Romans 10:8

What saith it? That is, What does righteousness by faith say? Paul continues to personify righteousness by faith (see on v. 6).

The word is nigh thee. The purpose of the OT passage was to assure Israel that God had made provision whereby the requirements of the law could be fulfilled. The everlasting covenant made with Adam in Eden provided pardon for transgression and enabling grace for obedience through faith in the Messiah to come. Men revealed their faith in the Redeemer by presenting their animal sacrifices and by observing the other requirements of the ritual law. This covenant, given to Adam and renewed to Abraham, the Israelites were reticent to receive (see on Eze. 16:60). They chose, instead, to seek righteousness through their own efforts toward obedience. The OT prophets sought repeatedly to lead the people to accept the provisions of God’s eternal plan, but without success. The Lord, through Jeremiah, offered them the new covenant (see on Jer. 31:31-34). Ezekiel stressed the need of a “new heart” and a “new spirit” (see on Eze. 36:26). Thus righteousness by faith was offered to them, “but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Heb. 4:2; cf. Gal. 3:8). The word was “nigh” them. All that was required of them was belief with the heart and confession with the mouth. Thus Paul contrasts the simplicity of righteousness by faith with the laborious and hopeless task of legalistically attempting to set up one’s own righteousness (Rom. 10:2, 3, 5).

The word of faith. That is, the gospel message concerning faith. This is the only occurrence of this expression in the NT. The word which Moses describes as “very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it” (Deut. 30:14) is essentially the same as “the word of faith” preached by Paul — the gospel, which announces faith as the principle of righteousness.

Which we preach. Paul adds this to emphasize that the truth of righteousness by faith is not unknown but may be understood by all who are willing to listen. That the Jews cannot excuse themselves on the ground of ignorance is more fully stated in vs. 14-21.