Romans 10:19 kjv
But 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.
Romans 10:19 nkjv
But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
Romans 10:19 niv
Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."
Romans 10:19 esv
But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry."
Romans 10:19 nlt
But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, "I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation.
I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles."
Romans 10 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 10:19 | "But I say, surely Israel did not know? Of course they knew; but their knowing was ineffectual against their unresponsibleness." | Deut 32:21 (Israel provoked to jealousy) |
| Isa 65:1-2 | "I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name. I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own imaginations;" | Isa 43:8 (Witnesses) |
| Matt 13:14-15 | "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become callous. With their ears they can barely hear, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’" | John 12:40 (Quoting Isaiah) |
| Acts 28:25-27 | "So they parted company. As Paul had said in his final word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to your forefathers, saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding, ever seeing but never perceiving.” For this people’s heart has become callous. With their ears they can barely hear, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”’ So be it known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”" | Isa 6:9-10 (Vision of Isaiah) |
| Rom 1:18-23 | "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." | John 1:9 (Light of the World) |
| Deut 29:2-4 | "Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "You have seen everything the LORD did before your very eyes in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and the great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear." | Josh 24:7 (Fear the Lord) |
| Jer 5:21 | "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but see not, who have ears but hear not;" | Psalm 115:4-7 (Idols are worthless) |
| Rom 9:30-33 | "What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued the law that leads to righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they did not pursue it by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”" | Rom 11:7-10 (Israel not obtaining) |
| Rom 10:14 | "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 never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?" | Luke 1:74-75 (Serve Him) |
| John 5:39-40 | "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life." | John 8:43 (Cannot understand) |
| Gal 3:23 | "Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming of faith would be revealed." | Rom 10:4 (Christ is the end) |
| Matt 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones with stones those who are sent to her! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!" | Luke 19:42 (Jesus wept over Jerusalem) |
| Deut 4:6 | "Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’" | Psalm 72:2 (Judges people with righteousness) |
| Acts 4:25-26 | "by the mouth of our father David, your servant, through the Holy Spirit you said, ‘“Why did the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed—’" | Luke 23:7 (Herod and Pilate) |
| 1 Pet 2:8 | "and for them that disbelieve: A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." | Psalm 118:22 (Cornerstone) |
| Acts 13:47 | "For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.'" | John 3:16 (God sent His Son) |
| Mark 4:12 | "that they may by seeing see and not perceive, and by hearing hear and not understand; lest they turn again and be forgiven." | Isaiah 53:1 (Who has believed our report?) |
| Romans 9:17 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I have raised you up for this very purpose, of showing my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.'" | Exodus 9:16 (Pharaoh hardened) |
| Deut 30:19 | "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live," | Prov 1:29 (Since they hated knowledge) |
| Jer 8:9 | "The wise shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; so what wisdom is in them?" | Prov 29:1 (Stubborn against reproof) |
Romans 10 verses
Romans 10 19 Meaning
Paul explains that Israel, as a nation, knew God's commands and prophecies concerning salvation through faith in Christ. However, they actively resisted understanding and accepting this revelation. Therefore, God, in His sovereignty, allowed this hardened ignorance, not as a punishment for believing in Him, but for their persistent disobedience and rejection of His truth. This shows that God’s ways are just and go beyond human understanding.
Romans 10 19 Context
Romans chapter 10 addresses the state of Israel's salvation. Paul has previously established that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, accessible to both Jews and Gentiles. He laments that many of his own kinsmen, the Israelites, despite having the Law and the prophets, have not accepted Christ as the Messiah.
This verse specifically follows Paul's explanation that Israel did not lack the knowledge of God's will. They had the Scriptures, which testified about the Messiah. However, their pursuit of righteousness was based on the Law and their own efforts, rather than through faith in Jesus. This verse, in conjunction with the surrounding verses (Rom 10:14-21), is part of a larger argument about Israel's rejection of God's provision for salvation.
The immediate context is the question posed in verse 19: "Surely Israel did not know?" Paul's answer establishes that they did know, but their knowledge did not lead to salvation because they rejected it through persistent disobedience. This sets the stage for the affirmation that God is sovereign and His ways are unfathomable, as explored in chapter 11.
Romans 10 19 Word Analysis
"But I say" (ἀλλὰ φημὶ — alla phēmi): "Alla" (but) signals a strong contrast with a possible assumption that Israel was ignorant. "Phēmi" (to say, declare, affirm) indicates Paul is making a direct assertion based on his understanding of God's word and human reality.
"surely" (μή — mē): This particle, used with a preceding "ou" (not) in the anticipated question (which Paul answers), forms an idiom of rhetorical question implying "Certainly not" or "Is it that?". Paul asserts they did know.
"Israel did not know?" (οὐκ ἔγνω — ouk egnō): "Ouk" (not). "Egnō" (from ginōskō) is the aorist tense of "to know." It implies not just intellectual knowledge but experiential or saving knowledge. The question is rhetorical, setting up Paul's strong negation.
"Of course they knew" (μᾶλλον δὲ γε οὐκ ἔγνω Ἰσραηλ — mallon de ge ouk egnō Israēl): "Mallon de" (but rather, nay more). This intensifies the negation of ignorance. "Israēl" refers to the nation as a whole. Paul directly states their awareness of God's righteousness and will.
"but" (ἀλλά — alla): Again, a strong adversative. Despite knowing, they did not embrace or act upon it.
"their knowing" (αὐτῶν δὲ ἡ γνῶσις — autōn de hē gnōsis): "Hē gnōsis" is the noun form of "to know." This emphasizes the faculty or content of their knowledge.
"was ineffectual/ineffective" (ἄχρηστος — achrēstos): This is a strong word meaning "useless," "worthless," or "unprofitable." Their knowledge produced no positive spiritual outcome in terms of salvation. It did not make them righteous.
"against their unresponsibleness/disobedience" (ἐφ’ ὑμῖν — eph’ humin; also referring to rejection and rebellion): While "eph' humin" literally means "upon you" or "because of you," it here carries the implication of the cause or reason for the uselessness of their knowledge. The broader context implies their willful disobedience and rejection of the divine truth presented. This reflects their attitude toward God's outstretched hand. This phrase encapsulates their fundamental issue: a refusal to respond rightly to what they knew.
Romans 10 19 Bonus Section
The use of quotation from Isaiah 65:1-2 (via LXX, and mirrored in Isa 55:6 where God says to "seek me while I may be found; call on me while I am near.") strongly supports Paul's argument. It illustrates God's outreach and Israel's consistent turning away. This theme of God offering Himself and a people being unresponsive resonates throughout the Old Testament, painting a consistent picture of Israel's historical pattern of disobedience. The term "achrestos" (useless) powerfully captures the outcome of a relationship with God characterized by knowledge without trust and obedience.
Romans 10 19 Commentary
Paul asserts that Israel had a level of knowledge about God's righteousness, pointing to their possession of the Law and prophetic scriptures. However, this knowledge was rendered useless because they failed to exercise faith in Christ. They pursued a righteousness through observance of the Law rather than receiving the righteousness that comes by faith. This rejection of God's plan meant their awareness of divine truth led to no salvific benefit. They were accountable because they willfully turned away from the light they had.
- Practical Application: Our knowledge of God's Word must be coupled with a willingness to obey and trust in Christ. Intellectual assent without faith and obedience is unproductive for salvation.