Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people?(A) Absolutely not!(B) For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,(C) from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.(D) Or don’t you know(E) what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel? Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life![a](F) But what was God’s answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal.[b](G) In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.(H) Now if by grace,(I) then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.[c]

What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for,(J) but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,(K) as it is written,

God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that cannot see
and ears that cannot hear,
to this day.[d](L)

And David says,

Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a pitfall and a retribution to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and their backs be bent continually.[e](M)

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Footnotes

  1. 11:3 1Kg 19:10,14
  2. 11:4 1Kg 19:18
  3. 11:6 Other mss add But if of works it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
  4. 11:8 Dt 29:4; Is 29:10
  5. 11:9–10 Ps 69:22–23

God’s Love for His People

11 So I ask, “God has not rejected his people, has he?” Of course not! I am an Israeli myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he chose[a] long ago. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story about Elijah,[b] when he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets and demolished your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life.”[c] But what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for myself 7,000 people who have not knelt to worship Baal.”[d] So it is at the present time: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if this is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of actions. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

What, then, does this mean?[e] It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened. As it is written,

“To this day God has put them into[f] deep sleep.
    Their eyes do not see, and their ears do not hear.”[g]

And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a punishment for them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
    and keep their backs forever bent.”[h]

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 11:2 Lit. knew
  2. Romans 11:2 The Gk. lacks the story about
  3. Romans 11:3 Cf. 1 Kings 19:10, 14
  4. Romans 11:4 Cf. 1 Kings 19:18
  5. Romans 11:7 The Gk. lacks does this mean
  6. Romans 11:8 Lit. has given them a spirit of
  7. Romans 11:8 Cf. Deut 29:4; Isa 29:10
  8. Romans 11:10 Cf. Ps 69:22-23; 35:8