Romans 11 - Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)

But God Did Not Reject His People

11 Therefore I say, God did not reject^[a] His people, did He? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, from the seed of Abraham, the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject His people whom He foreknew!

There Is Still a Remnant Chosen By God

Or do you not know what the Scripture says in-connection-with^[b] Elijah [in 1 Kings 19:14], how he appeals to God against Israel?— ³ “Lord, they killed Your prophets, they tore-down Your altars, and I alone was left, and they are seeking my life”. ⁴ But what does the divine-response say to him [in 1 Kings 19:18]?— “I left-remaining for Myself seven-thousand men^[c] who did not bow a knee to Baal”. ⁵ In this manner then, there has come-to-be a remnant^[d] also at the present time, according-to the choosing of grace. ⁶ And if it ^[e] is by grace, it is no longer by works. Otherwise the grace becomes grace no longer.

But The Rest Were Hardened By God

⁷ Therefore what? This^[f] which Israel is seeking-for, it did not obtain. But the chosen^[g] obtained it, and the rest were hardened, ⁸ just as it has been written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor [Isa 29:10], eyes that they may not see and ears that they may not hear, until this very day” [Deut 29:4]. ⁹ And David says [in Ps 69:22-23], “Let their table become a snare and a trap and a cause-of-falling and a retribution to them. ¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see. And bend^[h] their back continually”.

And Israel Did Not Stumble So As To Fall

¹¹ Therefore I say, they did not stumble in order that they might fall^[i], did they? May it never be! On-the-contrary, by their trespass^[j] salvation came to the Gentiles, so as to provoke them to jealousy. ¹² But if their trespass is riches for the world and their defeat^[k] is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness be! ¹³ And I am speaking to you, the Gentiles. So indeed to the extent^[l] I am an apostle of the Gentiles I glorify^[m] my ministry— ¹⁴ if somehow^[n] I might provoke my flesh to jealousy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection^[o] is reconciliation for the world, what will their acceptance^[p] be if not life from the dead?

Their Branches Were Broken Off By Unbelief And You Were Grafted In By Faith

¹⁶ But^[q] if the firstfruit^[r] is holy, the lump is also. And if the root is holy, the branches are also. ¹⁷ Now if some of the branches were broken-off ^[s] and you^[t], being a wild-olive-tree, were grafted-in among them and became a co-partner^[u] of the root, of the fatness^[v] of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be vaunting^[w] over the branches. But if you vaunt, [remember] you are not carrying the root, but the root you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off in order that I might be grafted-in”. ²⁰ Well said! They were broken off by their unbelief, and you stand by your faith. Do not be thinking lofty^[x] things, but be fearing^[y]— ²¹ for if God did not spare the branches in accordance with nature, perhaps^[z] neither will He spare you.

They Will Be Re-Grafted If They Believe

²² Therefore behold the kindness and severity of God— severity upon the ones having fallen, but the kindness of God upon you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ But those ones also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted-in. For God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from the wild-olive-tree according to nature and were grafted-in contrary to nature into a cultivated-olive-tree, how much more will these, the ones in accordance with nature, be grafted-in their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵ For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, as to this mystery^[aa]— in order that you not be wise among yourselves— that a hardness in part^[ab] has happened to Israel until^[ac] the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. ²⁶ And so^[ad] all Israel^[ae] will be saved, just as it has been written: “The One delivering will come^[af] from Zion, He will turn-away ungodliness from Jacob. ²⁷ And this is the covenant from Me with them, when I take-away their sins” [Isa 59:20-21].

They Are Beloved To God

²⁸ In relation to the good-news they^[ag] are enemies [of God] for your sake— but in relation to the choosing^[ah] of God they are beloved ones [of God] for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are without-regret^[ai].

They Will Be Shown Mercy

³⁰ For just as you once^[aj] disobeyed God, but now were shown-mercy in the disobedience of these Jews, ³¹ so also these Jews now disobeyed in the mercy belonging to you, in order that they also now may be shown-mercy. ³² For God confined all in disobedience in order that He may show-mercy to all.

O The Depth of God’s Wisdom! To Him Be The Glory!

³³ O the depth of riches both^[ak] of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and untraceable^[al] His ways! ³⁴ “For who knew the mind of the Lord? Or who became His counselor?” [Isa 40:13]. ³⁵ “Or who previously-gave^[am] to Him and it will be repaid to him?” [Job 41:11]. ³⁶ Because all things are from Him and through Him and for Him. To Him be the glory forever, amen.

Footnotes

1. Romans 11:1 Or, push aside, push away.
2. Romans 11:2 Or, in the case of; or, in the place about.
3. Romans 11:4 That is, males.
4. Romans 11:5 This proves God has not completely rejected Israel.
5. Romans 11:6 That is, the choosing.
6. Romans 11:7 That is, this righteousness and life; this relationship with God.
7. Romans 11:7 Lit, the choosing, an abstract term for the whole group of those chosen.
8. Romans 11:10 David may mean in bondage or slavery; or, in fear or grief; or, under their burden.
9. Romans 11:11 Or, so that they fell.
10. Romans 11:11 Or, false-step, fall.
11. Romans 11:12 Or, failure; or, diminishing.
12. Romans 11:13 Or, as long as, as far as, inasmuch as.
13. Romans 11:13 That is, I magnify, publicize it.
14. Romans 11:14 This is a modestly stated hope that Paul might be part of fulfilling God’s plan spoken through Moses.
15. Romans 11:15 Or, throwing off, being cast away. That is, by God.
16. Romans 11:15 Or, reception.
17. Romans 11:16 Paul now turns from Israel’s failure, which serves the Gentiles, to their remaining potential for salvation.
18. Romans 11:16 That is, the first part offered to God.
19. Romans 11:17 That is, unbelieving physical Israel was pruned from spiritual Israel.
20. Romans 11:17 In v 17-24 ‘you’ is singular, referring to a single Gentile as a representative. In v 25 ‘you’ is plural again.
21. Romans 11:17 Or, joint-sharer, co-participant.
22. Romans 11:17 Or, richness, wealth.
23. Romans 11:18 Or, gloating.
24. Romans 11:20 That is, proud thoughts.
25. Romans 11:20 That is, be reverencing God; or, be afraid of unbelief.
26. Romans 11:21 Or, nature, fear that He will somehow not spare you.
27. Romans 11:25 That is, something hidden but now revealed; something known only by revelation from God.
28. Romans 11:25 That is, to part of Israel, ‘some’ of the branches, v 17.
29. Romans 11:25 Paul may mean that the hardness in part ends at that future time and the fullness of response comes, a national conversion; or, that it continues until that time, implying Israel’s continued existence until Christ returns, but nothing about a national conversion.
30. Romans 11:26 Or, in this manner, thus. That is, with the fullness of the Gentiles coming in, and the moving of Israel to jealousy (v 11) so that they believe (v 23) and are regrafted into their tree (v 24).
31. Romans 11:26 Paul may mean the nation as a whole, Israel in contrast to the remnant, the emphasis being on ‘all’ versus ‘in part’, ending the hardness in part. Or he may mean all individual true spiritual Israelites, the remnant in contrast with Israel, the emphasis being on ‘so, in this manner’. Alongside the continuing hardness in part, all true Israelites will believe.
32. Romans 11:26 Paul may be referring to the first coming, or to the second.
33. Romans 11:28 That is, the as yet unsaved Jews; or, the Jewish nation as a whole.
34. Romans 11:28 That is, God’s choosing them as His people.
35. Romans 11:29 Or, unregretted, unchanged.
36. Romans 11:30 Or, formerly.
37. Romans 11:33 Or, and.
38. Romans 11:33 Or, inscrutable, incomprehensible. They cannot be traced out.
39. Romans 11:35 Or, gave-beforehand, gave in advance.