Romans 11ASV
Books
All books

Romans11

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

2God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel:

3Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

4But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

5Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

6But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.

7What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened:

8according as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day.

9And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them:

10Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always.

11I say then, Did they stumble that they might fall? God forbid: but by their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

12Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

13But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;

14if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them.

15For if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

16And if the first-fruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree;

18glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee.

19Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

20Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

21for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee.

22Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God’s goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

23And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

24For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;

26and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27And this is my covenant unto them, When I shall take away their sins.

28As touching the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.

29For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.

30For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

31even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy.

32For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Romans 11.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The rejection of the Jews is not universal. (1–10). God overruled their unbelief for making the Gentiles partakers of gospel privileges. (11–21). The Gentiles cautioned against pride and unbelief, The Jews shall be called as a nation, and brought into God's visible covenant again. (22–32). A solemn adoring of the wisdom, goodness, and justice of God. (33–36).

vv1-10

There was a chosen remnant of believing Jews, who had righteousness and life by faith in Jesus Christ. These were kept according to the election of grace. If then this election was of grace, it could not be of works, either performed or foreseen. Every truly good disposition in a fallen creature must be the effect, therefore it cannot be the cause, of the grace of God bestowed on him. Salvation from the first to the last must be either of grace or of debt. These things are so directly contrary to each other that they cannot be blended together. God glorifies his grace by changing the hearts and tempers of the rebellious. How then should they wonder and praise him! The Jewish nation were as in a deep sleep, without knowledge of their danger, or concern about it; having no sense of their need of the Saviour, or of their being upon the borders of eternal ruin. David, having by the Spirit foretold the sufferings of Christ from his own people, the Jews, foretells the dreadful judgments of God upon them for it, Ps 69. This teaches us how to understand other prayers of David against his enemies; they are prophecies of the judgments of God, not expressions of his own anger. Divine curses will work long; and we have our eyes darkened, if we are bowed down in worldly-mindedness.

vv11-21

The gospel is the greatest riches of every place where it is. As therefore the righteous rejection of the unbelieving Jews, was the occasion of so large a multitude of the Gentiles being reconciled to God, and at peace with him; the future receiving of the Jews into the church would be such a change, as would resemble a general resurrection of the dead in sin to a life of righteousness. Abraham was as the root of the church. The Jews continued branches of this tree till, as a nation, they rejected the Messiah; after that, their relation to Abraham and to God was, as it were, cut off. The Gentiles were grafted into this tree in their room; being admitted into the church of God. Multitudes were made heirs of Abraham's faith, holiness and blessedness. It is the natural state of every one of us, to be wild by nature. Conversion is as the grafting in of wild branches into the good olive. The wild olive was often ingrafted into the fruitful one when it began to decay, and this not only brought forth fruit, but caused the decaying olive to revive and flourish. The Gentiles, of free grace, had been grafted in to share advantages. They ought therefore to beware of self-confidence, and every kind of pride or ambition; lest, having only a dead faith, and an empty profession, they should turn from God, and forfeit their privileges. If we stand at all, it is by faith; we are guilty and helpless in ourselves, and are to be humble, watchful, afraid of self-deception, or of being overcome by temptation. Not only are we at first justified by faith, but kept to the end in that justified state by faith only; yet, by a faith which is not alone, but which worketh by love to God and man.

vv22-32

Of all judgments, spiritual judgments are the sorest; of these the apostle is here speaking. The restoration of the Jews is, in the course of things, far less improbable than the call of the Gentiles to be the children of Abraham; and though others now possess these privileges, it will not hinder their being admitted again. By rejecting the gospel, and by their indignation at its being preached to the Gentiles, the Jews were become enemies to God; yet they are still to be favoured for the sake of their pious fathers. Though at present they are enemies to the gospel, for their hatred to the Gentiles; yet, when God's time is come, that will no longer exist, and God's love to their fathers will be remembered. True grace seeks not to confine God's favour. Those who find mercy themselves, should endeavour that through their mercy others also may obtain mercy. Not that the Jews will be restored to have their priesthood, and temple, and ceremonies again; an end is put to all these; but they are to be brought to believe in Christ, the true become one sheep-fold with the Gentiles, under Christ the Great Shepherd. The captivities of Israel, their dispersion, and their being shut out from the church, are emblems of the believer's corrections for doing wrong; and the continued care of the Lord towards that people, and the final mercy and blessed restoration intended for them, show the patience and love of God.

Key Words

askG3004Greek

λέγω (légō): properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 (ἔπω) and G5346 (φημί) generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 (ῥέω) is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 (λαλέω) means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean

thenG3767Greek

οὖν (oûn): (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly

hasG3361Greek

μή (mḗ): (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 (οὐ) expects an affirmative one)) whether

GodG2316Greek

θεός (theós): figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very

rejectedG683Greek

ἀπωθέομαι (apōthéomai): to push off, figuratively, to reject

hisG846Greek

αὐτός (autós): the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

peopleG2992Greek

λαός (laós): a people (in general; thus differing from G1218 (δῆμος), which denotes one's own populace)

meansG1096Greek

γίνομαι (gínomai): to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)

ForG1063Greek

γάρ (gár): properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)

IG1473Greek

ἐγώ (egṓ): I, me

Cross References

Romans 11
v31 Kings 19:10quotation

Directly quoted by Paul to detail Elijah's complaint that he alone was left faithful.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v41 Kings 19:18quotation

Direct quotation of the divine response reserving seven thousand who did not bow to Baal.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v8Isaiah 29:10quotation

Quoted by Paul for Israel's judicial blinding, described as a spirit of deep sleep.

Supported by JFB

v8Deuteronomy 29:4quotation

Quoted alongside Isaiah to describe eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear.

Supported by JFB

v9Psalms 69:22quotation

Paul quotes David's imprecatory psalm detailing their table becoming a snare and a trap.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v10Psalms 69:23quotation

Paul quotes David's prophecy of their eyes being darkened and their backs bowed down.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v26Isaiah 59:20quotation

Quoted to show the Deliverer coming out of Zion to turn ungodliness from Jacob.

v34Isaiah 40:13quotation

Directly quoted to praise God's unsearchable mind: 'Who hath known the mind of the Lord?'

v35Job 41:11quotation

Directly quoted to demonstrate that no one can place God in their debt.

v1Psalms 94:14allusion

The foundational Old Testament promise that the Lord will not cast off His people.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Romans 8:29thematic

Explains the term 'foreknew' in relation to God's unbreakable covenant people.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

The basis for Paul's concept of provoking Israel to jealousy through a non-nation.

Supported by JFB

v5Romans 9:27thematic

Establishes the theological concept of the 'remnant' of Israel that will be saved.

v6Romans 4:4thematic

Parallel theological argument that grace and works are mutually exclusive for justification.

Supported by JFB

v7Romans 11:25thematic

Identifies the 'blindness' that happened to the rest of Israel as temporary.

Supported by JFB

v12Colossians 1:27thematic

Parallels the concept of the 'riches' of Christ's glory being made known among the Gentiles.

Warning to the Gentiles against pride: 'Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed.'

v27Jeremiah 31:31-37fulfillment

Prophetic background for God's covenant to take away Israel's sins.

v32Galatians 3:22thematic

Theological parallel: scripture consigns all to sin/unbelief so that the promise is by faith.

v33Ephesians 3:18thematic

Echoes the depth, height, and unsearchable riches of God's love and wisdom.

Supported by Matthew Henry