10:13

everyone: Here Paul quotes from Joe 2:32. In the preceding verse, Paul says that “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek” and that “there is the same Lord over all, who is rich toward all those calling on him.” So the word “everyone” in this context further emphasizes God’s impartiality toward Jews and non-Jews.

calls on the name of Jehovah: Calling on Jehovah’s name is broad in meaning and involves more than just knowing and using God’s personal name. The expression “to call on [someone’s] name” has its background in the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul is here quoting from Joe 2:32, where the context stresses true repentance and trust in Jehovah’s forgiveness. (Joe 2:12, 13) At Pentecost 33 C.E., Peter quoted the same prophecy of Joel and exhorted his listeners to repent and take action to secure Jehovah’s approval. (Ac 2:21, 38) Other contexts show that calling on God’s name involves knowing God, trusting in him, and looking to him for help and guidance. (Ps 20:7; 99:6; 116:4; 145:18) In some contexts, calling on the name of Jehovah can mean declaring his name and qualities. (Ge 12:8; compare Ex 34:5, where the same Hebrew expression is rendered “declared the name of Jehovah.”) In the verse that follows Ro 10:13, Paul connects calling on God with putting faith in him.​—Ro 10:14.

the name of Jehovah: Paul here quotes from Joe 2:32, where the expression “the name of Jehovah” occurs. This combination of the Hebrew word for “name” and the Tetragrammaton is found more than 90 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Some examples are Ge 12:8; Ex 33:19; 34:5; De 28:10; 32:3; Job 1:21; Ps 118:26; Pr 18:10; Mic 4:5. Concerning this Hebrew expression, one reference work says that it “means not only the name but [Jehovah’s] full being and power.” The use of the genitive “the name of Jehovah” instead of “the name Jehovah” indicates that his name is not used as a kind of charm. Rather, God’s name is linked to his personality, ways, and purposes. Thus, one who calls on the name of Jehovah must do more than know and use the name. He must come to know the Person behind the name, worship him, and live in harmony with his ways. Calling on the name of Jehovah also involves exercising faith in him, as Ro 10:14 shows.

Jehovah: In this quote from Joe 2:32, the divine name, represented by four Hebrew consonants (transliterated YHWH), occurs in the original Hebrew text. This quote also appears at Ac 2:21 in Peter’s speech at Pentecost.​—See App. C.