And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The beauty of the messengers isn't just about their presence, but about the vibrant energy their journey represents – the "blooming maturity and vigor" of the good news they carry. This isn't a gentle stroll; it's a swift, purposeful movement toward those who desperately need hope.
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is building a case for why the gospel must be proclaimed to all people, even though many haven't yet believed. He's just explained that salvation comes through faith, which requires hearing, and hearing requires a preacher. Now, he poses the question of how these preachers will come if they aren't divinely commissioned, using Isaiah's prophecy to highlight the beauty and importance of those who bring the good news.
Have you ever felt a strong urge to share something important, but hesitated because you weren't sure if you were the right person to say it? This verse addresses that very question for the most important message of all.
Paul is building a chain of logic: people can't call on God if they don't believe; they can't believe if they haven't heard; and they can't hear if no one preaches. But this leads to a crucial question: who gets to be the preacher?
A Necessary Sending
The core of this verse is the question, "And how are they to preach unless they are sent?" This isn't about how they preach (their method), but the very possibility of their preaching. The original Greek word for 'sent' carries the weight of being commissioned or dispatched by an authority. It implies a divine mandate.
It’s like asking how a letter can reach its destination if it's never mailed. Preaching the gospel isn't a casual announcement; it's a divinely appointed task. This highlights that those who bring the good news aren't self-appointed but are sent by God, either directly or through the church that carries Christ's authority.
Imagine seeing someone running towards you with life-saving news. What’s the first thing you notice? This verse uses a vivid image to express the immense value of the gospel message.
Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 to emphasize the profound significance of those who bring the good news. The original prophecy in Isaiah described a messenger arriving with news of deliverance, perhaps from exile or war.
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The Beauty of the Messenger
The phrase "How beautiful are the feet" isn't about physical appearance. It's a powerful metaphor:
When Paul applies this to Christian preachers, he’s saying their arrival, their very presence bringing the gospel, is a sign of God’s loving and powerful work in the world.
Understand the original words
apostalōsin · Greek Verb
Being commissioned, dispatched, or authorized by God to carry out a specific mission or message.
euangelizomenōn · Greek Verb
The 'evangel' or message of salvation; the announcement of what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ for the redemption of humanity.
Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7, a prophecy originally about a messenger announcing deliverance from exile. By applying it to the spread of the gospel, he highlights the divine commission and urgent beauty of those sent to proclaim God's salvation to all people.
c. 740 BC
Prophecy of Isaiah
Isaiah delivers prophecies of judgment and future restoration, including the imagery of a messenger bringing good news, which Paul later applies to the gospel.
c. 540 BC
Exile in Babylon
The people of Judah are in exile in Babylon, a period of distress and waiting for deliverance, which forms the backdrop for Isaiah’s prophecy.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus the Great allows the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, fulfilling prophecies of restoration.
c. 450 BC
Second Temple Period Begins
The rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem marks the beginning of the Second Temple period, a time of precarious religious and political existence for the Jewish people.
c. 400 BC - AD 1
Septuagint Translation
The Hebrew Scriptures are translated into Greek (the Septuagint), making them accessible to a wider, Hellenized Jewish population and eventually to Gentiles.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus Christ is crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem, the pivotal event of the Christian faith.
c. AD 48-58— this verse
Apostolic Missions
Paul and other apostles undertake extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, preaching the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles.
This is the direct Old Testament passage Paul quotes, describing the beauty of a messenger announcing good news of deliverance. It grounds the necessity and beauty of gospel proclamation in prophetic word.
Matthew 10:5-16Jesus commissions his disciples, sending them out to preach. This passage highlights the divine authority and purpose behind the sending of those who proclaim the gospel, directly linking to Paul's question in verse 15.
Ephesians 2:17Paul states that Jesus came and preached peace to those who were far off and to those who were near. This connects the 'gospel of peace' mentioned in Romans 10:15 to the redemptive work of Christ that makes such preaching possible.
1 Peter 3:15This passage calls believers to 'always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.' It underscores the importance of readiness and articulation in sharing the good news, reflecting the spirit of the messenger's beautiful feet.
vincentRomans 10:15: "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
Be sent (ἀποσταλῶσιν)See on Matthew 10:16; see on Mark 4:29.Beautiful (ὡραῖοι)From ὥρα the time of full bloom or development. Hence the radical idea of the word includes both blooming maturity and vigor. Appropriate here to the swift, vigorous feet. Plato ("Republic," x. 601) distinguishes between faces…
cambridgeRomans 10:15: "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
15 . except they be sent ] Q. d., “If they be not sent, if they are held back by misguided jealousy, how can the predicted evangelization take place?” If Rabbinism were right, were in accordance with God’s will, in its practical denial of hope to the Gentiles, then missionary work, such as foretold, would be…
The beauty of the messengers isn't just about their presence, but about the vibrant energy their journey represents – the "blooming maturity and vigor" of the good news they carry. This isn't a gentle stroll; it's a swift, purposeful movement toward those who desperately need hope.
Paul is building a case for why the gospel must be proclaimed to all people, even though many haven't yet believed. He's just explained that salvation comes through faith, which requires hearing, and hearing requires a preacher. Now, he poses the question of how these preachers will come if they aren't divinely commissioned, using Isaiah's prophecy to highlight the beauty and importance of those who bring the good news.
Paul is building a case for why the gospel must be proclaimed to all people, even though many haven't yet believed. He's just explained that salvation comes through faith, which requires hearing, and hearing requires a preacher. Now, he poses the question of how these preachers will come if they aren't divinely commissioned, using Isaiah's prophecy to highlight the beauty and importance of those who bring the good news.
"And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”" — The beauty of the messengers isn't just about their presence, but about the vibrant energy their journey represents – the "blooming maturity and vigor" of the good news they carry. This isn't a gen…
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Last reviewed October 2026