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The Letters · New Testament

Romans 10

Romans 10: zeal without knowledge, the word nigh thee, and how they shall hear

General context

The writer states his prayer for Israel "that they might be saved" and grants them "a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge", since being ignorant of God's righteousness they went about "to establish their own righteousness". The claim follows: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Moses is cited for the law's righteousness, "That the man which doeth those things shall live by them", while the righteousness of faith says something else: not "Who shall ascend into heaven?" nor "Who shall descend into the deep?", because "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart", which the letter identifies as "the word of faith, which we preach". Confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart are joined to salvation, "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek", and "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved". A chain of questions works backwards from calling to believing to hearing to preaching to being sent, closed by a written line about the feet of those who preach. Not all obeyed, and Esaias is quoted asking "Lord, who hath believed our report?" So "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Two further questions ask whether they heard and whether Israel knew, each answered by quotation, ending with hands stretched out "All day long" to "a disobedient and gainsaying people".

Cited passages: Romans 10:1, Romans 10:2, Romans 10:3, Romans 10:4, Romans 10:5, Romans 10:6, Romans 10:7, Romans 10:8, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:10, Romans 10:11, Romans 10:12, Romans 10:13, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:15, Romans 10:16, Romans 10:17, Romans 10:18, Romans 10:19, Romans 10:20, Romans 10:21

Romans 10 (KJV)

1Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

5For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

6But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

18But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

19But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

20But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

21But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

Moses and Esaias are the only people named besides Christ, and Israel, the Jew and the Greek the only groups. The quotations are adapted. Leviticus 18:5 reads "which if a man do, he shall live in them", against the letter's "That the man which doeth those things shall live by them". Deuteronomy 30:12 and 30:13 ask about going up to heaven and going over the sea, where the letter has ascending into heaven and descending "into the deep". Deuteronomy 30:14 reads "But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it"; the letter drops the last clause and adds its own. Joel 2:32 promises that the caller "shall be delivered" where the letter says "shall be saved". Isaiah 52:7 has "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings". Psalm 19:4 reads "Their line is gone out through all the earth", against "their sound went into all the earth". The chapter gives no setting for the writer's prayer and no time for any of the events it assumes.

Cited passages: Romans 10:5, Romans 10:6, Romans 10:7, Romans 10:8, Romans 10:13, Romans 10:15, Romans 10:18, Romans 10:19, Romans 10:20, Leviticus 18:5, Deuteronomy 30:12, Deuteronomy 30:14, Joel 2:32, Isaiah 52:7, Psalms 19:4

Literary context

The chapter inserts its own explanations directly into the quotations, in brackets: "(that is, to bring Christ down from above:)", "(that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)", then "that is, the word of faith, which we preach". Mouth and heart are quoted in that order, applied in that order, then reversed, heart first, in the next verse. The best known passage runs backwards, from calling on, to believing, to hearing, to preaching, to being sent, so the chain ends at its own beginning. "But I say" opens two consecutive rebuttals, each answered by a quotation rather than by argument. The order of the closing citations moves from being found by those who did not seek to hands stretched out all day, so the chapter finishes on a picture rather than a proposition.

Cited passages: Romans 10:6, Romans 10:7, Romans 10:8, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:10, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:15, Romans 10:18, Romans 10:19, Romans 10:20, Romans 10:21

Key moments

  1. A prayer for Israel (Romans 10:1). The writer says his prayer is that they might be saved.
  2. Zeal without knowledge (Romans 10:2). Zeal is granted and knowledge denied in the same sentence.
  3. Christ the end of the law (Romans 10:4). The claim is stated for everyone who believes.
  4. The word is nigh thee (Romans 10:8). A quotation about nearness is applied to the word of faith preached.
  5. Confess and believe (Romans 10:9). Mouth and heart are tied together in one condition.
  6. How shall they hear (Romans 10:14). A chain of questions traces calling back to being sent.
  7. Hands stretched all day (Romans 10:21). The final quotation is addressed to a disobedient and gainsaying people.

For reflection

The argument runs backwards from someone calling on God to someone being sent. Reading the chain in that direction, where does the chapter place responsibility, and where would you have placed it?

People in this chapter

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