Naravist

The Letters · New Testament

Romans 11

Romans 11: a remnant, branches broken and graffed, and mercy upon all

General context

The question is put and refused at once: "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid." The first evidence is the writer himself, "I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." Elias is recalled saying "I am left alone, and they seek my life", and God's answer, "I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal". So "at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace", and grace and works are kept apart. Israel did not obtain what it sought, "but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded", supported by written lines about slumber, unseeing eyes and a table made a snare. Did they stumble in order to fall? "God forbid", because through their fall "salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy". The writer says he speaks to Gentiles as "the apostle of the Gentiles" and hopes to save some of his own flesh. The olive tree follows: branches broken off, a wild olive graffed in and sharing "the root and fatness of the olive tree", told "Boast not against the branches" because "thou bearest not the root, but the root thee". Standing is by faith, so "Be not highminded, but fear", and both "the goodness and severity of God" are set out. Broken branches can be graffed in again. A mystery is stated, blindness in part until "the fulness of the Gentiles be come in", then "all Israel shall be saved", and the chapter closes in praise.

Cited passages: Romans 11:1, Romans 11:2, Romans 11:3, Romans 11:4, Romans 11:5, Romans 11:6, Romans 11:7, Romans 11:8, Romans 11:9, Romans 11:11, Romans 11:12, Romans 11:13, Romans 11:14, Romans 11:15, Romans 11:16, Romans 11:17, Romans 11:18, Romans 11:20, Romans 11:22, Romans 11:23, Romans 11:24, Romans 11:25, Romans 11:26, Romans 11:29, Romans 11:32, Romans 11:33, Romans 11:36

Romans 11 (KJV)

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

2God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

3Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and 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 reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

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

6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

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

8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

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

10Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

11I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

12Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

13For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

14If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

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

16For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

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

21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

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

23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

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

25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

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

27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

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

29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding 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 to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The writer places himself inside the question he is arguing, naming his descent and his tribe. Elias is named and his exchange with God quoted as scripture. First Kings 19:10 reads "I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away", and 19:18 "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal"; the letter's form adds the word image and drops Israel from the count. Psalm 69:23 reads "Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake", where the letter has them bow down the back. Isaiah 59:20 reads "And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob", against the letter's "There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob". The closing questions follow Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11. No date is given for "the fulness of the Gentiles", no member of the remnant is named, and the olive tree is never said to stand anywhere in particular.

Cited passages: Romans 11:1, Romans 11:2, Romans 11:3, Romans 11:4, Romans 11:10, Romans 11:25, Romans 11:26, Romans 11:34, Romans 11:35, 1 Kings 19:10, 1 Kings 19:18, Psalms 69:23, Isaiah 59:20, Isaiah 40:13, Job 41:11

Literary context

Two questions open the two halves, both introduced with "I say then" and both answered "God forbid". The olive tree is the chapter's one extended image and is held for nine verses: root, fatness, branches, breaking off, graffing in, graffing back. Inside it the address narrows to a single "thou", the grafted branch, who is answered when he speaks: "Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in." "how much more" recurs, pushing each step from a smaller certainty to a larger one. At verse 33 the writing changes register altogether, from argument to exclamation and three unanswered questions, ending with a single sentence that puts all things in one direction, "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things".

Cited passages: Romans 11:1, Romans 11:11, Romans 11:12, Romans 11:16, Romans 11:17, Romans 11:18, Romans 11:19, Romans 11:20, Romans 11:21, Romans 11:23, Romans 11:24, Romans 11:33, Romans 11:34, Romans 11:36

Key moments

  1. Has God cast away his people (Romans 11:1). The question is raised and refused, with the writer's own descent as evidence.
  2. Seven thousand reserved (Romans 11:4). God's answer to Elias is quoted about those who did not bow.
  3. A remnant of grace (Romans 11:5). The present situation is described by the same pattern.
  4. Salvation to the Gentiles (Romans 11:11). Their fall is said to bring salvation to Gentiles and provoke jealousy.
  5. A wild olive graffed in (Romans 11:17). The image of root and branches begins.
  6. Goodness and severity (Romans 11:22). Both are stated of God, with a condition attached.
  7. Mercy upon all (Romans 11:32). All are said to be concluded in unbelief so that mercy may reach all.

For reflection

The grafted branch is told to fear rather than boast, and in the same passage the broken branches are said to be replaceable. What does that pairing do to the idea of a settled position?

People in this chapter