Romans 11
New English Translation
Israel’s Rejection not Complete nor Final
11 So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!”[a] 4 But what was the divine response[b] to him? “I have kept for myself 7,000 people[c] who have not bent the knee to Baal.”[d]
5 So in the same way at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The[e] rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear,
to this very day.”[f]
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10 let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see,
and make their backs bend continually.”[g]
11 I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall,[h] did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel[i] jealous. 12 Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full restoration[j] bring?
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first portion[k] of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches.[l]
17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in[m] the richness of the olive root, 18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted![n] They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear! 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. 22 Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God—harshness toward those who have fallen, but[o] God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness;[p] otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even they—if 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 grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters,[q] so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel[r] until the full number[s] of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so[t] all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion;
he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them,[u]
when I take away their sins.”[v]
28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now[w] receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.[x]
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?[y]
35 Or who has first given to God,[z]
that God[aa] needs to repay him?[ab]
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 11:3 sn A quotation from 1 Kgs 19:10, 14.
- Romans 11:4 tn Grk “the revelation,” “the oracle.”
- Romans 11:4 tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it appears to be a generic usage (“people”) since when Paul speaks of a remnant of faithful Israelites (“the elect,” v. 7), he is not referring to males only. It can also be argued, however, that it refers only to adult males here (“men”), perhaps as representative of all the faithful left in Israel.
- Romans 11:4 sn A quotation from 1 Kgs 19:18.
- Romans 11:7 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
- Romans 11:8 sn A quotation from Deut 29:4; Isa 29:10.
- Romans 11:10 sn A quotation from Ps 69:22-23.
- Romans 11:11 tn Grk “that they might fall.”
- Romans 11:11 tn Grk “them”; the referent (Israel, cf. 11:7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Romans 11:12 tn Or “full inclusion”; Grk “their fullness.”
- Romans 11:16 tn Grk “firstfruits,” a term for the first part of something that has been set aside and offered to God before the remainder can be used.
- Romans 11:16 sn Most interpreters see Paul as making use of a long-standing metaphor of the olive tree (the root…the branches) as a symbol for Israel. See, in this regard, Jer 11:16, 19. A. T. Hanson, Studies in Paul’s Technique and Theology, 121-24, cites rabbinic use of the figure of the olive tree, and goes so far as to argue that Rom 11:17-24 is a midrash on Jer 11:16-19.
- Romans 11:17 tn Grk “became a participant of.”
- Romans 11:20 tn Grk “well!”, an adverb used to affirm a statement. It means “very well,” “you are correct.”
- Romans 11:22 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.
- Romans 11:22 tn Grk “if you continue in (the) kindness.”
- Romans 11:25 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
- Romans 11:25 tn Or “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”
- Romans 11:25 tn Grk “fullness.”
- Romans 11:26 tn It is not clear whether the phrase καὶ οὕτως (kai houtōs, “and so”) is to be understood in a modal sense (“and in this way”) or in a temporal sense (“and in the end”). Neither interpretation is conclusive from a grammatical standpoint, and in fact the two may not be mutually exclusive. Some, like H. Hübner, who argue strongly against the temporal reading, nevertheless continue to give the phrase a temporal significance, saying that God will save all Israel in the end (Gottes Ich und Israel [FRLANT], 118).
- Romans 11:27 sn A quotation from Isa 59:20-21.
- Romans 11:27 sn A quotation from Isa 27:9; Jer 31:33-34.
- Romans 11:31 tc Some significant Alexandrian and Western mss (א B D*,c 1506 bo) read νῦν (nun, “now”) here. A few other mss (33 365 sa) have ὕστερον (husteron, “finally”). mss that lack the word are P46 A D1 F G Ψ 81 1175 1241 1505 1739 1881 M latt. External evidence slightly favors omission with good representatives from the major text-forms, and because of the alliance of Alexandrian and Byzantine mss (with the Byzantine going against its normal tendency to embrace the longer reading). Internally, scribes could have added νῦν here to give balance to the preceding clause (οὗτοι νῦν ἠπείθησαν…αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐλεηθῶσιν [|outoi nun ēpeithēsan…autoi nun eleēthōsin; “they have now been disobedient…they may now receive mercy”]). However, it seems much more likely that they would have deleted it because of its seeming inappropriateness in this context. That some witnesses have ὕστερον presupposes the presence of νῦν in their ancestors. A decision is difficult, but νῦν is slightly preferred, since it is the more difficult reading and is adequately represented in the mss.
- Romans 11:32 tn Grk “to all”; “them” has been supplied for stylistic reasons.
- Romans 11:34 sn A quotation from Isa 40:13.
- Romans 11:35 tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Romans 11:35 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Romans 11:35 sn A quotation from Job 41:11.
Romans 11
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
11 So oun I ask legō, has God theos repudiated apōtheō · ho · ho his autos people laos? By no means mē! · kai For gar I myself egō am eimi an Israelite Israēlitēs, a descendant ek sperma of Abraham Abraam, from the tribe phylē of Benjamin Beniamin. 2 God theos has not ou repudiated apōtheō · ho · ho his autos people laos whom hos he foreknew proginōskō. Or ē do you not ou know oida what tis the ho Scripture graphē says legō in en the passage about Elijah ēlias, how hōs he pleads entynchanō with ho God theos against kata · ho Israel Israēl? 3 “ Lord kyrios, they have killed apokteinō · ho your sy prophets prophētēs, they have torn down kataskaptō · ho your sy altars thusiastērion, and kagō I alone monos am left hypoleipō, and kai they are seeking zēteō · ho my egō life psychē.” 4 But alla what tis was the ho divine reply chrēmatismos saying legō to him autos? “ I have kept kataleipō for myself emautou seven heptakischilioi thousand men anēr who hostis have not ou bowed kamptō the knee gony to ho Baal Baal.” 5 So houtōs too kai at en the ho present nyn time kairos there is ginomai a remnant leimma, chosen eklogē by kata grace charis. 6 And de if ei it is by grace charis, it is no ouketi longer on ek the basis of works ergon, otherwise epei · ho grace charis would no ouketi longer be ginomai grace charis. 7 What tis then oun? Israel Israēl failed ou to obtain epitynchanō what hos it was seeking epizēteō, but de the ho elect eklogē obtained epitynchanō it. The ho · de rest loipos were hardened pōroō, 8 as kathōs it is written graphō, “ God theos gave didōmi them autos · ho a spirit pneuma of stupor katanyxis, eyes ophthalmos that ho would not mē see blepō and kai ears ous that ho would not mē hear akouō, to heōs this ho very sēmeron day hēmera.” 9 And kai David Dauid says legō, “ May their autos table trapeza become ginomai · ho a snare pagis and kai a trap thēra, · kai a stumbling skandalon block and kai a retribution antapodoma for them autos. 10 May their autos eyes ophthalmos be darkened · ho so ho they cannot mē see blepō, and kai keep · ho their autos backs nōtos constantly dia pas bent synkamptō.”
11 So oun I ask legō, did they stumble ptaiō so hina as to fall piptō? By no means mē! But alla because of ho their autos transgression paraptōma · ho salvation sōtēria has come to the ho Gentiles ethnos so eis as to make Israel autos jealous parazēloō. 12 Now de if ei · ho their autos transgression paraptōma means riches ploutos for the world kosmos and kai · ho their autos failure hēttēma means riches ploutos for the Gentiles ethnos, how posos much more mallon will · ho their autos full plērōma inclusion mean! 13 I am speaking legō to you hymeis · de · ho Gentiles ethnos. Inasmuch epi hosos then oun as I egō am eimi an apostle apostolos to the Gentiles ethnos, I take pride in doxazō · ho my egō ministry diakonia, 14 if ei somehow pōs I could provoke parazēloō my egō own · ho countrymen sarx to jealousy and kai save sōzō some tis of ek them autos. 15 For gar if ei · ho their autos rejection apobolē leads to the reconciliation katallagē of the world kosmos, what tis will their ho acceptance proslēmpsis mean but ei mē life zōē from ek the dead nekros? 16 If ei · de the ho dough offered as first aparchē fruits is holy hagios, so also kai is the ho whole phyrama lump ; and kai if ei the ho root rhiza is holy hagios, so also kai are the ho branches klados. 17 But de if ei some tis of the ho branches klados were broken ekklaō off , and de you sy, although eimi a wild agrielaios olive shoot , were grafted enkentrizō in among en the others autos and kai you now ginomai share synkoinōnos in the ho nourishing piotēs root rhiza · ho of the ho olive elaia tree , 18 do not mē become arrogant katakauchaomai toward the ho branches klados. But de if ei you do katakauchaomai, consider this: it is not ou you sy who support bastazō the ho root rhiza, but alla the ho root rhiza that supports you sy. 19 Then oun you will say legō, “The branches klados were broken ekklaō off so hina I egō could be grafted enkentrizō in .” 20 That is true kalōs. They were broken off ekklaō because of ho unbelief apistia, and de you sy stand histēmi by ho faith pistis. Do phroneō not mē be phroneō proud hypsēlos, but alla stand in awe phobeomai. 21 For gar if ei · ho God theos did pheidomai not ou spare pheidomai the ho natural kata physis branches klados, perhaps mē pōs he will pheidomai not oude spare pheidomai you sy either. 22 Consider ide therefore oun the kindness chrēstotēs and kai the severity apotomia of God theos— severity apotomia to epi those ho who have fallen piptō, but de God’ s theos kindness chrēstotēs to epi you sy, provided ean you continue epimenō in his ho kindness chrēstotēs. Otherwise epei you sy too kai will be cut off ekkoptō. 23 And de even they kakeinos, if ean they do not mē continue epimenō in their ho unbelief apistia, will be grafted enkentrizō in , for gar God theos is eimi able dynatos · ho to graft enkentrizō them autos in enkentrizō again palin. 24 For gar if ei you sy were cut ekkoptō from ek what ho is by kata nature physis a wild agrielaios olive tree , and kai grafted enkentrizō contrary para to nature physis into eis a cultivated kallielaios olive tree , how posos much more mallon will these houtos, the ho natural kata physis branches, be grafted back into enkentrizō · ho their idios own olive elaia tree ?
25 For gar I do not ou want thelō you hymeis to be uninformed agnoeō, my brothers adelphos, of · ho this houtos mystery mystērion— so hina that you may not mē be eimi wise phronimos in para your heautou own conceits — that hoti a partial apo hardening pōrōsis has happened ginomai to ho Israel Israēl until achri hos the ho full plērōma number of the ho Gentiles ethnos has come in eiserchomai. 26 And kai in this way houtōs all pas Israel Israēl will be saved sōzō: as kathōs it is written graphō, “ Out of ek Zion Siōn will come hēkō the ho Deliverer rhyomai; he will remove apostrephō ungodliness asebeia from apo Jacob Iakōb.” 27 “ And kai this houtos will be my egō covenant diathēkē with them autos, · ho when hotan I take away aphaireō · ho their autos sins hamartia.” 28 In kata regard to the ho gospel euangelion they are enemies echthros for dia your hymeis sake, but de in kata regard to · ho election eklogē they are dearly agapētos loved for dia the sake of their ho forefathers patēr. 29 For gar the ho gifts charisma and kai the ho calling klēsis of ho God theos are irrevocable ametamelētos. 30 For gar just hōsper as you hymeis were at one time pote disobedient apeitheō to ho God theos but de now nyn have received mercy eleeō because of ho their houtos disobedience apeitheia, 31 so houtōs · kai they houtos at the present nyn time have been disobedient apeitheō in order that hina by the ho mercy eleos shown to you hymeteros they autos also kai may now nyn receive mercy eleeō. 32 For gar God theos has consigned synkleiō · ho · ho all pas to eis disobedience apeitheia so hina that he may show mercy to eleeō · ho all pas. 33 O ō the depth bathos of the riches ploutos and kai wisdom sophia and kai knowledge gnōsis of God theos! How hōs unsearchable anexeraunētos are · ho his autos judgments krima and kai how inscrutable anexichniastos · ho his autos ways hodos! 34 For gar who tis has known ginōskō the mind nous of the Lord kyrios, or ē who tis has been ginomai his autos counselor symboulos? 35 Or ē who tis has given prodidōmi to God autos that kai God must pay antapodidōmi him autos back ? 36 For hoti from ek him autos and kai through dia him autos and kai to eis him autos are · ho all pas things . To him autos be · ho glory doxa for eis all ho time aiōn! Amen amēn.
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