Israel Not Rejected
11 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?[a] May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He knew beforehand.[b] Or do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Adonai, they have killed your prophets, they have destroyed your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” [c] 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [d] 5 So in the same way also at this present time there has come to be a remnant[e] according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained; but the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened— 8 just as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes not to see and ears not to hear,
until this very day.”[f]
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so they do not see,
and bend their back continually.”[g]
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?[h] May it never be! But by their false step salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke Israel to jealousy. [i] 12 Now if their transgression leads to riches for the world, and their loss riches for the Gentiles, then how much more their fullness! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Insofar as I am an emissary to the Gentiles, I spotlight my ministry 14 if somehow I might provoke to jealousy my own flesh and blood[j] and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection leads to the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 If the firstfruit is holy, so is the whole batch of dough;[k] and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off and you—being a wild olive—were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root of the olive tree with its richness, [l] 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, it is not you who support the root but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough. They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear— 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. 22 Notice then the kindness and severity of God:
severity toward those who fell;
but God’s kindness toward you,
if you continue in His kindness;
otherwise you too will be cut off!
23 And they also,
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 out of that which by nature is a wild olive tree, and grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
The Mystery Revealed!
25 For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be ignorant of this mystery—lest you be wise in your own eyes[m]—that a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; [n] 26 and in this way[o] all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer shall come out of Zion.
He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 And this is My covenant with them,[p]
when I take away their sins.”[q]
28 Concerning the Good News, they are hostile for your sake; but concerning chosenness, they are loved on account of the fathers[r]— 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [s] 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 in like manner these also have now been disobedient with the result that, because of the mercy shown to you, they also may receive mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He might show mercy to all.
33 O the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments
and how incomprehensible His ways!
34 For “who has known the mind of Adonai,
or who has been His counselor?”[t]
35 Or “who has first given to Him,
that it shall be repaid to him?”[u]
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 11:1 cf. Jer. 31:37; 33:24-26.
- Romans 11:2 cf. 1 Sam. 12:22; Ps. 94:14.
- Romans 11:4 1 Ki. 19:4a, 10, 14.
- Romans 11:5 1 Ki. 19:18.
- Romans 11:5 cf. 2 Kings 19:4; Ezra 9:8; Isa. 10:20-22; 11:11, 16; 37:31-32; Jer. 23:3; 31:7; Ezek. 6:8; Mic. 2:12; 5:7-8; 7:18; Zeph. 2:7; Zech. 8:11-12.
- Romans 11:8 Deut. 29:4; Isa. 29:10.
- Romans 11:10 Ps. 69:22-23.
- Romans 11:11 cf. Hos. 14:1-2, 6-10(13:16-14:1, 5-9).
- Romans 11:12 cf. Deut. 32:21. Lit. jealous emulation.
- Romans 11:14 Lit. my flesh; my fellow countrymen.
- Romans 11:16 cf. Num. 15:21; Neh. 10:37; Ezek. 44:30.
- Romans 11:18 cf. Jer. 11:16.
- Romans 11:25 cf. Prov. 3:7; Rom. 12:16.
- Romans 11:26 cf. Dan. 8:13-14; Lk. 21:24.
- Romans 11:26 Or and so.
- Romans 11:27 Isa. 59:20-21(LXX).
- Romans 11:27 Isa. 27:9; cf. Jer. 31:31-34.
- Romans 11:28 cf. Deut. 7:8; 10:15.
- Romans 11:30 cf. 2 Cor. 7:10.
- Romans 11:34 Isa. 40:13.
- Romans 11:35 Job 41:3(11); cf. Job 41:3(LXX).