Romans 10:19

Romans 10:19. But I say; as in Romans 10:18, introducing a similar question, and another supposed excuse.

Did Israel not know? This is the direct application to the Jews, who have been in mind throughout. The anticipated answer (as the original indicates) is a denial of the not-knowing, i.e., an affirmation that Israel knew. But ‘knew' what? The connection with Romans 10:18 favors the explanation: ‘knew that the gospel would go forth into all the earth.' The prophecies which follow, it is true, prove that the gospel was to pass over from the Jews to the Gentiles. But the more general view seems preferable. Meyer: ‘This universal destination of the preaching of Christ expressed in Romans 10:18 must have been known by the Jews, for long ago Moses and also Isaiah had prophesied the conversion of the Gentiles,

Isaiah likewise, the refractory spirit of opposition thereto of the Jews (Romans 10:20-21). If they had not known this, there might have been some excuse for them, as surprised by the event. But there was not even this palliation. Most of the other views are opposed by the form of the question.

First Moses saith. From this point to the close of the chapter we have the direct Scriptural proof, that the Jews ought not to have been in ignorance. The universality had been announced to Abraham, but Moses was the ‘first' to write of this; others, among them Isaiah, repeated the prophecy.

I will provoke you, etc. The citation is quite exact, from the LXX. of Deuteronomy 32:21. ‘You' is substituted for ‘them.'

With that which is no nation. The preposition is almost = ‘on account of,' but implying more than that: ‘aroused on account of and directed against a “no-nation.” ‘No-people' (comp. chap. Romans 9:25) is the meaning of the Hebrew.

With a foolish nation, one without understanding, idolatrous, I will anger you, or, ‘excite you to anger.' The use made by the Apostle of this prophecy is very apt. ‘Moses prophetically assumes the departure of Israel from God, and His rejection of them, and denounces from God that, as they had moved Him to jealousy with their “no-gods” (idols) and provoked Him to anger by their vanities, so He would, by receiving into His favor a “no-nation” make them jealous, and provoke them to anger by adopting instead of them a foolish nation' (Alford). The application of the original prophecy need not be confined to the Canaanites.