John Calvin Commentary Romans 10:18

"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 (ASV)

But I say, have they not heard? etc. Since preaching imbues people's minds with the knowledge of God, which leads them to call on God, it remained a question whether God's truth had been proclaimed to the Gentiles. For Paul's sudden turn to the Gentiles had, by its novelty, caused no small offense.

He then asks whether God had ever before directed His voice to the Gentiles and acted as a teacher towards the whole world. But to show that the school into which God gathers students to Himself from anywhere is open to all, he presents a prophet's testimony from Psalm 19:4. This passage, however, seems to have little direct bearing on the subject, for the Prophet there speaks not of Apostles but of God's physical works. In these works, he says, God's glory shines forth so clearly that they can be said to have a kind of tongue of their own to declare God's perfections.

This passage from Paul led the ancients to explain the whole Psalm allegorically, and posterity has followed them, so that, undoubtedly, the sun going forth as a bridegroom from his chamber was Christ, and the heavens were the Apostles. Those who had most piety and showed greater modesty in interpreting Scripture thought that what was properly said of the celestial architecture has been applied by Paul to the Apostles by way of allusion.

But since I find that the Lord’s servants have everywhere explained Scripture with great reverence, and have not twisted them at will in all directions, I cannot be persuaded that Paul has misinterpreted this passage in this way. I then take his quotation according to the prophet's proper and genuine meaning, so that the argument will be something like this: God has already from the beginning revealed His divinity to the Gentiles, not by the preaching of men, but by the testimony of His creatures. For though the gospel was then silent among them, the entire workmanship of heaven and earth did speak and, by its preaching, make known its Creator.

From this it appears that the Lord, even during the time He confined the favor of His covenant to Israel, did not withdraw the knowledge of Himself from the Gentiles so completely that He failed to keep some sparks of it alive among them. He indeed revealed Himself then more particularly to His chosen people, so that the Jews might be justly compared to household hearers, whom He familiarly taught, as it were, by His own mouth. Yet, as He spoke to the Gentiles from a distance by the voice of the heavens, He showed by this prelude that He intended eventually to make Himself known to them also.

But I do not know why the Greek interpreter translated the word קום, kum, as φθόγγον αὐτῶν, their sound; for it means a line, sometimes in construction and sometimes in writing. Since it is certain that the same idea is mentioned twice in this passage, it seems probable to me that the heavens are presented as declaring God's power by what is, as it were, written on them, as well as by voice. For by the phrase going forth, the Prophet reminds us that the teaching proclaimed by the heavens is not confined within the narrow limits of one land but is announced to the farthest regions of the world.