The Meaning of Romans 10:8 Explained

Romans 10:8

KJV: But 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;

YLT: But what doth it say? 'Nigh thee is the saying -- in thy mouth, and in thy heart:' that is, the saying of the faith, that we preach;

Darby: But what says it? The word is near thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach:

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  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; 

What does Romans 10:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul quoted Moses again ( Deuteronomy 30:14) to reaffirm the fact that the great lawgiver taught that salvation came by faith. The "word of faith" means the message that righteousness comes by faith. Faith is easy compared to a lifetime of slavish obedience to the Law. Anyone can express it easily with the mouth and accept it easily with the heart.

Context Summary

Romans 10:1-10 - Missing God's Way Of Salvation
How earnestly the Apostle loved his own people! All their hatred of him could not extinguish the passionate devotion which he entertained for them. "Apostle to the Gentiles" he might be, but he was essentially an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, Romans 11:1. The whole reason of their rejection of the gospel lay in their inveterate refusal to submit, Romans 10:3. Is not that the difficulty with us all? It is not that we cannot believe, but that we will not submit to God's way of righteousness, so humbling is it to our pride.
If only God would allow us to scale the heights or plumb the depths, to do some great thing, to make some vast sacrifice, we should be satisfied to be saved, and His help in the process would not be resented. But it is intolerable to our proud hearts to be told that our own efforts are useless, and that the exclusive source of salvation is God's grace.
Notice the distinction between righteousness and salvation, Romans 10:9. The one is objective; the other subjective. The first, our standing before God, the latter, the sanctification of our inner life, which not only depends upon the belief of the heart, but requires the confession that Jesus Christ has become Lord and King of the whole nature. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 10

1  The difference between the righteousness of the law, and that of faith;
11  all who believe, both Jew and Gentile, shall not be shamed;
18  and that the Gentiles shall receive the word and believe
19  Israel was not ignorant of these things

Greek Commentary for Romans 10:8

But what saith it? [αλλα τι λεγει]
That is “the from faith righteousness.” [source]
The word of faith [το ρημα της πιστεως]
The gospel message concerning faith (objective genitive). Only here. In contrast to the law. Which we preach (ο κηρυσσομεν — ho kērussomen). The living voice brings home to every one the faith kind of righteousness. Paul seizes upon the words of Moses with the orator‘s instinct and with rhetorical skill (Sanday and Headlam) applies them to the facts about the gospel message about the Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ. [source]
Which we preach [ο κηρυσσομεν]
The living voice brings home to every one the faith kind of righteousness. Paul seizes upon the words of Moses with the orator‘s instinct and with rhetorical skill (Sanday and Headlam) applies them to the facts about the gospel message about the Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ. [source]
The word is nigh thee []
Septuagint, Very nigh thee is the word. The word is the whole subject-matter of the Gospel. See Romans 10:9. Moses used it of the law. See on Luke 1:37. The whole quotation in the Hebrew is as follows: “It (the commandment) is not in heaven, that ye should say, Who will ascend for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and make us hear it that we may do it? And it is not beyond the sea, that ye should say, Who will go over for us beyond the sea, and bring it to us, and make us hear it that we may do it? But the word is very near thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, to do it.” The object of the passage is to contrast the system of faith with the system of law, and that, especially, with reference to the remoteness and difficulty of righteousness. Moses says that the commandment of God to Israel is not incapable of accomplishment, nor is it a distant thing to be attained only by long and laborious effort. The people, on the contrary, carries it in its mouth, and it is stamped upon its heart. Compare Exodus 13:9; Deuteronomy 6:6-9. In applying these words to the system of faith, Paul, in like manner, denies that this system involves any painful search or laborious work. Christ has accomplished the two great things necessary for salvation. He has descended to earth and has risen from the dead. All that is necessary is to accept by faith the incarnate and risen Christ, instead of having recourse to the long and painful way of establishing one's own righteousness by obedience to the law. [source]
Word of faith []
The phrase occurs only here. “Which forms the substratum and object of faith” (Alford). Others, the burden of which is faith. [source]
We preach [κηρύσσομεν]
See on Matthew 4:17, and see on preacher, 2 Peter 2:5. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 10:8

Romans 1:21 Heart [καρδία]
The heart is, first, the physical organ, the center of the circulation of the blood. Hence, the seat and center of physical life. In the former sense it does not occur in the New Testament. As denoting the vigor and sense of physical life, see Acts 14:17; James 5:5; Luke 21:34. It is used fifty-two times by Paul. Never used like ψυχή , soul, to denote the individual subject of personal life, so that it can be exchanged with the personal pronoun (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 3:2-3; Romans 13:1); nor like πνεῦμα spiritto denote the divinely-given principle of life. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is the central seat and organ of the personal life ( ψυχή ) of man regarded in and by himself. Hence it is commonly accompanied with the possessive pronouns, my, his, thy, etc. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Like our heart it denotes the seat of feeling as contrasted with intelligence. 2 Corinthians 2:4; Romans 9:2; Romans 10:1; 2 Corinthians 6:11; Philemon 1:7. But it is not limited to this. It is also the seat of mental action, feeling, thinking, willing. It is used - -DIVIDER-
1. Of intelligence, Romans 1:21; 2 Corinthians 3:15; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:18. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
2. Of moral choice, 1 Corinthians 7:37; 2 Corinthians 9:7. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
3. As giving impulse and character to action, Romans 6:17; Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22. The work of the law is written on the heart, Romans 2:15. The Corinthian Church is inscribed as Christ's epistle on hearts of flesh, Acts 3:23. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
4. Specially, it is the seat of the divine Spirit, Galatians 4:6; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22. It is the sphere of His various operations, directing, comforting, establishing, etc., Philemon 4:7; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:5. It is the seat of faith, and the organ of spiritual praise, Romans 10:9; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is equivalent to the inner man, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 3:17. Its characteristic is being hidden, Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 14:25. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is contrasted with the face, 1 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 5:12; and with the mouth, Romans 10:8. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

Galatians 4:30 What saith the Scripture? []
Giving emphasis to the following statement. Comp. Romans 4:3; Romans 10:8; Romans 11:2, Romans 11:4. Quotation from lxx of Genesis 21:10. For the words of this bondwoman - with my son Isaac, Paul substitutes of the bondwoman - with the son of the freewoman, in order to adapt it to his context. This is according to his habit of adapting quotations to his immediate use. See 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Ephesians 5:14, etc. [source]
1 Timothy 4:6 In the words of faith []
The words in which the faith - the contents of belief - finds expression. Comp. 1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Timothy 1:13. The phrase only here. Paul has τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως theword of the faith, Romans 10:8. [source]
1 Timothy 2:7 A preacher [κῆρυξ]
Lit. a herald. See on 2 Peter 2:5. Paul does not use the noun, but the kindred verb κηρύσσειν toproclaim or preach is very common in his writings. See Romans 10:8; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Philemon 1:15, etc. [source]
1 Timothy 2:7 I was appointed [ετετην εγω]
First aorist passive indicative of τιτημι — tithēmi Preacher and apostle (κηρυχ και αποστολος — kērux kai apostolos). In 2 Timothy 1:10 Paul adds διδασκαλος — didaskalos (herald, apostle, teacher) as he does here with emphasis. In Colossians 1:23. he has διακονος — diakonos (minister). He frequently uses κηρυσσω — kērussō of himself (1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 9:27; Galatians 2:2; Romans 10:8.). I speak the truth, I lie not A Pauline touch (Romans 9:1). Cf. Galatians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 11:31. Here alone he calls himself “a teacher of the Gentiles,” elsewhere apostle (Romans 11:13), minister (Romans 15:16), prisoner (Ephesians 3:1). [source]
1 Timothy 2:7 Preacher and apostle [κηρυχ και αποστολος]
In 2 Timothy 1:10 Paul adds διδασκαλος — didaskalos (herald, apostle, teacher) as he does here with emphasis. In Colossians 1:23. he has διακονος — diakonos (minister). He frequently uses κηρυσσω — kērussō of himself (1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 9:27; Galatians 2:2; Romans 10:8.). [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 10:8 mean?

But what says it Near you the word is in the mouth of you and the heart That is word - of faith which we proclaim
Ἀλλὰ τί λέγει Ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματί σου καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως κηρύσσομεν

λέγει  says  it 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ἐγγύς  Near 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐγγύς  
Sense: near, of place and position.
ῥῆμά  word 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ῥῆμα  
Sense: that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word.
στόματί  mouth 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: στόμα  
Sense: the mouth, as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
καρδίᾳ  heart 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
τοῦτ’  That 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ῥῆμα  word 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ῥῆμα  
Sense: that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πίστεως  of  faith 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πίστις  
Sense: conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it.
κηρύσσομεν  we  proclaim 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: κηρύσσω  
Sense: to be a herald, to officiate as a herald.