1 I say then, did God reject his people? May it never be. For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleaded with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what does God's answer say to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bent the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time also there is a remnant because of the choice of grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer by works. Otherwise grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? The thing that Israel was seeking, it did not obtain, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8 It is just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of dullness, eyes so that they should not see, and ears so that they should not hear, to this very day.” 9 Then David says, “Let their table become a net and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see, and bend their backs continually.” 11 I say then, “Did they stumble so as to fall?” May it never be. Instead, by their failure, salvation has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if their failure is the riches of the world, and if their loss is the riches of the Gentiles, how much greater will their completion be? 13 But now I am speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry. 14 Perhaps I will provoke to jealousy those who are of my own flesh. Perhaps we will save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the firstfruits are reserved, so is the lump of dough. If the root is reserved, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, if you, a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them, and if you shared with them in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. But if you do boast, it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. Because of their unbelief they were broken off, but you stand firm because of your faith. Do not think too highly of yourself, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Look at, then, the kind actions and the severity of God: severity came on the Jews who fell, but God's kindness comes on you, if you continue in his kindness. 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 out of what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a good olive tree, how much more will these Jews, who are the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, of this mystery, in order that you will not be wise in your own thinking. This mystery is that a partial hardening has occurred in Israel, until the completion of the Gentiles come in. 26 Thus all Israel will be saved, just as it is written: “Out of Zion will come the Deliverer. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob, 27 and this will be my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.” 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake. But as far as election is concerned, they are beloved because of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are unchangeable. 30 For you were formerly disobedient to God, but now you have received mercy because of their disobedience. 31 In the same way, now these Jews have been disobedient. The result was that by the mercy shown to you they may also now receive mercy. 32 For God has shut up all into disobedience, in order that he might show mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyond discovering! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his advisor? 35 Or who has first given anything to God, that God must repay him?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
Romans · Unlocked Literal Bible
Romans 11 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (36)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Corinthians 11:22; 1 Samuel 12:22; Jeremiah 33:24–26; Philippians 3:5; Acts 26:4
- 2 Psalm 94:14; Romans 8:29–30; 1 Peter 1:2; Acts 3:17; Numbers 16:15
- 3 1 Kings 19:10–18; 1 Kings 18:13; Nehemiah 9:26; Jeremiah 2:30; 1 Kings 18:4
- 4 1 Kings 19:18; Numbers 25:3; Zephaniah 1:4; 2 Kings 10:19–20; Judges 2:13
- 5 Romans 9:27; Ephesians 1:5–6; Romans 9:11; Romans 11:6–7; Romans 11:28
- 6 Galatians 2:21; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5; Romans 3:27–28; Romans 4:4–5
- 7 Romans 9:18; Romans 11:5; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Romans 11:25; Romans 9:31–32
- 8 Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10; Ezekiel 12:2; Jeremiah 5:21; 2 Corinthians 3:14–15
- 9 Psalm 69:22–23; Psalm 28:4; Deuteronomy 32:13–15; Isaiah 59:18; 1 Timothy 6:17–19
- 10 Psalm 69:23; Deuteronomy 28:64–68; 2 Peter 2:4; Romans 11:8; Romans 1:21
- 11 Acts 13:46–48; Romans 11:31; Romans 10:19; Romans 11:12; Romans 11:14
- 12 Romans 11:25; Colossians 1:27; Romans 11:15; Isaiah 11:11–12:6; Ephesians 3:8
- 13 Acts 9:15; 2 Timothy 1:11–12; Romans 15:16–19; Galatians 1:16; 1 Timothy 2:7
- 14 1 Corinthians 7:16; 1 Timothy 4:16; Romans 9:3; Titus 3:5; 1 Timothy 2:4
- 15 Ephesians 1:10; Romans 5:10–11; Luke 15:24; Romans 11:11–12; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20
- 16 Proverbs 3:9; Ezekiel 44:30; James 1:18; Jeremiah 2:21; Numbers 15:17–21
- 17 Ephesians 2:11–13; Ephesians 3:6; Jeremiah 11:16; John 15:2; Psalm 52:8
- 18 1 Corinthians 10:12; Romans 11:20; Romans 3:27; Ephesians 2:19–20; John 10:16
- 19 Romans 11:23–24; Romans 11:17; Romans 11:11–12
- 20 Romans 12:16; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Philippians 2:12; 1 Peter 1:17
- 21 Jeremiah 49:12; 2 Peter 2:4–9; Jeremiah 25:29; Romans 8:32; Jude 5
- 22 Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Corinthians 15:2; John 15:2; Revelation 2:5
- 23 2 Corinthians 3:16; Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 23:39
- 24 Romans 11:17–18
- 25 Luke 21:24; 2 Corinthians 3:14–16; Romans 16:25; Romans 12:16; Zechariah 8:20–23
- 26 Isaiah 59:20; Jeremiah 31:31–37; Psalm 14:7; Hosea 3:5; Zechariah 10:6–12
- 27 Jeremiah 31:31–34; Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 32:38–40; Ezekiel 36:25–29; Isaiah 43:25
- 28 Deuteronomy 10:15; Deuteronomy 7:7–8; Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:7; Romans 9:5
- 29 Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 7:21; Malachi 3:6; Romans 8:28; Hosea 13:14
- 30 Colossians 3:7; Ephesians 2:1–2; 1 Corinthians 7:25; Romans 11:31; Titus 3:3–7
- 31 Romans 11:25; Romans 11:15; Romans 10:16
- 32 Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4–6; Romans 3:22; John 1:7
- 33 Job 5:9; Job 11:7–9; Psalm 92:5; Colossians 2:2–3; Romans 2:4
- 34 Isaiah 40:13; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Job 15:8; Job 36:22; Jeremiah 23:18
- 35 Job 41:11; Job 35:7; 1 Corinthians 4:7
- 36 Colossians 1:15–17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Timothy 1:17; Romans 16:27
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He had said that God did not cast off His people; and to show in what sense He had not cast them off, he takes refuge in the Prophets again.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And that the Saviour received first-fruits of those whom He was to save, Paul declared when he said, "And if the first-fruits be holy, the lump is also holy," teaching that the expression "first-fruits" denoted that which is spiritual, but that "the lump" meant us, that is, the animal Church, the lump of which they say He assumed, and blended …
What was it that Thou didst then, O my God, and how unsearchable are the depths of Thy judgments! For when, sore sick of a fever, he long lay unconscious in a death-sweat, and all despaired of his recovery, he was baptized without his knowledge; myself meanwhile little caring, presuming that his soul would retain rather what it had imbibed …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
"But yet Paul," one may say, "allows them, saying on this wise, As touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.'" But tell me, when, and of what things was he discoursing, and to whom?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Thou art transplanted henceforth among the spiritual olive-trees, being grafted from the wild into the good olive-tree, from sins into righteousness, from pollutions into purity.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)