Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Romans 10:18

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
- 18 But I ask, They did not fail to hear, did they? Why, in fact, “into all the earth their sound went out, and to the ends of the inhabited earth their message.”+

Romans 10:18

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
- 18 Nevertheless I ask, They did not fail to hear, did they? Why, in fact, “into all the earth their sound went out,+ and to the extremities* of the inhabited earth* their utterances.”+

Romans 10:18

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
- 18 ἀλλὰ But λέγω, I am saying, μὴ not οὐκ not ἤκουσαν; they heard? μενοῦνγε Indeed-therefore-in fact Εἰς Into πᾶσαν all τὴν the γῆν earth ἐξῆλθεν went out ὁ the φθόγγος sound αὐτῶν, of them, καὶ and εἰς into τὰ the πέρατα limits τῆς of the οἰκουμένης inhabited [earth] τὰ the ῥήματα sayings αὐτῶν. of them.

Romans 10:18

King James Version
- 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Romans 10:18

American Standard Version
- 18 But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily, Their sound went out into all the earth, And their words unto the ends of the world.

Romans 10:18

The Bible in Living English
- 18 But I say, did they not hear? why, “the noise of them went out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.”

Romans Study Notes—Chapter 10

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
- 10:18
  
  into all the earth their sound went out: Paul here quotes from Ps 19:4, which describes how the silent witness given by God’s physical creation reaches the whole earth. Paul extends the application to the preaching work. He indicates that just as creation’s testimony reaches all the earth, to the point that rejection of God is inexcusable (Ro 1:20), so the extensive preaching of the “good news” (Ro 10:15) concerning Christ had given the Jews plenty of opportunities to accept it. Their lack of response was due to lack of faith. Paul may also have had in mind that the silent witness of creation gave an inaudible witness to all humans, making denial of God’s Creatorship inexcusable.—See study note on Ro 1:20.
  
  the inhabited earth: Here the Greek word for “inhabited earth” (oi·kou·meʹne) is used in a broad sense and refers to the earth as the dwelling place of mankind. (Lu 4:5; Ac 17:31; Re 12:9; 16:14) In the first century, this term was also used in reference to the vast Roman Empire, where the Jews had been dispersed. (Lu 2:1; Ac 24:5) Paul here quotes from Ps 19:4, where the Septuagint (Ps 18:5, LXX) uses the same Greek word to translate a Hebrew term that can refer to the inhabited areas of the earth.