Romans 10 18

Romans 10:18 kjv

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.

Romans 10:18 nkjv

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."

Romans 10:18 niv

But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Romans 10:18 esv

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."

Romans 10:18 nlt

But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message has gone throughout the earth,
and the words to all the world."

Romans 10 verses

Romans 10 18 Meaning

Romans 10:18 asserts that the message of the gospel has indeed been universally proclaimed, thus making humanity, and specifically Israel, without excuse for their unbelief. Paul refutes any claim that the Jews (or anyone else) failed to believe due to lack of exposure to the divine message. He affirms that the gospel's reach is as widespread and undeniable as the testimony of creation itself, drawing on the imagery from Psalm 19.

Romans 10 18 Context

Romans 10:18 is situated within Paul's fervent theological exposition in chapters 9-11 concerning God's faithfulness to Israel despite their widespread rejection of Jesus as Messiah. Paul grapples with the question of why, if salvation is freely offered, so many of his own people have not believed. Verse 18 directly addresses a potential objection arising from verse 14 ("How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"). The implication being: perhaps Israel hasn't heard the good news sufficiently. Paul powerfully dismisses this, arguing that the message of salvation has been universally and clearly declared. The historical context reflects a time when Christian communities were rapidly spreading across the Roman Empire, carried by Jewish converts from Jerusalem (Acts 2) and by missionaries like Paul himself. The diaspora Jews would have been exposed to these new teachings in synagogues and public forums.

Romans 10 18 Word analysis

• But I ask, have they not heard? ἀλλὰ (alla): "But," introduces a strong counter-question or objection. οὐκ (ouk): "Not," signifies a rhetorical question expecting a "yes" answer (e.g., "surely they have heard?"). ἤκουσαν (ēkousan): Aorist active indicative of akouō, "to hear, to listen to." It denotes a completed action. Paul is addressing the foundational issue of hearing the message, which is essential for belief (Rom 10:14, 17). This is a polemical statement against the Jewish premise that their unbelief was due to ignorance or a lack of opportunity to hear the gospel. Paul insists they had every chance.
• Indeed they have! This is Paul's immediate and emphatic affirmative response to his rhetorical question, translating the force of his rhetorical ou and the strong implication of the following quotation. He strongly asserts the universal proclamation of the gospel.
• "Their voice has gone out into all the earth," This is a direct quote from Psalm 19:4a (LXX, Psa 18:5a). φθόγγος (phthongos): "Voice, sound, report." In Ps 19:4, it refers to the non-verbal yet powerful declaration of God's glory through creation. Paul skillfully applies this to the vocal proclamation of the gospel message. The natural, inescapable witness of creation becomes a metaphor for the pervasive, unavoidable witness of the gospel. ἐξῆλθεν (exēlthen): Aorist active indicative of exerchomai, "to go out, to come forth, to proceed." It emphasizes the act of spreading or issuing forth from a source to a wider area. πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν (pasan tēn gēn): "All the earth," denoting comprehensive global reach. This phrase highlights the universality of the message.
• "And their words to the ends of the world." This is Psalm 19:4b (LXX, Psa 18:5b), completing the parallelism. ῥήματα (rhēmata): "Words, spoken sayings." While phthongos emphasizes the sound or general report, rhēmata specifies the content—the articulate, distinct words of the gospel message. ἔσχατα (eschata) or πέρατα (perata) (depending on Greek text tradition): "Ends, extremities, outermost parts." It underscores the boundary-pushing reach. Paul uses the imagery of something reaching the absolute furthest points. οἰκουμένης (oikoumenēs): "The inhabited earth, the civilized world, the Roman Empire." In New Testament context, it often refers to the known, inhabited world under Roman sway. Paired with "all the earth," it clearly signals universal coverage, not limited to a specific region.
• Words-Group Analysis: "Their voice... and their words": This parallelism, taken from Psalm 19, metaphorically extends the concept of creation's silent yet unmistakable witness to the explicit, proclaimed message of the gospel. The "voice" and "words" are now the messengers (those beautiful feet of v.15) and their gospel. * "all the earth... the ends of the world": This reiterates and emphasizes the global scope of the proclamation. The gospel message, as it was spread by apostles and evangelists in the early church, reached far beyond Jewish lands, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles throughout the known world. It underlines God's consistent purpose for universal knowledge of Himself.

Romans 10 18 Bonus section

The concept presented in Romans 10:18 bridges "general revelation" (God revealed through creation, Ps 19:1-3) with "special revelation" (God revealed through His spoken Word, Ps 19:7-11, and supremely in the Gospel). Paul cleverly uses Psalm 19:4, originally situated within the context of creation's testimony, to emphatically argue for the extensive reach of the gospel message. This application underscores that God's plan for humanity's awareness of Him is thorough and universal, extending from the mute testimony of nature to the articulate preaching of salvation. It also highlights Paul's confidence in the success and widespread impact of apostolic missionary work in his own lifetime, testifying to the Holy Spirit's power in disseminating the message rapidly across diverse regions.

Romans 10 18 Commentary

Romans 10:18 stands as a profound theological assertion, directly challenging any notion that Israel's (or anyone's) rejection of the gospel stems from ignorance or lack of opportunity. By quoting Psalm 19:4, Paul brilliantly repurposes an Old Testament passage describing creation's universal, non-verbal witness to God's glory and applies it to the explicit, vocal proclamation of the saving gospel of Christ. Just as the heavens ceaselessly declare God's existence and power to all people, regardless of language or culture, so too has the gospel, the ultimate revelation, reached the furthest corners of the earth through the concerted efforts of its preachers. This verse thereby reinforces human accountability: if the foundational message of God's character through creation is universal and sufficient to leave all without excuse (Rom 1:20), then the message of salvation through Christ, which is even more direct and powerful, certainly ensures that those who hear are equally accountable for their response. The problem for Israel, then, was not a lack of hearing, but a lack of faith in what was heard. This principle implies that the privilege of hearing the good news brings with it the weighty responsibility of belief.