Passage

Romans 11

Romans 11 is the climactic chapter of Paul's three-chapter argument (Rom 9-11) on the fate of ethnic Israel in light of the gospel. Having argued in chapter 9 for God's sovereign election and in chapter 10 for Israel's culpable unbelief, Paul turns in 11 to the twin claims that (1) Israel has not been cast off, and (2) Israel's present hardening is partial and temporary, with a future restoration in view. The chapter ends in a doxology (11:33-36) that is the rhetorical high point of the entire letter.

Key verses

11:1, "I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!"
11:5, "In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice."
11:11, "by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous."
11:17-18, wild olive branches grafted into the cultivated tree; do not be arrogant toward the natural branches.
11:22, "Behold then the kindness and severity of God."
11:25-26, "a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved."
11:29, "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."
11:33-36, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2. God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: 3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. 7. What then? that which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened: 8. according as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day. 9. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, And a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: 10. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow thou down their back always. 11. I say then, Did they stumble that they might fall? God forbid: but by their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. 12. Now if their fall, is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 13. But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; 14. if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them. 15. For if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16. And if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17. But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree; 18. glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee. 19. Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20. Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21. for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. 22. Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23. And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24. For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25. For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; 26. and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27. And this is my covenant unto them, When I shall take away their sins. 28. As touching the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake. 29. For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. 30. For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, 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 11:1-36, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. I ask 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 didn’t reject his people, which he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel: 3. “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.” 4. But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 7. What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8. According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” 9. David says, “Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them. 10. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always.” 11. I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. 12. Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? 13. For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; 14. if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. 15. For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? 16. If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. 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 partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree; 18. don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. 19. You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” 20. True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; 21. for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22. See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23. They also, if they don’t 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 is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25. For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, 26. and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27. This is my covenant to them, when I will take away their sins.” 28. Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. 29. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30. For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, 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 11:1-36, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, ^{of Elias: Gr. in Elias?} 3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded ^{blinded: or, hardened} 8. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. ^{slumber: or, remorse} 9. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? ^{diminishing: or, decay, or, loss} 13. For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16. For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; ^{among them: or, for them} 18. Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. ^{blindness: or, hardness} 26. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: ^{believed: or, obeyed} 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 11:1-36, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. I say, then, Did God cast away His people? let it not be! for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin: 2. God did not cast away His people whom He knew before; have ye not known, in Elijah, what the Writing saith? how he doth plead with God concerning Israel, saying, 3. 'Lord, Thy prophets they did kill, and Thy altars they dug down, and I was left alone, and they seek my life;' 4. but what saith the divine answer to him? 'I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.' 5. So then also in the present time a remnant according to the choice of grace there hath been; 6. and if by grace, no more of works, otherwise the grace becometh no more grace; and if of works, it is no more grace, otherwise the work is no more work. 7. What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened, 8. according as it hath been written, 'God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,', unto this very day, 9. and David saith, 'Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them; 10. let their eyes be darkened, not to behold, and their back do Thou always bow down.' 11. I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation [is] to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy; 12. and if the fall of them [is] the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them? 13. For to you I speak, to the nations, inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify; 14. if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them, 15. for if the casting away of them [is] a reconciliation of the world, what the reception, if not life out of the dead? 16. and if the first-fruit [is] holy, the lump also; and if the root [is] holy, the branches also. 17. And if certain of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wast graffed in among them, and a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree didst become, 18. do not boast against the branches; and if thou dost boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee! 19. Thou wilt say, then, 'The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;' right! 20. by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing; 21. for if God the natural branches did not spare, lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee. 22. Lo, then, goodness and severity of God, upon those indeed who fell, severity; and upon thee, goodness, if thou mayest remain in the goodness, otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. 23. And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in; 24. for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who [are] according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25. For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret, that ye may not be wise in your own conceits, that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in; 26. and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, 'There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob, 27. and this to them [is] the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.' 28. As regards, indeed, the good tidings, [they are] enemies on your account; and as regards the choice, beloved on account of the fathers; 29. for unrepented of [are] the gifts and the calling of God; 30. for as ye also once did not believe in God, and now did find kindness by the unbelief of these: 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 11:1-36, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Paul the Apostle (Paul the Apostle)
Audience: Christian believers in Rome (Jew + Gentile, with Gentile majority in view at 11:13)
Location: composed in Corinth; addressed to Rome
Time period: composed c. AD 57
Letter context: climax of Paul's Israel-trilogy (Rom 9-11), set up by 9 (sovereign election) and 10 (Israel's culpable unbelief).

Theological reading

Has God rejected his people? Paul's answer is a direct mē genoito: "May it never be!" The argument from 11:1 is twofold. First, Paul himself is a Jewish believer; the remnant is visible. Second, the Elijah precedent (1 Kings 19) shows God always preserves a faithful remnant even when it looks like everyone has bowed to Baal. The current Jewish-believer remnant is the present-time counterpart of Elijah's seven thousand.

The olive tree allegory (11:17-24). The metaphor is unusual: olive trees are grafted by inserting good branches into a wild rootstock, but Paul reverses the operation. Wild Gentile branches are grafted contrary to nature into the cultivated Israelite tree. The root supports the branches, not vice versa, so Gentile boasting over Jewish branches is doubly inverted: arrogant and impossible. The conditional "if you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off" (11:22) is a real warning to Gentile churches against the very anti-Jewish supersessionism that became standard in later church history. The natural branches, says Paul, can be re-grafted into their own tree (11:23-24).

"All Israel will be saved" (11:26). This sentence has carried more interpretation than perhaps any other in Romans. The major readings:

Eschatological-future Israel (Calvin, most Reformed, dispensationalists, Wright in part), at the end, a large-scale conversion of ethnic Israel will occur, fulfilling the covenant promises. The "fullness of the Gentiles" (11:25) precedes it.
Total elect across both groups (Augustine, some Reformed readings, Calvin in another mode), "all Israel" = the spiritual Israel composed of believing Jews and Gentiles throughout history; the verse is a summary, not a future-prediction.
Remnant-Israel-throughout-history (some recent readings) , "all Israel" = the cumulative Jewish remnant across the church age, saved as Gentiles come in.

The dominant exegetical case favors reading (1): the chapter contrasts ethnic Israel as a distinct group from Gentiles throughout, the verbs are future, and the citation from Isaiah 59 / Jer 31 points to an eschatological deliverance. See Romans 9.1-29 for the prior chapter's election framing.

Supersessionism / replacement theology. Romans 11 is the single strongest NT text against the view that the church has replaced Israel as the people of God. Paul's argument requires that ethnic Israel remain a meaningful category: "the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (11:29). What changes is the entrance terms (faith in the Messiah), not the covenant identity of the root. The church grows by being grafted into Israel's tree, not by becoming a new tree. Contemporary Reformed covenant theology, dispensational theology, and post-Holocaust Jewish-Christian dialogue all find ground in this chapter for varying degrees of anti-supersessionism.

The doxology (11:33-36). Paul's argument ends not in conclusion but in worship. The unsearchable wisdom of God is shown not in choosing some over others (that would be 9:18 over again) but in folding both groups' disobedience into a single act of universal mercy: "God has shut up all in disobedience that he may show mercy to all" (11:32). The cosmic scope of mercy is the rhetorical climax.

Key words

laos, laos, "people"; the covenantal term for Israel.
loipos, loipos, "remnant"; the believing minority.
sabbatismos (compare), Sabbath rest typology not in 11 directly.
G1656 - eleos, eleos, "mercy"; the verb of 11:30-32, the climactic theme.
G3466 - mysterion, mystērion, "mystery"; the previously hidden plan now revealed (11:25).
G1242 - diatheke, diathēkē, "covenant"; 11:27.
kaleo (compare), calling; cf. klēsis, the "calling" of 11:29.

Theological themes

Israel and the church. Continuity, distinction, and the rejection of replacement theology. See Israel, Olive Tree.
Remnant theology. God always preserves a faithful minority; the visible majority is not the whole story.
Election and mercy. Mercy is not opposed to election; election is the channel of mercy. See election.
Eschatology of the Jewish people. Future restoration; "all Israel" debate.
Divine sovereignty in history. Hardening, transgression, and salvation woven into one tapestry.

Cross-references

Romans 9.1-29, sovereign election and Israel's hardening, prior chapter.
Romans 10, Israel's culpable unbelief; the gospel for Jew and Gentile alike.
Isaiah 59:20-21, quoted in Rom 11:26-27.
Jeremiah 31.31-34, new covenant promise echoed in Rom 11:27.
Genesis 12.1-3, Abrahamic covenant; "the root" Paul speaks of.
Ephesians 2.11-22, one new humanity in Christ from Jew and Gentile.
Acts 28:25-28, Paul's pattern: Jewish rejection turning to Gentile reception.

Quoted in

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.