^10:18 But I say: have they not heard? Yes, verily: their sound has gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the whole world. [n. 845]
^10:19 But I say: has not Israel known? First, Moses says: I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation: by a foolish nation I will anger you. [n. 850]
^10:20 But Isaiah is bold, and says: I was found by those who did not seek me. I appeared openly to those who did not ask after me. [n. 853]
^10:21 But to Israel he says: all the day long have I spread my hands to a people that does not believe and contradicts me. [n. 855]

845. After showing that the fall of the Jews is pitiable, because they sinned from ignorance, here the Apostle shows that their fall is not entirely excusable; because their ignorance was not invincible or rooted in necessity, but somehow voluntary.

He shows this in two ways.

First, because they heard the teaching of the apostles;

second, from what they knew from the teachings of the law and of the prophets, at but I say: has not Israel known?

846. In regard to the first he does two things.

First, he asks a question, saying: we have said that faith comes from hearing and that men cannot believe a person whom they have not heard. But I say, have they not heard? so as to be totally excused for their unbelief, according to what is said in John: if I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin (John 15:22).

847. Second, he answers the question by interjecting the authority of the Psalm: their sound has gone forth into all the earth (Ps 19:4); i.e., the voice of the apostles whose fame has reached every land, both of Jews and of gentiles: destruction and death have said: with our ears we have heard the fame thereof (Job 28:22), namely, the wisdom preached by the apostles. For the Lord had commanded them: go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Matt 28:19). And their words, i.e., their distinctive message, has gone out unto the ends of the whole world: from the ends of the earth we have heard praises (Isa 24:16); I have given you to be the light of the gentiles, to be my salvation even to the farthest part of the earth (Isa 49:6).

848. It should be noted that, according to Augustine, these words had not yet been fulfilled when the Apostle spoke them, but he foresaw that they would be fulfilled. So he uses the past for the future, because divine pre-ordination is certain of fulfillment; for David, whose words he employed, also used the past for the future. Augustine said this because even in his own day there were certain parts of Africa where the faith of Christ had not been preached.

Chrysostom, on the other hand, says that what is said here had been fulfilled in the time of the apostles. He draws this from Matthew: and this Gospel must be preached in the whole world, and then will come the consummation (Matt 24:14), i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem.

Each is correct in his own way. For in the days of the apostles, some report that their preaching had reached all nations, even to the ends of the world, at least through their disciples and even through the apostles themselves. For Matthew preached in Ethiopia, Thomas in India, Peter and Paul in the west. And this is what Chrysostom means. However, during the times of the apostles it had not been fulfilled in such a way that the Church had been built up in all nations, but it would be fulfilled before the end of the world, as Augustine says.

Yet Chrysostom’s explanation is more in keeping with the Apostle’s intention than is Augustine’s. For the basic excuse of their unbelief is not undercut by the fact that these unbelievers would hear something in the future. However, this does not imply that a report of the apostles’ preaching had reached every individual, although it had reached all nations.

849. Does this mean that those it has not reached, for example if they were raised in the jungle, have an excuse for their sin of unbelief?

The answer is that according to the Lord’s statement (John 15:22) those who have not heard the Lord speaking either in person or through his disciples are excused from the sin of unbelief. However, they will not obtain God’s blessing, namely, removal of original sin or any sin added by leading an evil life; for these, they are deservedly condemned. But if any of them did what was in his power, the Lord would provide for him according to his mercy by sending a preacher of the faith as he sent Peter to Cornelius (Acts 10:5ff.) and Paul into Macedonia (Acts 16:9ff.). Nevertheless, the fact that they do what is in their power, namely, by turning to God, proceeds from God’s moving their hearts to the good: turn us to you, O Lord, that we may be turned (Lam 5:19).

850. Then when he says, but I say: has not Israel known, he shows that they were inexcusable, because of the knowledge they had from the law and the prophets.

First, he raises the question, saying: but I say: has not Israel, i.e., the Jewish people, known the things which pertain to the mystery of Christ and to the calling of the gentiles and the fall of the Jews? They knew fully: instructed by the law (Rom 2:18); he has not dealt thus with another nation (Ps 147:20); we are happy, O Israel, because the things that are pleasing to God are made known to us (Bar 4:4).

Second, he says, first Moses says, he answers the question and shows that they did know: first, through the teaching of the law, saying, first, Moses, who is the lawgiver. By the fact that he says, first, it must not be understood as though there were two Moses, of whom he spoke of the first; but because Moses was the first, i.e., the chief teacher of the Jews: there has not risen a prophet since in Israel like Moses (Deut 34:12) or because he was the first among others to say this.

I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation: by a foolish nation I will anger you. Here our text has this: I will provoke them by that which is not a people and by a foolish nation I will anger them (Deut 32:21).

851. Two differences should be noted here.

The first in regard to gentiles, since he says, not a nation, as though unworthy to be called a nation, because the gentiles were not united in the worship of one god: there are two nations which my soul abhors, and the third is no nation, which I hate (Sir 50:27). But he called the same nation a foolish nation. If in some sense it could be called a nation, inasmuch as it is united and governed by human law, it is, nevertheless, called foolish, as though lacking true wisdom, which consists in the knowledge and worship of God: you must no longer live as the gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their minds, alienated from the life of God (Eph 4:17). And in this way it refers to the gentiles, namely in their state before conversion.

These two things can also be applied to the gentiles after conversion. They are called not a nation, i.e., not living in a gentile manner, as the Apostle says in the same place: that henceforward you walk not as also the gentiles walk (Eph 4:17). And converted gentiles are also called foolish by those who do not believe: if anyone among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become foolish that he may be wise (1 Cor 3:18).

852. The second difference consists in the fact that he first mentions the jealousy, i.e., the envy with which the Jews envied the converted gentiles: they make much of you, but for no good purpose (Gal 4:17); second, he mentions the anger with which they were irked against them: the wicked man makes plots against the just man, and gnashes his teeth at him (Ps 37:12).

These two are fittingly joined, because from envy springs anger: anger kills the foolish, and envy slays the little one (Job 5:2).

But God is said to produce jealousy and stir to anger, not by causing the malice in them but by withdrawing grace, or rather by effecting the conversion of the gentiles from which the Jews take occasion for jealousy and anger.

853. Second, he shows that they knew through the teaching of the prophets, and first he quotes Isaiah as foretelling the conversion of the gentiles, saying, but Isaiah is bold and says, i.e., Isaiah boldly declares the truth, although this would put him in danger of death: he goes forth boldly to meet armed men (Job 39:21). And says: I was found by those who did not seek me; I appeared openly to those who did not ask for me; here our text has: they have sought me who before asked not for me, they have found me who sought me not (Isa 65:1).

854. He mentions first the conversion of the gentiles, saying, I was found by those who did not seek me. This shows that the conversion of the gentiles was beyond their merits and intention: Christ became a servant in order that the gentiles might glorify God for his mercy (Rom 15:9). About this finding Matthew says: the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field, which a man found (Matt 13:44).

Second, he shows the cause and manner of their conversion.

The cause, indeed, because it was not by chance that they found what they were not seeking but by the grace of him who willed to appear to them. This is indicated, when he says: I appeared; the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men (Titus 2:11).

The manner was that Christ did not appear to the gentiles in the enigmas and figures of the law but in plain truth; hence he says: I appeared openly. Behold, now you speak plainly and do not speak a proverb (John 16:29). I appeared openly to those, i.e., the gentiles, who did not ask after me, i.e., who did not ask for my doctrine: they keep on praying to a god that cannot save (Isa 45:20).

855. Then he shows that Isaiah foretold the unbelief of the Jews, saying: but to Israel, i.e., against Israel, he says: all the day long have I spread my hands to a people that does not believe and contradicts me. Here our text has this: I have spread forth my hands all the day to an unbelieving people, who walk in a way that is not good after their own thoughts. A people that continually provoke me to anger (Isa 65:2).

856. That he says, I have spread my hands, can be understood of Christ’s hands held out on the cross, which are said to have been held out all the day long, i.e., the principal part of a whole day, namely, from the sixth hour until evening (Matt 27:45). And although during that time the sun was darkened, the rocks rent, and the graves opened, the Jews persisted in their unbelief, blaspheming him, as it says in Matthew (Matt 28:39). Hence he adds, a people that does not believe and contradicts me: consider him who endured such contradiction against himself from sinners (Heb 12:3).

857. In another way, it can be taken as referring to God stretching out his hands to do miracles: when you stretch out your hand to cures and signs and prodigies to be worked through the holy name of your Son Jesus (Acts 4:30). The meaning then would be: all the day, i.e., through the whole time of my preaching, I have spread my hands, by working miracles, to a people that does not believe, even when they see miracles: if I had not done the works which no other man has done, they would not have sin (John 15:24); and contradicts me, i.e., slanders my miracles: by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he casts out demons (Matt 12:24); your people are like those who contradict a priest (Hos 4:4).

858. Third, it can be understood of God stretching out his hands to give benefits to his people, in accord with Proverbs: I stretched out my hands, and there was none who paid attention (Prov 1:24). The meaning would then be: all the day, i.e., through the whole time of the law and the prophets, I spread my hands to give benefits to a people that does not believe and contradicts me: always you have been rebellious against the Lord (Deut 31:27).