contrary, "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world."
But I aske: Haue they not hearde? No doubt, their sounde went out into all landes, and their wordes into the endes of the worlde.
But I ask, "Did those people not hear the Good News?" Yes, they heard—as the Scriptures say, "Their voices went out all around the world. Their words went everywhere in the world."
But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary: "THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD."
But I ask: Is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did—for as the scripture says: "The sound of their voice went out to all the world; their words reached the ends of the earth."
But Y seie, Whether thei herden not? Yhis, sothely the word of hem wente out in to al the erthe, and her wordis in to the endis of the world.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Have they: Acts 2:5-11, Acts 26:20, Acts 28:23
their sound: Similar to this elegant accommodation of these words, is the application of them in a passage of Zohar, Genes. f. 9. "These words are the servants of the Messiah, and measure out both the things above, and the things beneath." Romans 1:8, Romans 15:19, Psalms 19:4, Matthew 24:14, Matthew 26:13, Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Mark 16:20, Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:23
unto the ends: 1 Kings 18:10, Psalms 22:27, Psalms 98:3, Isaiah 24:16, Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 52:10, Jeremiah 16:19, Matthew 4:8
Reciprocal: Leviticus 25:9 - of the jubilee to sound Psalms 49:1 - inhabitants Psalms 89:15 - know Psalms 98:2 - made Isaiah 2:3 - for out Isaiah 27:13 - the great Isaiah 40:9 - General Isaiah 51:5 - my salvation Isaiah 54:3 - thou shalt Daniel 12:4 - many Matthew 13:38 - field Matthew 24:31 - from Mark 13:10 - General Luke 3:6 - General Luke 14:23 - Go Acts 1:8 - unto Acts 10:22 - and to Acts 15:7 - by my Acts 19:10 - this Romans 10:19 - I say 2 Corinthians 10:13 - rule 1 Timothy 3:16 - preached Titus 2:11 - hath appeared
Cross-References
Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites,
Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,
then to Lebo-hamath, and on through Zedad
Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer,
The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima.
When the army of Judah arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and shouted to Jeroboam and all Israel: "Listen to me!
We destroyed Calno just as we did Carchemish. Hamath fell before us as Arpad did. And we destroyed Samaria just as we did Damascus.
Your oarsmen came from Sidon and Arvad; your helmsmen were skilled men from Tyre itself.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But I say, have they not heard?.... ואני אומר, "but I say", is a phrase frequently used by the Jewish doctors in disputation, either in forming or answering objections. The Ethiopic version confines these words to Israel, and reads, "have not Israel heard?" whereas they are to be understood both of Jews and Gentiles; the question refers to each, and the answer is,
yes, verily: which the Arabic renders just the reverse, "no", or "not at all, notwithstanding their sound went into all the earth"; and so makes this an aggravation of their stupidity, and obstinate rejection of the Gospel, that they would not hear it, though its sound reached every place; but the answer is in the affirmative, they did hear. The Jews heard the Gospel in the times of Isaiah, and other prophets, though they disbelieved the report of it; they heard it from John the Baptist, and were pleased with his ministry for a while; yea, they heard Christ himself preach it, who spake as never man did, with power and authority, as the Scribes did not, and wondered at his gracious words; they heard the apostles of Christ, who for some time were limited in their ministry to them only, and after their commission was enlarged, were ordered to preach first to them; so that they could not say they had not heard it, and they were left entirely inexcusable. The Gentiles also had heard it; the apostles were bid to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; and at a proper opportunity, they did as the Lord commanded them, and the Gentiles heard the Gospel with joy and pleasure; multitudes were converted everywhere, and churches raised through their ministry, according to the will of God; thus
their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world; the passage referred to is Psalms 19:4, which some here, as there, understand literally of the works of nature, the heavens, the firmament, the sun, moon and stars, proclaiming every where the being of God, his perfections, especially his wisdom, power, and goodness; so that the Gentiles were not without hearing of God, even whilst they were destitute of a divine revelation; which was a sort of a prelude of the after extensive spread of the Gospel among them: a voice, or sound, is ascribed to the inanimate creatures; and which is so loud, that it reaches to the end of the earth. There are three voices, the Jews say f which go "from one end of the world to the other"; and one of them is קול גלגל חמה, "the voice of the orb of the sun": others understand these words of the law, of which many "encomiums" are given in the psalm from whence this passage is taken; and though it was delivered peculiarly to the people of the Jews, yet the fame of it reached the nations of the world, as Moses suggests it would, Deuteronomy 4:6; and the Jews say g
"that when the law was given to Israel, מסוף העולם ועד סופו
קולו הולך, "its voice went from one end of the world to the other".''
Or as it is better expressed by Philo h, and almost in the words of this text,
"the fame of the laws which Moses left, is gone throughout all the world, unto the ends of the earth.''
But certain it is, that the apostle is speaking neither of the light of nature, nor the law of Moses, but of the preaching of the Gospel; and what the Psalmist, literally understood, says of the heavens, that the apostle in an allegorical and mystical sense, or by an argument from the lesser to the greater, or by way of allusion, applies to the apostles and ministers of the Gospel, the luminaries of the world, and stars of heaven; whose ministry, by this time, had reached the then known parts of the habitable world; as it was to do, before the destruction of Jerusalem, according to Christ's prediction, Matthew 24:14, and as the Apostle Paul testifies it had, Colossians 1:6, and in which he himself had a very considerable share, having preached the Gospel from Jerusalem, round about unto Illyricum. There is some little difference between the passage in the Psalms, and as cited or referred to by the apostle, who instead of "their line", reads "their sound"; which have made some suspect a corruption of the present Hebrew text, or a various reading; and that the Septuagint, followed by the apostle, used a copy which had not, קום, "their line", but קולם, "their voice", and which was the true reading; but then how came the Chaldee paraphrase to render it by,
מתך, "extension", and Aquila by κανων, "a canon", or "rule?" and besides, the Masora observes, that this word is no where else read, which is not true of קולם, for that often occurs; to which may be added, had this been the reading, the Septuagint would have rendered it most probably, as they do elsewhere, by "voice", and not "sound": but for the reconciliation of this let it be observed, that the Hebrew word signifies a rule, or plummet, or such a line as builders use in their work, as a direction to them, hence Kimchi i explains it by בניינם, "their building"; and so it may signify any rule, or direction, whether given by writing, and so Aben Ezra k interprets it by מכתב, "writing", or by word of mouth; besides, the carpenter's line, when stretched out, and remitted upon the timber, makes a sound, and hence the word might be used for one: all this agrees with the ministry of the apostles, who were builders; and as they worked by a line and rule themselves, so they gave out rules and directions to others, both by writing and preaching, both which reached far and near; this the apostle seems to allude to, in 2 Corinthians 10:13, where he speaks of the measure, line, and rule of their ministry, which reached to Corinth and further, without going into another man's line: moreover, that great Oriental critic, and our countryman, Mr. Pocock l, has shown from the use of the word קוה, in the Arabic language, that the word in the Psalms may signify a loud cry, or noise, as well as a line, or rule; so that the psalmist and the apostle may be easily reconciled.
f T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 20. 2. g T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 116. 1. h De Vita Mosis, l. 1. p. 657. i In Psal. xix. 4. k In ib. l Not. in Portam Mosis, c. 4. p. 48, &c.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But I say - But to this objection, I, the apostle, reply. The objection had been carried through the previous verses. The apostle comes now to reply to it. In doing this, he does not deny the principle contained in it, that the gospel should be preached in order that people might be justly condemned for not believing it; not that the messengers must be sent by God, not that faith comes by hearing. All this he fully admits. But he proceeds to show, by an ample quotation from the Old Testament, that this had been actually furnished to the Jews and to the Gentiles, and that they were actually in possession of the message, and could not plead that they had never heard it. This is the substance of his answer.
Have they not heard? - A question is often, as it is here, an emphatic way of affirming a thing. The apostle means to affirm strongly that they had heard. The word “they,” in this place, I take to refer to the Gentiles. What was the fact in regard to Israel, or the Jew, he shows in the next verses. One main design waste show that the same scheme of salvation extended to both Jews and Gentiles. The objection was, that it had not been made known to either, and that therefore it could not be maintained to be just to condemn those who rejected it. To this the apostle replies that then it was extensively known to both; and if so, then the objection in Romans 10:14-15, was not well founded, for in fact the thing existed which the objector maintained to be necessary, to wit, that they had heard, and that preachers had been sent to them.
Yes, verily - In the original, a single word, μενοῦνγε menounge, compounded of μέν men and οὖν oun and γέ ge. An intense expression, denoting strong affirmation.
Their sound went ... - These words are taken in substance from Psalms 19:4. The psalmist employs them to show that the works of God, the heavens and the earth, proclaim his existence everywhere. By using them here, the apostle does not affirm that David had reference to the gospel in them, but he uses them to express his own meaning; he makes an affirmation about the gospel in language used by David on another occasion, but without intimating or implying that David had such a reference. In this way we often quote the language of others as expressing in a happy way our own thoughts, but without supposing that the author had any such reference. The meaning here is, that that may be affirmed in fact of the gospel which David affirmed of the works of God, that their sound had gone into all the earth.
Their sound - Literally, the sound or tone which is made by a stringed instrument (φθόγγος phthongos). Also a voice, a report. It means here they have spoken, or declared truth. As applied to the heavens, it would mean that they speak, or proclaim, the wisdom or power of God. As used by Paul, it means that the message of the gospel had been spoken, or proclaimed, far and wide. The Hebrew, is “their line, etc.” The Septuagint translation is the same as that of the apostle - their voice ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν ho phthoggos autōn. The Hebrew word may denote the string of an instrument, of a harp, etc. and then the tone or sound produced by it; and thus was understood by the Septuagint. The apostle, however, does not affirm that this was the meaning of the Hebrew; but he conveyed his doctrine in language which aptly expressed it.
Into all the earth - In the psalm, this is to be taken in its utmost signification. The works of God literally proclaim his wisdom to all lands and to all people. As applied to the gospel, it means that it was spread far and wide, that it had been extensively preached in all lands.
Their words - In the psalm, the heavens are represented as speaking, and teaching people the knowledge of the true God. But the meaning of the apostle is, that the message of the gospel had sounded forth; and he referred doubtless to the labors of the apostles in proclaiming it to the pagan nations. This Epistle was written about the year 57. During the time which had elapsed after the ascension of Christ, the gospel had been preached extensively in all the known nations; so that it might be said that it was proclaimed in those regions designated in the Scripture as the uttermost parts of the earth. Thus, it had been proclaimed in Jerusalem, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Arabia, and in the islands of the Mediterranean. Paul, reasoning before Agrippa, says, that he could not be ignorant of those things, for they had not been done in a corner; Acts 26:26. In Colossians 1:23, Paul says that the gospel had been preached to every creature which is under heaven; see Colossians 1:6. Thus, the great facts and doctrines of the gospel had in fact been made known; and the objection of the Jew was met. It would be sufficiently met by the declaration of the psalmist that the true God was made known by his works, and that therefore they were without excuse (compare Romans 1:20); but in fact the gospel had been preached, and its great doctrine and duties had been proclaimed to all nations far and near.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. But I say, have they not heard? — But to return to the objection: You say they have not all BELIEVED; I ask: Have they not all HEARD? Have not the means of salvation been placed within the reach of every Jew in Palestine, and within the reach of all those who sojourn in the different Gentile countries where we have preached the Gospel, as well to the Jews as to the Gentiles themselves? Yes: for we may say of the preaching of the Gospel what the psalmist has said (Psalms 19:4) of the heavenly bodies: Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. As the celestial luminaries have given testimony of the eternal power and Godhead of the Deity to the habitable world, the Gospel of Christ has borne testimony to his eternal goodness and mercy to all the land of Palestine, and to the whole Roman empire. There is not a part of the promised land in which these glad tidings have not been preached; and there is scarcely a place in the Roman empire in which the doctrine of Christ crucified has not been heard: if, therefore, the Jews have not believed, the fault is entirely their own; as God has amply furnished them with the means of faith and of salvation.
In Psalms 19:4, the psalmist has קום kauuam, their line, which the Septuagint, and the apostle who quotes from them, render φθογγος, sound; and hence some have thought that the word in the Psalm was originally קולם kolam, voice. But that קו kau is used for word or speech is sufficiently evident from Isaiah 28:10, line upon line, precept upon precept, &c., where קו is analogous to word or direction. It is very remarkable that these words of David, quoted by St. Paul, are mentioned in Sohar. Genes. fol. 9, where it is said: עבדי משיחא אינון מלין Abdey mashicha innun millin. "These words are the servants of the Messiah, and measure out both the things above and the things beneath." To this notion of them the apostle may refer in his use of them in this place, and to a Jew the application would be legitimate.
