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God Has Not Rejected Israel

11 I say then, has God (A)rejected His people? (B)May it never be! For (C)I too am an Israelite, a seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. [a](D)God has not rejected His people whom He (E)foreknew. (F)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, (G)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what does the divine response say to him? “(H)I have left for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In this way then, at the present time, (I)a remnant according to God’s [b]gracious choice has also come to be. But (J)if it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

What then? What (K)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were (L)hardened; just as it is written,

[c](M)God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”

And David says,

(N)Let their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 (O)Let their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs forever.”

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 11:2 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 94:14
  2. Romans 11:5 Lit choice of grace
  3. Romans 11:8 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Is 29:10

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