Romans 10:19 (DBY)

Passage

But I say, Has not Israel known? First, Moses says, *I* will provoke you to jealousy through [them that are] not a nation: through a nation without understanding I will anger you.

Nearby Context

Romans 10:17 So faith then [is] by a report, but the report by God's word.

Romans 10:18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yea, surely, Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the extremities of the habitable world.

Romans 10:19 But I say, Has not Israel known? First, Moses says, *I* will provoke you to jealousy through [them that are] not a nation: through a nation without understanding I will anger you.

Romans 10:20 But Esaias is very bold, and says, I have been found by those not seeking me; I have become manifest to those not inquiring after me.

Romans 10:21 But unto Israel he says, All the day long I have stretched out my hands unto a people disobeying and opposing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "israel", "known", "first", "moses", "says", "provoke", "jealousy", and "through". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "israel" and "known", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "But I say Have they not heard..." into verse 20's "But Esaias is very bold and says...", so "israel" and "known" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "israel" and "known" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.