The Meaning of Romans 10:19 Explained

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.

YLT: But I say, Did not Israel know? first Moses saith, 'I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation; by an unintelligent nation I will anger you,'

Darby: But I say, Has not Israel known? First, Moses says, I will provoke you to jealousy through them that are not a nation: through a nation without understanding I will anger you.

ASV: But I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, With a nation void of understanding will I anger you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Romans 10:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Might there be a second possible reason for Israel"s rejection of the gospel? Even though the Jews heard the message, perhaps they did not understand it.
The quotation from Deuteronomy 32:21 comes from Moses" criticism of Israel for forsaking the Lord. God said that He would give Israel a desire to return to Himself (provoke her to jealousy) by blessing another people. This is what had happened since Jesus Christ had died. God had opened the door of the church to the Gentiles. This should have made Israel more desirous of returning to God, accepting His Messiah, and experiencing God"s blessing. However this had not happened, as the record of the church"s growth in Acts proves. As time went by, fewer and fewer Jews responded to the gospel whereas ever more Gentiles accepted it. This response was not due to ignorance but to deliberate rejection.

Context Summary

Romans 10:11-21 - Needing Messengers Of Good Tidings
The Chosen People chafed, not only at the freeness of God's justifying grace, but because there was no difference made, so far as salvation was concerned, between them and the Gentiles. Surely there ought to be a special doorway for them into eternal life, apart from that trodden by the feet of the ordinary heathen world! Were they not the children of Abraham, the friend of God? Here the Apostle was compelled to withstand them. No, said he, it cannot be! There is no difference between Jew and Greek. All have sinned, and the same Lord is over all, rich to those who call upon Him, of whatever nationality.
The guests for whom the marriage feast was prepared refused to come, and therefore it was decreed that the servants of the great King should preach the gospel to every creature, and scour the highways and byways of the world for guests. The remainder of the chapter, Romans 10:14, etc., therefore vindicates the Apostle in his determination to preach the gospel beyond the limits of his own people; and in doing so, he was acting upon the old words of Deuteronomy 32:21. God would provoke their jealousy by a no-people, as they had provoked His by no-gods, Romans 10:19. [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 10:19

Did Israel not know? [μη Ισραελ ουκ εγνω]
“Did Israel fail to know?” See above. [source]
First [πρωτος]
Moses first before any one else. lxx quotation Deuteronomy 32:21. See note on 1 Corinthians 10:22 for παραζηλωσω — parazēlōsō (I will provoke you to jealousy). With that which is no nation (επ ουκ ετνει — ep' ouk ethnei). The Jews had worshipped “no-gods” and now God shows favours to a “no-nation” (people). Will I anger you Future active (Attic future) of παροργιζω — parorgizō rare word, to rouse to wrath. [source]
With that which is no nation [επ ουκ ετνει]
The Jews had worshipped “no-gods” and now God shows favours to a “no-nation” (people). [source]
Will I anger you [παροργιω υμας]
Future active (Attic future) of παροργιζω — parorgizō rare word, to rouse to wrath. [source]
Did Israel not know? []
As in Romans 10:18, a negative answer is implied. “It is surely not true that Israel did not know.” Did not know what? That the Gospel should go forth into all the earth. Moses and Isaiah had prophesied the conversion of the Gentiles, and Isaiah the opposition of the Jews thereto. [source]
First Moses []
First in order; the first who wrote. [source]
I will provoke you to jealousy [ἐγὼ παραζηλώσω ὑμᾶς]
From Deuteronomy 32:21. See Romans 11:11, Romans 11:14; 1 Corinthians 10:22. Used only by Paul. The Septuagint has them instead of you. [source]
By them that are no people [ἐπ ' οὐκ ἔθνει]
Lit., upon a no-people. The relation expressed by the preposition is that of the no-people as forming the basis of the jealousy. The prediction is that Israel shall be conquered by an apparently inferior people. No-people as related to God's heritage, not that the Gentiles were inferior or insignificant in themselves. For people render nation, as Rev. See on 1 Peter 2:9. [source]
By a foolish nation [ἐπὶ ἔθνει ἀσυνέτῳ]
Lit., upon a foolish nation as the basis of the exasperation. For foolish, see on Romans 1:21. [source]
I will anger [παροργιὦ]
Or provoke to anger. The force of the compounded preposition παρά in this verb and in παραζηλώσω provoketo jealousy, seems to be driving to the side of something which by contact or comparison excites jealousy or anger. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 10:19

Romans 11:1 I say then [λεγω ουν]
As in Romans 11:11. Ουν — Oun looks back to 9:16-33 and Romans 10:19-21. [source]
Romans 9:25 In Hosea [εν τωι ωσηε]
He quotes Hosea 2:23 with some freedom. Hosea refers to the ten tribes and Paul applies the principle stated there to the Gentiles. Hosea had a son named Lo-ammi = ου λαος — ou laos So here ο ου λαος μου — ho ou laos mou “the not people of mine.” Ου — Ou with substantives obliterates the meaning of the substantive, an idiom seen in Thucydides and other Greek writers. See also Romans 10:19; 1 Peter 2:10. [source]
1 Corinthians 10:22 Do we provoke - to jealousy [ἢ παραζηλοῦμεν]
The A.V. does not translate ἢ orand thus breaks the connection with what precedes. You cannot be at the same time in communion with the Lord and with demons, or will you ignore this inconsistency and provoke God? For the verb, see on Romans 10:19. [source]
1 Corinthians 10:22 Provoke to jealousy [παραζηλουμεν]
The very word used in Deuteronomy 32:21 of the insolence of the old Israelites. Quoted in Romans 10:19. Such double-dealing now will do this very thing. [source]
Ephesians 6:4 Provoke not to anger [μη παροργιζετε]
Rare compound, both N.T. examples (here and Romans 10:19) are quotations from the lxx. The active, as here, has a causative sense. Parallel in sense with μη ερετιζετε — mē erethizete in Colossians 3:21. Paul here touches the common sin of fathers. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 10:19 mean?

But I ask not Israel not did know First Moses says I will provoke to jealousy you by [those] a nation by without understanding I will anger
Ἀλλὰ λέγω μὴ Ἰσραὴλ οὐκ ἔγνω πρῶτος Μωϋσῆς λέγει Ἐγὼ παραζηλώσω ὑμᾶς ἐπ’ ἔθνει ἐπ’ ἀσυνέτῳ παροργιῶ

λέγω  I  ask 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ἰσραὴλ  Israel 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰσραήλ  
Sense: the name given to the patriarch Jacob (and borne by him in addition to his former name).
ἔγνω  did  know 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
πρῶτος  First 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πρῶτος  
Sense: first in time or place.
Μωϋσῆς  Moses 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Μωσεύς 
Sense: the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion.
λέγει  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
παραζηλώσω  will  provoke  to  jealousy 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: παραζηλόω  
Sense: to provoke to.
ἐπ’  by  [those] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἔθνει  a  nation 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ἔθνος  
Sense: a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together.
ἀσυνέτῳ  without  understanding 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ἀσύνετος  
Sense: unintelligent, without understanding, stupid.
παροργιῶ  I  will  anger 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: παροργίζω  
Sense: to rouse to wrath, to provoke, exasperate, anger.