Paragraph 10:14–15
10:14a
How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed?: This is a rhetorical question. It invites the reader to ponder how people would call on someone (to save them) if they do not believe in him. It implies that people must first believe in someone before calling on him to save them. Translate with that meaning. Here are some ways:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
How can people ask the Lord to save them, if they do not believe in him?
• As a statement. For example:
before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him (New Century Version)
-or-
people must believe in the Lord before they can ask him to save them
How then can: The word then connects this question to what Paul just said. In some languages this word must be first in the clause. For example:
Therefore, how can
they: Here this word refers generally to anyone (“everyone,” 10:13).
call: This word has the same meaning as in 10:13.
the One: This word here refers to the Lord (10:13), implying Jesus.
in whom they have not believed: To “believe in” someone means to agree to what someone stands for, to trust him, to rely on him, to be committed to him. See how your translated this word in 1:16 or 10:11.
10:14b–15a
The form of the Greek questions in 10:14b, 10:14c and 10:15a are the same as in 10:14a, where the Berean Standard Bible translates as “How…can they…?”
10:14b
And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard?: This is a rhetorical question. It invites the reader to ponder how people would believe in someone if they have not heard of him. It implies that people must first hear of someone before they can believe in him. Translate with that meaning. Here are some ways:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
how can they believe in him unless they hear about him?
-or-
how can they believe in him, if they have never heard about him?
• As a statement. For example:
before they can believe in him, they must hear about him (New Century Version)
-or-
people must hear about him before they can believe in him
10:14c
And how can they hear without someone to preach?: This is a rhetorical question. It invites the reader to ponder how people would hear about someone if no one has preached about him. It implies that someone must first preach about that person so that people can hear about him. Translate with that meaning. Here are some ways:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
how can they hear about him, if someone has not preached about him to them?
• As a statement. For example:
before they can hear about him, someone must preach about him
-or-
someone must preach about him before they can hear about him
someone to preach: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as someone to preach means “someone who speaks important information or news loudly and in public.” Here are other ways to translate this word:
announce
-or-
proclaimed (Good News Translation)
See how you translated this word in 2:21 or 10:8 (where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “proclaiming”).
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