Romans 10:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then, after showing that what occurred was not the work of God's grace alone, but also of the disposition of those who came, he shows that the fall of the Jews was likewise the result of stubborn disobedience.

Listen to what the Apostle adds: "But concerning Israel he says: All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people."

By the word "day" he understands here all the past time. "Stretching out the hands" means for him calling, drawing, and summoning.

Then, showing that in all this the Jews themselves were guilty, he says: "to a disobedient and contrary people." Do you notice how strong the accusation is?

The Jews not only failed to obey God even when He called them. They also contradicted Him, and not once, not twice, not three times, but throughout the whole time when they saw that God was calling them.

The Gentiles, who had never known God, had the strength to draw Him to themselves. Yet the Apostle does not say that they themselves were able to draw God to themselves.

Rather, overthrowing the pride of the Gentiles and showing that everything was produced by God's grace, he says: "I became manifest," and "I was found."

Then are the Gentiles free of all responsibility, you ask? By no means. Their part was to take what was found and to know the One who was revealed.

After this, lest the Jews should say, "Why, then, did He not appear to us also?" the Apostle points to something still greater.

He says that God not only appeared to them, but also did not cease to stretch out His hands and call them. He showed the care of a child-loving father and a compassionate mother.

See what a clear solution the Apostle gave to all the difficulties raised above. He proved that the Jews perished by their own will and in every respect deserve no excuse.

Although they both heard and understood what was said, nevertheless they did not wish to come. What is much more important, God not only gave them to hear and understand this.

He also added stronger measures for urging and drawing the stubborn and resistant. What measures? Encouraging them and awakening rivalry.

You yourselves know the dominion of this passion. You know what power rivalry has in overcoming every obstacle and restoring the fallen.

And why say this about men, when rivalry has great influence even upon irrational creatures and children of immature age?

Often a child, when his father calls him, does not obey and continues to be stubborn. But when he sees another child being cared for, he runs to the parental breast without any invitation.

What entreaty could not do, rivalry easily produces. So also God acted toward the Jews. He not only called them and stretched out His hands to them.

He also stirred in them the passion of rivalry by bestowing blessings upon those who were far lower than they. This especially awakens rivalry.

Moreover, these were not the blessings that had been given to the Jews. This is much more important and makes the passion more tormenting.

They were much greater and more necessary blessings, such as the Jews had not imagined even in sleep. But even after all this they did not obey.

What excuse, then, do those deserve who have shown their stubbornness to such a great degree? None.

Nevertheless, the Apostle himself does not say this. He leaves the conscience of his hearers to conclude it on the basis of what has been said.

In the following words, with his characteristic wisdom, he again proves the same thing.

"Again I ask: did Israel not know?" (Rom 10:19). He again answers in the prophetic words of Moses and Isaiah. The first foretold the faith of the Gentiles, and that this faith would arouse jealousy among the Jews. Such jealousy is plainly impossible without understanding.

The second, while proclaiming the faith of the Gentiles, speaks directly of the unbelief of the Jews. He does not say that they would fail to understand the preaching of the Gospel (Rom 10:19-21).

The Apostle gives these answers, in the very words of the prophets, to the questions set forth above. His purpose is to make the Hebrews feel more sharply the danger of their moral state, and of their God-opposing resistance to the Gospel preaching.

Rather, they shamefully fled from their heavenly Father and served false gods like slaves. Often they handed their children into the heated arms of the idols of these gods.

Already through the prophet Moses, God said that He had borne them out of Egypt on His wings like an eagle, and that they abandoned Him (Deut. 32:11).

According to the word of Jesus Christ, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, so God often wished to gather the Jews, but they would not (Matt. 23:37).

Exposing in the Jews this extreme stubbornness in resisting all the divine, good, and providential actions concerning them, the holy protomartyr Stephen said: "You stiff-necked people, you always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did" (Acts 7:51).

This whole series of arguments concerning the complete lack of excuse for the Jews in their inattention to the Gospel preaching is, of course, directed toward arousing them to conversion to Christianity.

Through them it is also directed toward the Gentiles, so that the paths of God's providence might come to their fullest possible completion. What depth and breadth of the preacher's vision and striving are revealed in all this.

At the same time, what grounding is disclosed here everywhere and in everything upon facts so well known and so authoritative for all.

One may say that even the most stubborn enemies of Christianity ought to have understood their hardness. "See what a clear solution the Apostle gave to all the difficulties proposed above.

"He proved that the Jews perish by their own will and in every respect deserve no indulgence. God not only gave them to hear and understand this.

"He also used stronger measures for urging and drawing the stubborn and resistant. He not only entreated them and stretched out His hands to them.

"He also stirred in them the passion of rivalry by bestowing blessings upon those who were far lower than they. This especially produces rivalry.

"Yet He did not bestow merely the same blessings that had been given to the Jews, but such blessings as the Jews had not imagined even in sleep. But even after all this they did not obey.

"What excuse, then, do those deserve who have shown their stubbornness in such abundance? None. Nevertheless, the Apostle does not say this himself, but leaves the conscience of his hearers to conclude it from what has been said."

For we add that one must let enemies understand their extreme injustice in due measure, so as not to provoke them to complete hardening.

This is what the Apostle does. Therefore, from accusations he passes in the next chapter to possible consolations. In them the beneficial meaning of the rejection of the Jews is indicated.

The thought is also suggested that their conversion is of greater importance. By this the most natural and best outcome is defined, both for the unbelieving and for the stubborn.

Then He sent the Apostles. Both in Judea and in every land where they happened to meet Jews, they first proclaimed to them the word of the Gospel.

Thus there was no lack of calling, clear and intelligible to all. What was lacking was only obedient faith and submission to the One who called.

Blessed Theophylact writes: "So that the Jews might not have the right to say to God, 'You were found by the Gentiles, but You did not wish to deal with us,' the Prophet adds: 'All day long.'

"That is, at every time, 'I stretched out My hands,' meaning, I drew you. But you proved to be a disobedient and stubborn people.

"Consequently you are guilty, not I. I stretched out My hands to you and called you, but you did not obey. From this it is evident that the Israelites both heard and knew, but did not wish to submit."

With this the Apostle finishes removing every excuse for the Jews' unbelief (verses 14-21). There are preachers, they hear, and they understand, yet they still remain in unbelief.

The conclusion from this is that they have no excuse at all. But the Apostle does not state it aloud. He allows everyone reading or hearing to make it himself, along with its application.

That application is this: if they are inexcusable, and inexcusable before God, whose judgment is without respect of persons, then it is clear what follows. One must submit to the preaching and believe in the Gospel.

This is precisely the application the Apostle had in view when he presented the Jews as having no answer. He did not intend a bare accusation alone.

Saint Chrysostom concludes this whole section with these words: "See what a clear solution the Apostle gave to all the difficulties proposed above.

"He proved that the Jews perish by their own will and in every respect deserve no excuse. Although they heard, and although they understood what was said, still they did not wish to come.

"And what is much more important, God not only gave them to hear and understand this. He also used stronger measures for overcoming and drawing the stubborn and resistant.

"What measures? He provoked them and awakened rivalry in them. You yourselves know the tormenting power of this passion. You know what strength rivalry has for overcoming every stubbornness and restoring the fallen.

"And why speak of an adult, when rivalry has great effect even upon children of immature age? A child often does not obey when his father calls him and continues to be stubborn.

"But when he sees another child being cared for, he runs to the parental breast without any call. What the calling could not accomplish, rivalry produces.

"So also God dealt with the Jews. He not only entreated them and stretched out His hands to them. He also stirred in them the passion of rivalry by bestowing blessings on those who were far lower than they.

"This especially produces rivalry. Yet He did not bestow the same blessings that were given to the Jews. What is much more important, and what makes the passion more tormenting, is this.

"He bestowed much greater and more necessary blessings, such as the Jews had not imagined even in sleep. But after all this they did not obey.

"What excuse, then, do those deserve who showed their stubbornness in such abundance? None. Nevertheless, the Apostle does not say this himself. He leaves the conscience of his hearers to conclude it from the consideration of what has been said."