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“All day long I held out my hands
to a people who kept disobeying and contradicting.”
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Commentary on Romans 10 verses 12–21
The first words express the design of the apostle through these verses, that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, but they stand upon the same level in point of acceptance with God. In Jesus Christ there is neither Greek nor Jews, Col 3:11. God doth not save any nor reject any because they are Jews, nor because they are Greeks, but doth equally accept both upon gospel terms: There is no difference. For the proof of this he urges two arguments: -
I. That God is the same to all: The same Lord over all is rich unto all. There is not one God to the Jews who is more kind, and another to the Gentiles who is less kind; but he is the same to all, a common father to all mankind. When he proclaimed his name, The Lord, the Lord god, gracious and merciful, he thereby signified not only what he was to the Jews, but what he is and will be to all his creatures that seek unto him: not only good, but rich, plenteous in goodness: he hath wherewith to supply them all, and he is free and ready to give out to them; he is both able and willing: not only rich, but rich unto us, liberal and bountiful in dispensing his favours to all that call upon him. Something must be done by us, that we may reap of this bounty; and it is as little as can be, we must call upon him. He will for this be enquired of (Eze 36:37), and surely that which is not worth the asking is not worth the having. We have nothing to do but to draw out by prayer, as there is occasion.
II. That the promise is the same to all (Rom 10:13): Whoever shall call - one as well as another, without exception. This extent, this undifferencing extent, of the promise both to Jews and Gentiles he thinks should not be surprising, for it was foretold by the prophet, Joe 2:32. Calling upon the name of the Lord is here put for all practical religion. What is the life of a Christian but a life of prayer? It implies a sense of our dependence on him, an entire dedication of ourselves to him, and a believing expectation of our all from him. He that thus calls upon him shall be saved. It is but ask and have; what would we have more? for the further illustration of this he observes,
1.How necessary it was that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, Rom 10:14, Rom 10:15. This was what the Jews were so angry with Paul for, that he was the apostle of the Gentiles, and preached the gospel to them. Now he shows how needful it was to bring them within the reach of the forementioned promise, an interest in which they should not envy to any of their fellow-creatures. (1.) They cannot call on him in whom they have not believed. Except they believe that he is God, they will not call upon him by prayer; to what purpose should they? The grace of faith is absolutely necessary to the duty of prayer; we cannot pray aright, nor pray to acceptation, without it. He that comes to God by prayer must believe, Heb 11:6. Till they believed the true God, they were calling upon idols, O Baal, hear us. (2.) They cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard. some way or other the divine revelation must be made known to us, before we can receive it and assent to it; it is not born with us. In hearing is included reading, which is tantamount, and by which many are brought to believe (Joh 20:31): These things are written that you may believe. But hearing only is mentioned, as the more ordinary and natural way of receiving information. (3.) They cannot hear without a preacher; how should they? Somebody must tell them what they are to believe. Preachers and hearers are correlates; it is a blessed thing when they mutually rejoice in each other - the hearers in the skill and faithfulness of the preacher, and the preacher in the willingness and obedience of the hearers. (4.) They cannot preach except they be sent, except they be both commissioned and in some measure qualified for their preaching work. How shall a man act as an ambassador, unless he have both his credentials and his instructions from the prince that sends him? This proves that to the regular ministry there must be a regular mission and ordination. It is God's prerogative to send ministers; he is the Lord of the harvest, and therefore to him we must pray that he would send forth labourers, Mat 9:38. He only can qualify men for, and incline them to, the work of the ministry. But the competency of that qualification, and the sincerity of that inclination, must not be left to the judgment of every man for himself: the nature of the thing will by no means admit this; but, for the preservation of due order in the church, this must needs be referred and submitted to the judgment of a competent number of those who are themselves in that office and of approved wisdom and experience in it, who, as in all other callings, are presumed the most able judges, and who are empowered to set apart such as they find so qualified and inclined to this work of the ministry, that by this preservation of the succession the name of Christ may endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven. And those that are thus set apart, not only may, but must preach, as those that are sent.
2.How welcome the gospel ought to be to those to whom it was preached, because it showed the way to salvation, Rom 10:15. For this he quotes Isa 52:7. The like passage we have, Nah 1:15, which, if it point at the glad tidings of the deliverance of Israel out of Babylon in the type, yet looks further to the gospel, the good news of our salvation by Jesus Christ. Observe, (1.) What the gospel is: It is the gospel of peace; it is the word of reconciliation between God and man. On earth peace, Luk 2:14. Or, peace is put in general for all good; so it is explained here; it is glad tidings of good things. The things of the gospel are good things indeed, the best things; tidings concerning them are the most joyful tidings, the best news that ever came from heaven to earth. (2.) What the work of ministers is: To preach this gospel, to bring these glad tidings; to evangelize peace (so the original is), to evangelize good things. Every good preacher is in this sense an evangelist: he is not only a messenger to carry the news, but an ambassador to treat; and the first gospel preachers were angels, Luk 2:13, etc. (3.) How acceptable they should therefore be to the children of men for their work's sake: How beautiful are the feet, that is, how welcome are they! Mary Magdalene expressed her love to Christ by kissing his feet, and afterwards by holding him by the feet, Mat 28:9. And, when Christ was sending forth his disciples, he washed their feet. Those that preach the gospel of peace should see to it that their feet (their life and conversation) be beautiful: the holiness of ministers' lives is the beauty of their feet. How beautiful! namely, in the eyes of those that hear them. Those that welcome the message cannot but love the messengers. See Th1 5:12, Th1 5:13.
3.He answers an objection against all this, which might be taken from the little success which the gospel had in many places (Rom 10:16): But they have not all obeyed the gospel. All the Jews have not, all the Gentiles have not; far the greater part of both remain in unbelief and disobedience. Observe, The gospel is given us not only to be known and believed, but to be obeyed. It is not a system of notions, but a rule of practice. This little success of the word was likewise foretold by the prophet (Isa 53:1): Who hath believed our report? Very few have, few to what one would think should have believed it, considering how faithful a report it is and how well worthy of all acceptation, - very few to the many that persist in unbelief. It is no strange thing, but it is a very sad and uncomfortable thing, for the ministers of Christ to bring the report of the gospel, and not to be believed in it. Under such a melancholy consideration it is good for us to go to God and make our complaint to him. Lord, who hath believed, etc. In answer to this,
(1.)He shows that the word preached is the ordinary means of working faith (Rom 10:17): So then, ara - however; though many that hear do not believe, yet those that believe have first heard. Faith cometh by hearing. It is the summary of what he had said before, Rom 10:14. The beginning, progress, and strength of faith, are by hearing. The word of God is therefore called the word of faith: it begets and nourishes faith. God gives faith, but it is by the word as the instrument. Hearing (that hearing which works faith) is by the word of God. It is not hearing the enticing words of man's wisdom, but hearing the word of God, that will befriend faith, and hearing it as the word of God. See Th1 2:13.
(2.)That those who would not believe the report of the gospel, yet, having heard it, were thereby left inexcusable, and may thank themselves for their own ruin, Rom 10:18, to the end.
[1.]The Gentiles have heard it (Rom 10:18): Have they not heard? Yes, more or less, they have either heard the gospel, or at least heard of it. Their sound went into all the earth; not only a confused sound, but their words (more distinct and intelligible notices of these things) are gone unto the ends of the world. The commission which the apostles received runs thus: Go you into all the world - preach to every creature - disciple all nations; and they did with indefatigable industry and wonderful success pursue that commission. See the extent of Paul's province, Rom 15:19. To this remote island of Britain, one of the utmost corners of the world, not only the sound, but the words, of the gospel came within a few years after Christ's ascension. It was in order to this that the gift of tongues was at the very first poured so plentifully upon the apostles, Acts 2. In the expression here he plainly alludes to Psa 19:4, which speaks of the notices which the visible works of God in the creation give to all the world of the power and Godhead of the Creator. As under the Old Testament God provided for the publishing of the work of creation by the sun, moon, and stars, so now for the publishing of the work of redemption to all the world by the preaching of gospel ministers, who are therefore called stars.
[2.]The Jews have heard it too, Rom 10:19-21. For this he appeals to two passages of the Old Testament, to show how inexcusable they are too. Did not Israel know that the Gentiles were to be called in? They might have known it from Moses and Isaiah.
First, One is taken from Deu 32:21, I will provoke you to jealousy. The Jews not only had the offer, but saw the Gentiles accepting it and benefitted by that acceptance, witness their vexation at the event. They had the refusal: To you first, Act 3:26. In all places where the apostles came still the Jews had the first offer, and the Gentiles had but their leavings. If one would not, another would. Now this provoked them to jealousy. They, as the elder brother in the parable (Lu. 15) envied the reception and entertainment of the prodigal Gentiles upon their repentance. The Gentiles are here called no people, and a foolish nation, that is, not the professing people of God. How much soever there be of the wit and wisdom of the world, those that are not the people of God are, and in the end will be found to be, a foolish people. Such was the state of the Gentile world, who yet were made the people of God, and Christ to them the wisdom of God. What a provocation it was to the Jews to see the Gentiles taken into favour we may see, Act 13:45; Act 17:5, Act 17:13, and especially Act 22:22. It was an instance of the great wickedness of the Jews that they were thus enraged; and this in Deuteronomy is the matter of a threatening. God often makes people's sin their punishment. A man needs no greater plague than to be left to the impetuous rage of his own lusts.
Secondly, Another is taken from Isa 65:1, Isa 65:2, which is very full, and in it Esaias is very bold - bold indeed, to speak so plainly of the rejection of his own countrymen. Those that will be found faithful have need to be very bold. Those that are resolved to please God must not be afraid to displease any man. Now Esaias speaks boldly and plainly,
a.Of the preventing grace and favour of God in the reception and entertainment of the Gentiles (Rom 10:20): I was found of those that sought me not. The prescribed method is, Seek and find; this is a rule for us, not a rule for God, who is often found of those that do not seek. His grace is his own, distinguishing grace his own, and he dispenses it in a way of sovereignty, gives of withholds it at pleasure - anticipates us with the blessings, the riches choicest blessings, of his goodness. Thus he manifested himself to the Gentiles, by sending the light of the gospel among them, when they were so far from seeking him and asking after him that they were following after lying vanities, and serving dumb idols. Was not this our own particular case? Did not God begin in love, and manifest himself to us when we did not ask after him? And was not that a time of love indeed, to be often remembered with a great deal of thankfulness?
b.Of the obstinacy and perverseness of Israel, notwithstanding the fair offers and affectionate invitations they had, Rom 10:21. Observe,
(a.)God's great goodness to them: All day long I have stretched forth my hands. [a.] His offers: I have stretched forth my hands, offering them life and salvation with the greatest sincerity and seriousness that can be, with all possible expressions of earnestness and importunity, showing them the happiness tendered, setting it before them with the greatest evidence, reasoning the case with them. Stretching forth the hands is the gesture of those that require audience (Act 26:1), or desire acceptance, Pro 1:24. Christ was crucified with his hands stretched out. Stretched forth my hands as offering reconciliation - come let us shake hands and be friends; and our duty is to give the hand to him, Ch2 30:8. [b.] His patience in making these offers: All day long. The patience of God towards provoking sinners is admirable. He waits to be gracious. The time of God's patience is here called a day, lightsome as a day and fit for work and business, but limited as a day, and a night at the end of it. he bears long, but he will not bear always.
(b.)Their great badness to him. They were a disobedient gainsaying people. One word in the Hebrew, in Isaiah, is here well explained by two; not only disobedient to the call, not yielding to it, but gainsaying, and quarrelling with it, which is much worse. Many that will not accept of a good proposal will yet acknowledge that they have nothing to say against it: but the Jews who believed not rested not there, but contradicted and blasphemed. God's patience with them was a very great aggravation of their disobedience, and rendered it the more exceedingly sinful; as their disobedience advanced the honour of God's patience and rendered it the more exceedingly gracious. It is a wonder of mercy in God that his goodness is not overcome by man's badness; and it is a wonder of wickedness in man that his badness is not overcome by God's goodness.
And Isaiah likewise mentions concerning Him the manner in which He would die, thus: "I have spread out My hands unto a people disobedient, and gainsaying, that walk in a way which is not good."
Whence, again, it is manifest that "the city must simultaneously be exterminated" at the time when its "Leader" had to suffer in it, (as foretold) through the Scriptures of the prophets, who say: "I have outstretched my hands the whole day unto a People contumacious and gainsaying Me, who walketh in a way not good, but after their own sins." And in the Psalms, David says: "They exterminated my hands and feet: they counted all my bones; they themselves, moreover, contemplated and saw me, and in my thirst slaked me with vinegar.
The Hebrew text does not contain the words and contrary, but here the apostle has followed the Septuagint and quoted the passage as they understood it.
Here Israel refers to the Israel of the flesh, those who are children of Abraham but not according to faith. For the true Israel is spiritual and sees God by believing in him. “All day long” means “always.”This passage may also refer to the Savior, who held out his hands on the cross to plead forgiveness for those who were killing him.
It appears from the holding out of his hands that God is calling the people to himself. It is also a sign pointing toward the form of the cross.
"But unto Israel He saith, All the day long have I stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."
Observe now that difficulty, which so many make a subject of question, is discovered laid up from of old in the words of the Prophet, and with a clear solution to it too. And what is this? You heard Paul say before. "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained unto righteousness. But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness." This Esaias also says here. For to say, "I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest unto them which asked not after me," is the same with saying, "that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained unto righteousness." Then to show that what was happening was not of God's grace only, but also of the temper of those who came to Him, as also the casting off of the others came of the disputatiousness of those who disobeyed, hear what he proceeds with. "But to Israel He saith, All the day long have I stretched forth My hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people;" here meaning by the day the whole period of the former dispensation. But the stretching out of the hands, means calling and drawing them to Him, and inviting them. Then to show that the fault was all their own, he says "to a disobedient and gainsaying people." You see what a great charge this is against them! For they did not obey Him even when He invited them, but they gainsaid Him, and that when they saw Him doing so, not once or twice or thrice, but the whole period. But others who had never known Him, had the power to draw Him to them. Not that he says they themselves had the power to do it, but to take away lofty imaginings even from those of the Gentiles, and to show that it was His grace that wrought the whole, He says, I was made manifest, and I was found. It may be said, Were they then void of everything? By no means, for the taking of the things found, and the getting a knowledge of what was manifested to them, was what they contributed themselves.
The same prophet who made promises of this sort to the Gentiles issues similar warnings here to the Jews, so that you may know that both were foretold. The holding out of the hands means, allegorically, the cross.
The hands of the Lord lifted up to heaven were not begging for help but were sheltering us, his miserable creatures.
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SUMMARY
Romans 10:21 encapsulates God's profound and persistent sorrow over Israel's historical and ongoing rejection of His gracious overtures. Quoting from Isaiah, Paul highlights the divine lament over a chosen people who, despite continuous invitations and outstretched hands of welcome, remained stubbornly disobedient and actively resistant to His truth and salvific plan, culminating in their widespread refusal to embrace Jesus as the Messiah offered by faith.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Romans 10:21 is rich with literary devices that amplify its theological impact. The most prominent is Anthropomorphism, seen in the phrase "I have stretched forth my hands." This attributes human physical characteristics and actions (stretching out hands) to God, making His earnest desire for reconciliation relatable and vivid. It conveys God's personal, emotional investment and persistent overtures to Israel. Another key device is Allusion/Quotation, as Paul directly quotes Isaiah 65:2. This serves to ground Paul's contemporary argument in the long-standing prophetic tradition, demonstrating that Israel's pattern of unbelief was not a new phenomenon but a historical continuity. By citing Isaiah, Paul validates his claims about Israel's spiritual condition and God's consistent character. Furthermore, the verse employs Juxtaposition by placing God's persistent, loving invitation ("stretched forth my hands") directly against Israel's stubborn, active rejection ("disobedient and gainsaying people"). This sharp contrast highlights the profound tragedy of the situation and underscores the human responsibility in the face of divine grace. The use of two strong, negative descriptors ("disobedient and gainsaying") also functions as Parallelism or Emphasis, reinforcing the depth and persistence of Israel's rebellion.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Romans 10:21 profoundly articulates the heart of God's enduring love and patience in the face of human rebellion. It reveals a God who actively pursues His creation, extending an open invitation for relationship and reconciliation, even when met with consistent rejection. This verse underscores the tragic reality of human sin and the profound responsibility that comes with hearing God's truth. It highlights that Israel's historical failure to embrace righteousness by faith, culminating in their rejection of the Messiah, was not due to God's lack of effort or faithfulness, but rather to their own persistent "disobedience and gainsaying." Theologically, it affirms God's unwavering covenant faithfulness, even as it mourns the human capacity for stubborn resistance, setting the stage for Paul's discussion in Romans 11 about God's future redemptive plan for Israel and the inclusion of the Gentiles.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Romans 10:21 presents a powerful mirror for self-reflection, inviting us to consider our own response to God's persistent call. Just as God stretched forth His hands to ancient Israel, He continues to extend His grace and truth to us today, through His Word, His Spirit, and the witness of His church. This verse challenges us to examine whether we, too, are prone to "disobedience and gainsaying" in areas of our lives. Are there truths we resist, commands we ignore, or invitations to deeper faith and obedience that we actively contradict? God's patience is immense, but it is not infinite; persistent rejection hardens the heart and can lead to spiritual insensitivity. Therefore, this verse serves as a sober reminder to cultivate a posture of humility, responsiveness, and eager obedience to God's revealed will, embracing His grace by faith and allowing His Spirit to transform our hearts from rebellion to joyful submission. It encourages us to be quick to hear, quick to believe, and quick to obey, lest we, like Israel, miss the profound blessings of God's outstretched hand.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "All day long I have stretched forth my hands" mean in the context of God's character?
Answer: This phrase is a profound anthropomorphism, attributing a human gesture to God to convey His deep emotional investment and persistent action. It signifies God's unwavering patience, earnest yearning, and continuous invitation to His people. "All day long" emphasizes the duration and consistency of His efforts, illustrating that God's desire for reconciliation and relationship is not fleeting but constant. It portrays Him as a loving Father who tirelessly calls His children to Himself, demonstrating His long-suffering nature and boundless grace, even in the face of their repeated rejection, as seen throughout the Old Testament narratives and prophetic appeals like Isaiah 30:18.
Why does Paul quote Isaiah 65:2 in Romans 10:21?
Answer: Paul quotes Isaiah 65:2 to underscore a crucial point: Israel's widespread rejection of Jesus as the Messiah was not an unforeseen or isolated event, but rather a continuation of a long-standing historical pattern of disobedience and rebellion against God's overtures. By drawing on this ancient prophecy, Paul demonstrates that God's lament over His people's stubbornness was not new to the apostolic age but had been a recurring sorrow throughout their history. This citation serves to validate Paul's argument about Israel's unbelief and to show that God's turning to the Gentiles (as discussed in Romans 10:19-20) was also foretold in the Scriptures, confirming God's sovereign plan despite human resistance.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Romans 10:21, with its lament over Israel's "disobedient and gainsaying people," finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a cessation of God's outstretched hand, but in the very person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the embodiment of God's persistent invitation, the Word made flesh who came to His own, yet "His own did not receive Him" (John 1:11). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continually stretched forth His hands in healing, teaching, and inviting, calling Israel to repentance and faith in the Kingdom of God, even as He lamented over Jerusalem's unwillingness to gather under His protective wing (Matthew 23:37). His crucifixion, the ultimate act of God's self-giving love, was a final, desperate stretching forth of hands, offering salvation even to those who nailed Him to the cross. Despite Israel's historical and contemporary rejection, God's plan of salvation was not thwarted. Instead, through Christ's death and resurrection, the way of righteousness by faith was opened to all, Jew and Gentile alike, demonstrating that God's "outstretched hands" ultimately led to the cross, where the Lamb of God bore the sins of the world, making reconciliation possible for all who believe (John 1:29). Thus, Jesus fulfills God's eternal purpose, becoming the means by which God's persistent love finally triumphs over human disobedience, offering a new covenant of grace where all who call on His name will be saved (Romans 10:13).