Romans 10:18

But I say Here the connexion recurs to Romans 10:16, after the parentheticinference from the quotation there made. Isaiah had said "Who hath believed?" St Paul now quotes again to shew that this means anything but "Who hath heard?" Prophecy contemplated a world-wide preaching, whatever might be the limits of believing.

Have they not heard? Better, Did they not hear? See on Romans 10:16.

Yes verily Same word in Gr. as that rendered Nay but, Romans 9:20. It is corrective; the hearing was not only wide, but world-wide.

their sound, &c. Here Psalms 19:4 is quoted, (Psalms 18:4, LXX.,) verbatim with the LXX., and closely with the Heb. The Heb. word rendered "sound" means precisely "line" or "chord;" probably in the sense of a musical note, and specially a key-note the basis of the strain. The words are not formally introduced as a quotation, but no doubt are really such; not merely an adaptation. In the world-wide message of the stars concerning God, St Paul is led to see a Divine intimation of the world-wide message of His Gospel. Natural Religion was but the parable and forerunner of the final Revelation. The past tense is the past of prophecy; the purpose is regarded as fulfilled. Q. d., "Were not all men, in the Divine intention, hearers? Yes, verily: prophecy regarded them as such." By the date of this Epistle, vast tracts of the then "world" were penetrated by the "word of God." But this is not the strict reference of the past tense in the quotation, which points to the completeness of the Divine purpose.