Romans 11

Israel Is Not Cast Away

1 I say then, God has not 1rejected His people, has He? 2May it never be! For 3I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God 4has not rejected His people whom He 5foreknew. 6Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 "Lord, 7THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."
4 But what is the divine response to him? "8I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."
5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time 9a remnant according to God's gracious choice.
6 But 10if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 What then? What 11Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were 12hardened;
8 just as it is written, "13GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
9 And David says, "14LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.
10 "15LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER *."
11 16I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? 17May it never be! But by their transgression 18salvation has come to the Gentiles, to 19make them jealous.
12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their 20fulfillment be!
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch * then as 21I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14 if somehow I might 22move to jealousy 23my fellow countrymen and 24save some of them.
15 For if their rejection is the 25reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but 26life from the dead?
16 If the 27first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the 28branches were broken off, and 29you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that 30it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
19 31You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you 32stand by your faith. 33Do not be conceited *, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's 34kindness, 35if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also 36will be cut off.
23 And they also, 37if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural * branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For 38I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this 39mystery -so * that you will not be 40wise in your own estimation -that a partial 41hardening has happened to Israel until the 42fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "43THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."
27 "44THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, 45WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are 46enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for 47the sake of the fathers;
29 for the gifts and the 48calling of God 49are irrevocable.
30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
32 For 50God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
33 Oh, the depth of 51the riches both of the 52wisdom and knowledge of God! 53How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34 For 54WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?
35 Or 55WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?
36 For 56from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 57To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Cross References 57

  • 1. 1 Samuel 12:22; Jeremiah 31:37; Jeremiah 33:24-26
  • 2. Luke 20:16
  • 3. 2 Corinthians 11:22; Philippians 3:5
  • 4. Psalms 94:14
  • 5. Romans 8:29
  • 6. Romans 6:16
  • 7. 1 Kings 19:10, 14
  • 8. 1 Kings 19:18
  • 9. 2 Kings 19:4; Romans 9:27
  • 10. Romans 4:4
  • 11. Romans 9:31
  • 12. Mark 6:52; Romans 9:18; Romans 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:14
  • 13. Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10; Matthew 13:13
  • 14. Psalms 69:22
  • 15. Psalms 69:23
  • 16. Romans 11:1
  • 17. Luke 20:16
  • 18. Acts 28:28
  • 19. Romans 11:14
  • 20. Romans 11:25
  • 21. Acts 9:15
  • 22. Romans 11:11
  • 23. Genesis 29:14; 2 Samuel 19:12; Romans 9:3
  • 24. 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 7:16; 1 Corinthians 9:22; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5
  • 25. Romans 5:11
  • 26. Luke 15:24, 32
  • 27. Numbers 15:18f; Nehemiah 10:37; Ezekiel 44:30
  • 28. Jeremiah 11:16; John 15:2
  • 29. Ephesians 2:11f
  • 30. John 4:22
  • 31. Romans 9:19
  • 32. Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 2 Corinthians 1:24
  • 33. Romans 12:16; 1 Timothy 6:17; 1 Peter 1:17
  • 34. Romans 2:4
  • 35. 1 Corinthians 15:2; Hebrews 3:6, 14
  • 36. John 15:2
  • 37. 2 Corinthians 3:16
  • 38. Romans 1:13
  • 39. Matthew 13:11; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7-10; Eph 3:3-5, 9
  • 40. Romans 12:16
  • 41. Romans 11:7
  • 42. Luke 21:24; John 10:16; Romans 11:12
  • 43. Isaiah 59:20
  • 44. Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 31:33, 34; Hebrews 8:10
  • 45. Isaiah 27:9; Hebrews 8:12
  • 46. Romans 5:10
  • 47. Deuteronomy 7:8; Deuteronomy 10:15; Romans 9:5
  • 48. Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 1:26; Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 4:1, 4; Philippians 3:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 3:1; 2 Peter 1:10
  • 49. Hebrews 7:21
  • 50. Romans 3:9; Galatians 3:22
  • 51. Romans 2:4; Ephesians 3:8
  • 52. Ephesians 3:10; Colossians 2:3
  • 53. Job 5:9; Job 11:7; Job 15:8
  • 54. Isaiah 40:13; 1 Corinthians 2:16
  • 55. Job 35:7; Job 41:11
  • 56. 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 11:12; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 2:10
  • 57. Romans 16:27; Ephesians 3:21; Philippians 4:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Timothy 4:18; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Peter 5:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Jude 25; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 7:12

Footnotes 14

Romans 11 Commentaries

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.