Romans 15:21

Romans 15:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
• New International Version (NIV)Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."
• New King James Version (NKJV)but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.”

Context of Romans 15:21

19God's Holy Spirit used his power to do many miracles. He caused many great and powerful things to happen. As a result, I have told the whole good news about Christ to many people. I have told it while I travelled all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum. 20I want to go to places where nobody has ever told people about Christ before. I want to tell the good news to people in those places. That is what I have always wanted to do. I do not want to work in a place where someone else has already started to teach God's message. This is written in the Bible about God's Messiah: ‘Those people that nobody ever told them about him will now see. Those people who have never heard about him will now understand.’ 22That is why, many times, I have not had a chance to visit you. 23For many years I have been waiting for the chance to come. But now I have finished my work in these places here.

Romans 15:21 word by word

ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται· οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butἀλλάalla · butG235
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• it is writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• To whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• wasἀναγγέλλωanaggellō · to reportG312
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• they shall seeὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• they that haveἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• shall understandσυνίημιsuniēmi · to understandG4920

Cross-references for Romans 15:21

• Isaiah 52:15But now, he will cause the people in many nations to be very surprised! Kings will have nothing to say when they see how great he is. They will see something new that nobody had told them about. They will understand new things that they had not heard about before.
• Isaiah 65:1The Lord says, ‘I was ready to answer, even when my people did not ask me anything. I showed myself to people who were not even looking for me. I said, “Look! Here I am!” to a nation who did not even use my name to pray.

Commentaries on Romans 15:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21But as it is written - These words, quoted from Isaiah 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.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21But as it is written - Isaiah 52:15. This is not literally quoted, but the sense is retained. The design of quoting it is to justify the principle on which the apostle acted. It was revealed that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles; and he regarded it as a high honor to be the instrument of carrying this prediction into effect.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The apostle was persuaded that the Roman Christians were filled with a kind and affectionate spirit, as well as with knowledge. He had written to remind them of their duties and their dangers, because God had appointed him the minister of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul preached to them; but what made them sacrifices to God, was, their sanctification; not his work, but the work of the Holy Ghost: unholy things can never be pleasing to the holy…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-33This final section includes elements often found at the end of New Testament letters: a discussion of travel plans (15:14–29), requests for prayer (15:30–33), references to ministry partners (16:1–2, 21–23), greetings (16:3–16), and a short hymn of praise (16:25–27). Only the warning about false teachers is a non-standard feature in this conclusion (16:17–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2218-22. For I will not dare to speak of any--"to speak aught" of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me--a modest, though somewhat obscure form of expression, meaning, "I will not dare to go beyond what Christ hath wrought by me"--in which form accordingly the rest of the passage is expressed. Observe here how Paul ascribes all the success of his labors to the activity of the living Redeemer, working in and by him. by word and deed--by preaching…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 15:21

• Quotations and Allusions
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Ought
• Partaker
• Romans, Epistle to the
• Seal
• Sign
• Strive
• Acts of the Apostles
• Bible, the
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Holiness

Commentaries on Romans 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings