Romans11
New International Version
1I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:
3“Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”?
4And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,
8as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
9And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”
11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry
14in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
15For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
18do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
20Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.
21For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
23And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,
26and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,
29for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
30Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,
31so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.
32For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
34“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
35“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”
36For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Romans 11.
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
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
οὖν (oûn): (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
μή (mḗ): (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 (οὐ) expects an affirmative one)) whether
θεός (theós): figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very
ἀπωθέομαι (apōthéomai): to push off, figuratively, to reject
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
λαός (laós): a people (in general; thus differing from G1218 (δῆμος), which denotes one's own populace)
γίνομαι (gínomai): to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
γάρ (gár): properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles)
ἐγώ (egṓ): I, me
Cross References
Romans 11Directly quoted by Paul to detail Elijah's complaint that he alone was left faithful.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Direct quotation of the divine response reserving seven thousand who did not bow to Baal.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Quoted by Paul for Israel's judicial blinding, described as a spirit of deep sleep.
Supported by JFB
Quoted alongside Isaiah to describe eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear.
Supported by JFB
Paul quotes David's imprecatory psalm detailing their table becoming a snare and a trap.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Paul quotes David's prophecy of their eyes being darkened and their backs bowed down.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Quoted to show the Deliverer coming out of Zion to turn ungodliness from Jacob.
Directly quoted to praise God's unsearchable mind: 'Who hath known the mind of the Lord?'
Directly quoted to demonstrate that no one can place God in their debt.
The foundational Old Testament promise that the Lord will not cast off His people.
Supported by Matthew Poole
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
Establishes the theological concept of the 'remnant' of Israel that will be saved.
Parallel theological argument that grace and works are mutually exclusive for justification.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the 'blindness' that happened to the rest of Israel as temporary.
Supported by JFB
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.'
Prophetic background for God's covenant to take away Israel's sins.
Theological parallel: scripture consigns all to sin/unbelief so that the promise is by faith.
Echoes the depth, height, and unsearchable riches of God's love and wisdom.
Supported by Matthew Henry