ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Romans 11.33-36

Book: Romans · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

There are ads on our codex that pay for hosting and keep the codex free. If you can, please consider whitelisting ris3n.com or allowing scripts to support the work.

Sponsored

Brands, events, influencers advertise here

ASV

31. even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy. 32. For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35. or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36. For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:31-36, ASV)

WEB

31. even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. 32. For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have 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 past tracing out! 34. “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35. “Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?” 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen. (Romans 11:31-36, WEB)

KJV

31. Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. believed: or, obeyed 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. concluded: or, shut them all up together

33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. whom: Gr. him (Romans 11:31-36, KJV)

YLT

31. so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness; 32. for God did shut up together the whole to unbelief, that to the whole He might do kindness.

33. O depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable His judgments, and untraceable His ways! 34. for who did know the mind of the Lord? or who did become His counsellor? 35. or who did first give to Him, and it shall be given back to him again? 36. because of Him, and through Him, and to Him [are] the all things; to Him [is] the glory, to the ages. Amen. (Romans 11:31-36, YLT)

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

Setting

  • Speaker: Paul the Apostle
  • Audience: the Roman house churches (mixed Jewish-Gentile), whom Paul had not yet met
  • Location: Corinth, near the close of the third missionary journey
  • Time period: c. AD 56-57

Theological reading

The doxology that closes the three-chapter argument about Israel, and its placement is the interpretive key. Paul does not end chapters 9 to 11 with a resolved system but with worship, having just said that God shut up all in disobedience so that he might show mercy to all.

The opening exclamation, ō bathos ploutou kai sophias kai gnōseōs theou, O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, is followed by two adjectives that state the limit directly: his judgments are anexeraunēta, unsearchable, and his ways anexichniasta, untraceable, a word picturing a track that cannot be followed.

Two scriptural citations then supply the rhetorical questions. "Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?" is from Isaiah 40:13, and "who has first given to him, that it should be repaid?" reflects Job 41:11. Both are chosen to close off the two available complaints against the preceding argument, that God's dealings are unintelligible and that God owes something to someone. Paul answers neither objection on its own terms; he denies the standing from which each is raised.

The closing formula in verse 36 gathers it up, and the doxology's function is theological rather than decorative: it is Paul's demonstration that the right response to election and hardening is not a solved problem but adoration.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

Lexicon:

Passages:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.