Romans 15:21

But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	ἀλλὰ alla	G235	properly · conjunction
as	καθὼς kathōs	G2531	just (or inasmuch) as · conjunction
written	γέγραπται· gegraptai	G1125	to "grave" · verb — perfect passive indicative, 3rd person singular
whom	οἷς hois	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — dative plural masculine
he	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
was	ἀνηγγέλη anēngelē	G312	to announce (in detail) · verb — second aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
spoken	ἀναγγέλλω anangéllō	G312	to announce (in detail)
of	περὶ peri	G4012	properly · preposition
see	ὄψονται opsontai	G3700	to gaze (i.e. with wide-open eyes · verb — future middle deponent indicative, 3rd person plural
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
have	ἀκηκόασιν akēkoasin	G191	to hear (in various senses) · verb — second perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
heard	ἀκούω akoúō	G191	to hear (in various senses)
understand	συνήσουσιν. sunēsousin	G4920	to put together · verb — future active indicative, 3rd person plural

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Isaiah 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that…
Isaiah 65:1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not c…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 15:17-21

The apostle here gives some account of himself and of his own affairs. Having mentioned his ministry and apostleship, he goes on further to magnify his office in the efficacy of it, and to mention to the glory of God the great success of his ministry and the wonderful things that God had done by him, for encouragement to the Christian church at Rome, that they were not alone in the profession of Christianity, but though, compared with the multitude of their idolatrous neighbours, they were but a little flock, yet, up and down the country, there were many that were their companions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. It was likewise a great confirmation of the truth of the Christian…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 15:20

Yea, &c.--rather, "Yet making it my study (compare Co2 5:9; Th1 4:11, Greek) so to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was [already] named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation: but (might act) as it is written, To whom no tidings of Him came, they shall see," &c.

Adam Clarke on Romans 15:21

But as it is written - These words, quoted from Isa 52:15, the apostle applies to his own conduct; not that the words themselves predicted what Paul had done, but that he endeavored to fulfill such a declaration by his manner of preaching the Gospel to the heathen.

John Gill on Romans 15:21

But as it is written,.... In Isaiah 52:15; to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand; for the Messiah was not spoken of to the Gentiles; they were strangers to the covenants of promise; the oracles of God were committed to the Jews; God gave his word and statutes to them, and not to any other nation: and yet, according to this prophecy, the Gentiles were to see him whom they had no account of; not in the flesh with their bodily eyes, in which sense only, or at least chiefly, the Jews saw him; but with the eyes of their understanding, by faith, as exhibited and evidently set forth before them as crucified, in the Gospel and the ordinances of…

The Church Fathers

Paul shows that his work was foretold. Christ was made manifest in the apostles through the miracles which they performed in his name.
— Pelagius, PELAGIUS'S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Paul says that he was always quick to fill the Gentiles with the truth of the gospel, so that their understanding of the true Son of God might be correct and unshakable.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

Then he shows that a prophecy was fulfilled also saying, "As it is written, To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand." You see he runs to where the labor is more, the toil greater.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 29

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Achaia — The name originally of a narrow strip of territory in Greece, on the north-west of the Peloponnesus. Subsequently it was applied by the Romans to the whole Peloponnesus, now called the Morea, and the…

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Romans 15:21

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 15:17-21

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 15:20

Adam Clarke on Romans 15:21

John Gill on Romans 15:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Romans 15:21

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 15:17-21

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 15:20

Adam Clarke on Romans 15:21

John Gill on Romans 15:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Romans 15:17-21

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Romans 15:19