The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Romans 11

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Romans 11:1

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

(a) God has not rejected his people. Israel rejected the Lord (Acts 13:46, Rom. 10:3), but the Lord never rejected Israel. The inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan does not mean the exclusion of the Jews. The Father’s heart is always for reconciliation and restoration. He is a God of grace and mercy, not wrath and condemnation (Rom. 5:15, 21, 9:15–16, 22–23).

(b) May it never be. “Of course not!” See entry for Rom. 3:4.

(c) Israelite. Paul was not a Jewish proselyte but a true Israelite descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Rom. 11:1, 2 Cor. 11:22). He was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Php. 3:5).

(d) Abraham was the Jews’ great patriarch; see entry for Rom. 4:1.

(e) Benjamin was the son of Israel’s beloved wife, Rachel (Gen. 35:16–18). Benjamin was also the tribe of Israel’s first king and was one of the two tribes, the other being Judah, that did not revolt under Jeroboam (1 Kgs. 12:21).

Romans 11:2

God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

(a) God has not rejected. This line may have been inspired by Psalm 94:14 and 1 Samuel 12:22.

The wrong conclusion that we might draw is that God is done with Israel or that the Jews have no role to play in the new church. Nothing could be further from the truth.

(b) Whom he foreknew. God knew that Israel would be unfaithful, yet he still promised to bless them. What a wonderful affirmation of God’s commitment to us! God knows every dumb thing you have done and are yet to do. Knowing this, he still loves you and promises to keep you safe and secure (John 10:29, 1 Cor. 1:8–9). Great is his faithfulness!

(d) Elijah, one of Israel’s prophets, complained to God that Israel’s wicked rulers, Ahab and Jezebel, had murdered the prophets (see next verse).

Romans 11:3–4

“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

(a) I am alone. An angry Queen Jezebel issued a death threat against Elijah. Fearing for his life, Elijah fled into the wilderness. In despair, he prayed for God to let him die (1 Kgs. 19:2–4). Although an angel of the Lord ministered to him, Elijah sadly gave in to self-pity. “I’m the only one left” (see 1 Kgs. 19:10–14). His lack of faith ultimately cost him his ministry (1 Kgs. 19:16).

(b) I have kept. The Lord assured Elijah that he had preserved a remnant of 7,000 faithful Israelites (1 Kgs. 19:18).

Romans 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.

(a) In the same way. “For Israel, things are not as bad as they look. In the same way that God preserved a remnant in the time of Elijah, he has preserved a remnant now.”

(b) Remnant. In the Old Testament, “the remnant” referred to the few who remained after a crisis (e.g., a remnant returned from exile, and a remnant did not bow to Baal). From this surviving remnant, the nation could be reborn. In the New Testament, the remnant consisted of Jews who remained faithful to God by believing his Son. In the early church, thousands of Jews believed (John 2:23, 10:42, Acts 2:41, 4:4). From this “remnant,” the new Israel—the spiritual family of God—would be reborn.

(c) According to God’s gracious choice. Those who are included in God’s family (believers) are not chosen on account their pedigree or performance but on account of God’s grace.

Paul is not saying God chooses some and condemns others. His call goes out to all the world, but not all respond. “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). Those who do are called “the elect” or “the chosen of God” (Col. 3:12).

(d) Choice; see entry for Rom. 9:11.

Romans 11:6

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

(a) It is by grace. We are saved and kept by the grace of God (1 Pet. 5:10). Our part is to trust in God’s grace and add nothing to it.

(b) Grace captures the goodwill, lovingkindness, and favor of God that is freely given to us so that we may partake in his divine life. See entry for Rom. 3:24.

(c) No longer on the basis of works. We can either trust in God’s grace (like the believing Jews) or our works (like the unbelieving Jews), but not both. We can either submit to God’s righteousness or try to establish our own (Rom. 10:3). We can either trust in the Savior or ourselves.

Repenting from dead works and having faith in God is one of the elementary teachings about Christ (Heb. 6:1), yet many haven’t grasped it. They’re trying to keep the law or make themselves holy and exhausting themselves in the process. They have forgotten that in the kingdom of God, all is grace.

Further reading: “How to recognize a mixed-grace gospel”

(d) Works, or dead works, are the things we do to improve our standing before God. Dead works may include circumcision, law-keeping, confession of sin, regular church attendance, daily Bible study, missions, philanthropy, tithing, sacrificial giving, and fasting. If good works, or works of faith, are things we do in response to the goodness of God, dead works are done in response to unbelief. Helping the poor because the love of God compels you is a good work. Helping the poor because you hope to impress God or earn divine favor is a dead work.

(e) No longer grace. Grace and works don’t mix. Supplement grace with works, and it ceases to be grace.

Do-gooders and rule-keepers often struggle to accept grace. The problem is not what they’re doing but their unbelief. By trusting in their works instead of Christ’s finished work, they scorn God’s grace (Rom. 11:6). They may aspire to obey the law, but by elevating themselves above the Lord, they are breaking the first commandment: “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). Those who reject God can never be made right with God.

Romans 11:7

What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

(a) What Israel is seeking is God’s acceptance and favor, but they went after these things the wrong way. Instead of receiving the gift of righteousness that comes by grace, they sought to establish their own righteousness through works of law (Rom. 10:3). Like all religious people, they elevated the creature (their own performances and sacrifices) above the Creator. They made an idol out of their religion and brought sacrifices that did nothing to impress the Lord.

(b) Those who were chosen were chosen because they responded to God in faith. They were not chosen because they were good or special or because God picks some and rejects others. They essentially chose themselves by putting their trust in God.

Paul’s account of Ishmael versus Isaac and Esau versus Jacob (Rom. 9:9–13) has led some to conclude that they are eternally lost unless God chooses them. “Unless you have been chosen in advance, there is nothing you can do to be saved.” Paul refutes this misperception when he says, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

(c) Chosen. God’s call goes out to the ends of the earth, and those who respond are called “the elect” or “the chosen” (Rom. 8:33, 2 Tim. 2:10, Tit. 1:1, 1 Pet. 1:1). “For you are a chosen generation” (1 Pet. 2:9). If you have put your faith in Christ, you are numbered among God’s chosen. In a manner of speaking, the chosen choose themselves by responding to the call of God. But since the Lord initiates the call, it’s accurate to say we are God’s chosen (Col. 3:12).

(d) The rest were hardened by pride and unbelief.

We become what we worship. Worship the hard, merciless law, and you will become stubborn and hard-hearted. This is what happened to the religious Jews who rejected Christ. By shutting their eyes and ears to his message (next verse), they became calloused and resistant to the love of God. Yet Paul expressed his hope that this would not be a permanent state of affairs (see Rom. 11:25).

(e) Hardened. The original verb pōroō is related to the noun pōrōsis (used in verse 25), which means “callousness” or “stupidity.” A hardened heart displays a stubborn refusal to learn or turn.

Romans 11:8

just as it is written,
GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”

(a) It is written. Paul paraphrases several Old Testament scriptures about spiritual slumber (e.g., Deut. 29:4, Is. 6:9–10, 29:10, Jer. 5:21, Eze. 12:2). Jesus also quoted these scriptures when speaking of the religious leaders who refused to heed his message (e.g., Matt. 13:13–15).

(b) God gave them. God designed a world where unbelief has consequences.

In his wisdom, God leaves no middle ground between faith and unbelief. Those who trust him get grace in abundance, but those who shut their eyes and ears to God’s goodness become insensible and hardened (Eph. 4:18–19). As a consequence of unbelief, they become creatures of instinct, captive to their appetites (2 Pet. 2:12). God allows this to happen so that they might come to their senses and see their need for a Deliverer.

(d) Down to this very day. Israel’s spiritual insensitivity was as apparent to Paul as it had been to the prophets of old. When Paul preached the gospel to the Jews of Rome, “some were persuaded, but others would not believe” (Acts 28:24). They hardened their hearts to the good news of grace and refused to put their faith in the Lord Jesus.

Further reading: “Does God Make People Spiritually Blind?“

Romans 11:9–10

And David says,
“LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”

(a) David says. What happens next for the unbelieving Israel? Paul foresees two possible outcomes: either they will suffer the self-inflicted consequences of their rebellion (verses 9–10), or they will be provoked to jealousy and restored (verses 11–12).

(b) Let their table become a snare. In Psalm 69, David cries to God about rebels who opposed his reign. His own brothers who had eaten at his table had turned on him (Ps. 69:8). David prays, “Let the tables be turned on them” (see Ps. 69:22).

(d) Bend their backs. “Let them lose the strength of which they boasted.”

In context, Paul is saying, “Let unbelieving Israel stumble about in the dark and groan under the heavy yoke of self-righteousness until they come to their senses.”

Romans 11:11

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

(a) Stumble… fall. Just as the Galatians fell from grace when they put themselves under law (Gal. 5:4), the religious Jews fell from their privileged position by refusing to submit to God’s righteousness (Rom. 10:3).

(b) May it never be. All is not lost for the Jews. God has not written them off (Rom. 11:1). He longs to show mercy, not judgment (Rom. 11:31). Instead of retribution, Paul expects restoration (Rom. 11:25–26).

(c) Transgression. The unbelieving Jews tripped and stumbled over the Savior. (The original noun paraptōma means “a fall or slip.”)

(d) Salvation. What looked like disaster (the descendants of Abraham stumbled in unbelief) had miraculously worked out for good (the Gentiles have come into the kingdom). How did the Jews’ transgression open the door for the Gentiles? After the Jews rejected the Savior, the Lord instructed his apostles to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 1:8, 22:21). The apostles did not go at first. It took persecution and divine visions to get them out the door (Acts 10:9–20, 11:19).

(e) Gentiles. Non-Jews; see entry for Rom. 1:5.

(f) Jealous. What is God’s plan for the Jews who rejected his Son? Paul offers a surprising response: “Make them jealous.”

(g) Make them jealous. Seeing the favor of God upon the Gentiles would wake the Jews from their stupor and stir them to action.

The unbelieving Jews were like the older brother who became angry in Christ’s parable of the prodigal (Luke 15:11–32). Just as the brother could not understand why his father would show favor to the sinner, the Jews could not fathom why God would show mercy to the Gentiles. The question the Jews now faced was whether they would stay outside in the cold or come and join the party.

Romans 11:12

Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!

(a) Their transgression. Israel’s rejection of Christ resulted in the gospel of grace going out to all nations (see previous verse).

(b) Riches; see entry for Rom. 2:4.

(d) How much more will their fulfillment. The world is already blessed on account of the gospel. We will be even more blessed when Israel awakens from its slumber and comes to the Lord.

Romans 11:13–14

But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.

(a) I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. “Now, let me speak to you Gentiles.”

(b) Apostle; see entry for Rom. 1:1.

(c) Apostle of Gentiles. Although Paul occasionally preached to the Jews, God called and gifted him to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21, Gal. 1:15–16, 2:7, 9, Eph. 3:8).

(d) I magnify my ministry. “If my preaching to you Gentiles hastens the salvation of my Jewish countrymen, then let me preach!”

(e) Jealousy; see entry for Rom. 11:11.

(f) My fellow countrymen. The original word is sarx, which means “flesh,” so a literal translation reads: “If by any means I can make my own flesh jealous.” Paul is referring to his fellow Jews, “my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:3).

Romans 11:15

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

(a) If their rejection of Jesus Christ opened the door for the Gentiles to be reconciled to the Father (Rom. 11:11–12), then their acceptance of Christ will bring them resurrection life.

Paul is developing a theme that will reach a glorious climax at the end of the chapter: out of disaster (the Jews’ rejection of Christ), God has orchestrated two magnificent outcomes (the inclusion of the Gentiles and the eventual restoration of the Jews). Paul marvels at the extraordinary wisdom of God in bringing this about (Rom. 11:33–36).

(b) World; see entry for Rom. 1:20.

(c) Their acceptance. The nation of Israel had, by and large, rejected Christ, while many individual Jews (such as Paul and the apostles) accepted him. Jews continue to come to Christ every day.

Romans 11:16

If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

(a) The first piece of dough is Israel. Abraham and his descendants were called and set apart by God. Since God’s call is irrevocable (Rom. 11:29), the Jews remain called by God. To them belong “the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants” (Rom. 9:4). He has not changed his mind about Israel. Although many in Israel have turned away from God, God has not turned away from them (Rom. 11:1).

(b) Of dough. These words are in italics to show they are not in the original text but have been added by the translators for clarity. Paul is referring to the Jewish custom of dedicating a portion of the dough to God (Num. 15:20–21).

(d) The root is holy. Paul paints two words pictures (holy dough and a holy root) to remind us the call and promises of God were for Abraham and his descendants (the branches).

(e) The branches are too. The Jewish descendants of Abraham are still special to God and dearly loved on account of the patriarchs (Rom. 11:28).

The church in Rome had been planted by Jews. However, after the emperor Claudius exiled the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2), it became a Gentile church. Now that Claudius was dead and the Jews were returning to Rome, there was a risk of division and discord. The Gentile believers might have been tempted to think that they, rather than the Jews, were God’s chosen people. Paul reminds them that the Jews remain dearly loved by God (verse 28), that the church is rooted in the promises and gifts God gave to the Jews (verse 18), and that his plan is to show mercy to all people (verse 32).

Romans 11:17

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 rich root of the olive tree,

(a) Some of the branches. Paul presents a short parable of an olive tree to illustrate how Israel—the broken off branches—cut themselves off from God’s purposes by rejecting the Savior he sent.

(b) Broken off. Unfaithful Israel was not cut off or cast aside by God. The Israelites cut themselves off through unbelief (verse 20). In rejecting the Son, they rejected the Father. This breaking off was self-inflicted and should not be interpreted as divine punishment. Although Israel rejected God, God has not rejected Israel (Rom. 11:1). Paul is quick to add that the Jews are still beloved for the sake of the patriarchs and will be immediately grafted in if they do not persist in unbelief (Rom. 11:23, 28).

(c) You were grafted in. On account of their faith, Gentile believers were included in the promises of God given to Israel. Like wild olive shoots, they were grafted into the cultivated olive tree.

(d) Became partaker with them. Prior to the coming of Jesus, God’s favor had been shown exclusively to the nation of Israel. After the cross, all may share in the favor of God (Rom. 10:12).

(e) Partaker. The original noun sygkoinōnos means “co-participant” or “joint-partner.”

(f) The rich root of the olive tree. We are richly blessed on account of the gracious promises God gave to Israel.

Romans 11:18

do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

(a) Do not be arrogant. “Don’t boast over the Jews as though you Gentiles had somehow replaced them in God’s redemptive plans.”

(b) The root supports you. The Christian church is built upon the promises and gifts God gave to the Jews. The first gospel preachers were Jewish, the Scriptures are (mostly) Jewish, and our Savior was born a Jew. The church’s foundation was laid by Jewish apostles and prophets. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Abraham and his descendants, who were the first to believe in God’s righteousness.

Romans 11:19

You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

Branches were broken off. It would be a mistake to think that Israel was cast aside to make room for the Gentiles.

Romans 11:20

Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;

(a) They were broken off. The unbelieving Jews broke themselves off Abraham’s blessed family tree by refusing to believe the One God sent.

(b) Unbelief. You can be God-fearing and religious, as the Jews were, and still be lost on account of unbelief; see entry for Rom. 3:3.

(c) Faith means being persuaded or fully convinced that God is good and trustworthy. Faith is the conduit through which we receive God’s grace. See entry for Rom. 1:8.

(d) Do not be conceited. Don’t be arrogant towards the Jews and their fall. If it happened to them, it could happen to anyone.

(e) But fear. The fear is not that you might lose your salvation but that your people—your family and tribe—might reject God and be lost. Paul felt great anguish over his Jewish brothers who had rejected God (Rom. 9:2–3). He did not want the Gentiles to experience that same pain.

Romans 11:21

for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

(a) God did not spare. God did not show leniency. God hates evil, and there is nothing more evil and destructive than unbelief. To suppress the truth and turn your back on the Giver of life is to embrace death itself. God opposes the unbelieving and the ungodly because they are going the wrong way. He resists the proud because he hopes to turn them around.

(b) The natural branches. The unbelieving Jews, as a group, were broken off even as individual Jews, such as Paul and the apostles, were grafted in through faith. Similarly, the believing Gentiles, as a group, had been included on account of grace, while many Gentiles still missed out through unbelief.

Some use this verse to terrorize Christians. “If you’re not careful, God will reject you.” But God does not reject anyone, not even unbelieving Jews (Rom. 11:1). Paul is not threatening individuals; he’s talking about the Gentiles as a group. “I am speaking to you who are Gentiles” (Rom.11:13). He’s warning us about the consequences of unbelief (see next verse).

Romans 11:22

Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

(a) Behold. “Think about the ways God deals with us.”

(b) Kindness. God’s kindness is revealed in the unmerited favor or grace which comes to us through Jesus. See entry for Rom. 2:4.

(c) The severity of God. God opposes the proud and self-righteous (Jas. 4:6). God desires to show mercy to all (verse 32), but those who scorn mercy will reap the severe consequences of their actions (Rom. 2:5–6).

(d) Severity. The original noun apotomia can imply “a harsh and unyielding judgment” or “a cutting off.” It is the opposite of compassion.

Paul corrects a misperception that might have been floating around the Roman church. “God has not accepted you because you are Gentile. Neither has he rejected the Jews. If you Gentiles start thinking that your ethnicity matters, you will be making the same mistake as the unbelieving Jews. In the new creation, there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Gal. 3:28).”

(e) Those who fell were the unbelieving Jews who tripped over the stumbling stone of Jesus (Rom. 9:32, 11:11).

(f) Continue in his kindness. The favor of the Lord had come like a light to the Gentiles. It was now up to them to respond to his kindness with repentance and faith (Rom. 2:4). But if they turned their backs on God’s kindness, they would encounter the condemnation of sin that comes to all who are in Adam (Rom. 5:18).

(g) Kindness means goodness; see entry for Rom. 2:4.

(h) Otherwise you also will be cut off. If the Gentiles as a group refuse God’s grace, they will be broken off in the same way as the unbelieving Jews. The consequences of unbelief are the same for all.

This verse should not frighten the believer. Although unbelievers miss out on God’s grace, the body of Christ will never experience the sternness or severity of God. You may wonder, “What about my sin?” God’s grace is greater than your sin (Rom. 5:20). “What if I prove unfaithful and ungraft myself?” Since you were not grafted in through your good works, you cannot be cut off through your bad works. Even if you are faithless, the Lord remains faithful (2 Tim. 2:11). Those who come to him will never be cast away (John 10:28).

Further reading: “Consider the severity of God”

Romans 11:23

And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

(a) If they do not continue in their unbelief. There is hope for Israel. The door to the kingdom remains open, and there is still time to repent of their unbelief.

The key word in this verse is “unbelief.” Paul is not suggesting that the Jews have a back door into the kingdom—Jesus is the only way (John 14:6). He is reinforcing his message that the Lord abounds in mercy for both Jew and Gentile, and that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom. 10:12–13).

(b) Unbelief. Someone who wavers in unbelief remains unpersuaded or unconvinced about the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus; see entry for Rom. 3:3.

Romans 11:24

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

(a) A wild olive tree… a cultivated olive tree. Paul ends his parable with a powerful conclusion: If God already has done the hard thing by embracing the Gentiles—strangers to the covenant of promise—how much more will he do the easy thing by restoring the descendants of Abraham.

(b) Grafted contrary to nature. In practice, an olive grower would graft cultivated branches onto wild olive trees, not the other way around. What God has done with the Gentiles is nothing short of miraculous.

Romans 11:25

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

(a) Brethren. “My dear brothers and sisters in Christ”; see entry for Rom. 1:13.

(b) Mystery. A mystery is a plan or purpose of God which is unknown to the natural mind but which may be revealed to us by his Spirit (1 Cor. 2:11–14, Col. 1:26). The mystery here is that Israel’s rejection of the Savior was being used by God to achieve two wonderful outcomes; the inclusion of the Gentiles and the ultimate restoration of the Jews.

See entry for Mysteries of God.

(c) So that you will not be wise in your own estimation. “I want you to understand what is happening so you won’t become conceited.” There was a risk that the Gentiles might repeat the mistake of the Jews, thinking they had been chosen on account of their ethnicity. “God got rid of the Jews and has now chosen us as his special people.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

(d) A partial hardening. Perhaps no other group was more violently opposed to Paul and his gospel than his fellow Jews. But Paul understood by the Spirit of God that this state of affairs would not be permanent. He knew from personal experience that the grace of God can transform even the hardest heart.

(e) Hardening. The original noun pōrōsis means “blindness,” “callousness,” or “stupidity.” In context, it implies a refusal to repent and believe the good news.

(f) Until the fullness of the Gentiles. Israel’s stubborn refusal to believe will crack and crumble as more Gentiles declare the praises of the God who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Picture the older brother standing out in the dark, cold and hungry, while his father parties with the prodigal. As the sounds of celebration and the aroma of the feast reach him, his self-righteousness is put to the test. This was the position the Jews were in. God was performing wondrous acts among the Gentiles while they watched from the sidelines. Would they remain self-righteous spectators, or would they join the party?

The prophet Hosea spoke of a time when the sons of Israel would return to the Lord trembling in response to his goodness (Hos. 3:5). He was describing how the goodness of God draws people to repentance. “This was happening now among the Jews,” said Paul (see entry for Rom. 11:31).

(g) Gentiles. Non-Jews; see entry for Rom. 1:5.

Romans 11:26-27

and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”

(a) All Israel will be saved. God’s promises of salvation will be fulfilled in the body of Christ.

“All Israel” refers to the “Israel of God,” or the family of believers that is made up of both Jews and Gentiles (Gal. 3:7, 9, 6:16). “All Israel” does not mean all ethnic Jews, for “not all Israel who are descended from Israel” (Rom. 9:6). The true descendants of Abraham are those who believe God and are made righteous through faith (Gal. 3:7). It is those who call upon the name of the Lord who are saved.

Further reading: “All Israel Will Be Saved“

(b) It is written. Paul quotes several prophecies in this passage. The Deliverer quote comes from Isaiah 59:20.

(d) The Deliverer. “Deliverer” is another word for “Savior” or “Rescuer.” Jesus is the Savior who saves our souls from death (Ps. 33:19, 116:8, Jas. 5:20) and delivers us from the evils of this present age (Matt. 1:21, Luke 1:71, Gal. 1:4).

Paul answers the question, How can God keep his promises to bring salvation to the world through a rebellious tribe that doesn’t believe those promises? The promise is fulfilled through the Jewish-born Deliverer from Zion.

(e) Jacob refers to the descendants of Jacob, that is, the Israelites.

(f) My covenant with them. God made several covenants with Abraham and his descendants (see entry for Rom. 9:4). The covenant referred to here is his promise to remove Israel’s sins. This promise was conveyed through prophets such as Isaiah (“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Is. 43:25)), Micah (“Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity … You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic 7:18–19)), and Jeremiah (“This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel … I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31:33–34)).

(g) Covenant. A covenant is a binding agreement between people or groups that involves making promises and is sometimes accompanied by ceremonies and rituals. Unlike a contract, which is transactional, a covenant is relational. A contract is an exchange of possessions (this is now yours), while a covenant is an exchange of people (I am now yours).

On the cross, the sinless Savior fulfilled all the requirements of the old covenant while forging a new covenant in his blood (Luke 22:20). Just as the old covenant was an agreement between God and Israel, the new covenant would be an agreement between God the Father and humanity’s representative, God the Son.

(h) I take away their sins. Through the Old Testament prophets, God told Israel that he would take away their sins. These prophecies were fulfilled on the cross when the Lamb of God bore the sins of the world (John 1:29, Heb. 9:26, 28, 1 John 3:5).

Romans 11:28

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;

(a) The gospel refers to the gospel of Christ, a.k.a. the gospel of God, a.k.a. the gospel of the kingdom; see entry for Acts 15:19.

(b) They are enemies. The unbelieving Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah and violently opposed the preaching of the gospel. But any hostility was only on their side. In the eyes of the Lord they remained dearly loved.

(c) For your sake. The Jews’ rejection of the gospel opened a door for the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11–12, Acts 13:44–48, 28:17–29). In Corinth, for example, Paul preached the gospel in the synagogue. For three weeks, he tried to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. When the Jews responded with hostility, Paul shook out his garments and left, saying, “From now on, I will go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6).

(d) They are beloved. God loves Israel. His love for Israel is not based on their behavior but his unchanging faithfulness—“the standpoint of God’s choice”—and love for the patriarchs (Deut. 4:37, 10:15).

(e) Choice; see entry for Rom. 9:11.

(f) The fathers or patriarchs of Israel, namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:15, 4:5, Deut. 1:8).

Romans 11:29

for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

(a) Gifts and the calling. God does not go back his word or take back his gifts. His promise to Abraham—that the nations would be blessed through his seed (Gen. 22:18)—remained as true as ever and was already coming to pass.

(b) Irrevocable. God is faithful, and he never changes. When we suffer loss, we may say things like “God gives and takes away.” Such an attitude reveals more about our pain than the shadowless generosity of our heavenly Father.

Further reading: “Does God give and take away?”

Romans 11:30

For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,

(a) You once were disobedient. Paul draws a parallel between the Gentile believers (who were once unbelieving but were shown mercy) and the Israelites (who are presently unbelieving but will be shown mercy).

(b) Disobedient… disobedience. Unpersuadable and disbelieving; see entry for Rom. 10:21.

(d) Mercy; see entry for Rom. 11:32.

(e) Because of their disobedience. Israel’s rejection of the Savior opened the door for the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11–12).

Romans 11:31

so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.

(a) Also now have been disobedient. The unbelieving Jews find themselves in the place once occupied by the unbelieving Gentiles, and like the Gentiles, they will be shown mercy.

(b) Now… now. The restoration of Israel is not some future event, but it is happening now. The book of Acts records that thousands of Jews and even a “great many of the priests” were coming to God (Acts 2:41, 4:4, 6:7). Paul himself was part of that restoration. “I found mercy” (1 Tim. 1:16).

(c) They also may now be shown mercy. The grace and mercy shown to the Gentiles would provoke an envious Israel to awaken from its spiritual slumber and be drawn back to God (Rom. 10:19, 11:11).

We might ask, “Why does God do it this way? The Jews are in, then they’re out; the Gentiles are out, then they’re in; then the Jews are in again. It’s seems unnecessarily complicated.” A better question is, “How could God have done it any other way?” God is faithful; we are not. God’s word never fails, but we fail often. Yet despite our fallibility, God has figured out how to bring his purposes to pass in a way that leaves us awestruck at his wisdom (verse 33).

(d) Mercy; see next verse.

Romans 11:32

For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

(a) God has shut up all in disobedience. Every one of us has a stubborn, self-righteous streak that says, “I don’t need help. I don’t need God. I can handle anything that comes my way.” But when we rely on ourselves, we cut ourselves off from God’s grace. In his wisdom, God allows this because he knows our weak flesh will eventually fail. Whether we are good or bad, life will sooner or later bring us to a place of great need where we end up on our knees crying for help. At that moment, we are ready to receive the mercy that God freely offers.

(b) Mercy is showing compassion towards those in need, and we are all in need. Unlike the merciless law (Rom. 3:19), God abounds in mercy (Eph. 2:4, Jas. 5:11, 1 Pet. 1:3). Mercy is one facet of God’s grace (Heb. 4:16). He is the God of all grace (1 Pet. 5:10), and the Father of all mercies (2 Cor. 1:3).

(c) Mercy to all. God desires to show mercy and bring salvation to all (Tit. 2:11). He does not wish to condemn or punish. Nor does he want anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). Truly, he is a God of mercy and grace.

Romans 11:33

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways!

(a) The depth of the riches. God’s redemptive plans are awesome and far beyond our comprehension. Who would have thought that God’s kindness would lead sinners to repentance (Rom. 2:4)? Who could have imagined that God’s plan for the Gentiles was to invite them to a party they knew nothing about (Luke 14:21–23)? Who could have conceived that the best way to attract the self-righteous Jews was to provoke them to jealousy and repentance (Rom. 11:11, 14)?

(b) Wisdom and knowledge. God’s wisdom and knowledge are extraordinary. None of us could come up with a plan as righteous and perfect as this.

The original adjective for “unsearchable” (anexeraunētos) means “inscrutable” or “impossible to understand,” and the original noun for “judgments” (krima) is a neutral word that means “decision” or “verdict.” Paul is saying, “God’s plans are not something we could ever have thought up.”

If it had been up to us, we would have condemned every sinner in the name of justice. But God judges with patience and mercy (Rom. 2:4, 9:16, 22–23, 11:32). He doesn’t treat us according to our sins but relates to us through the riches of his grace. He justifies the ungodly and takes away our sins (Rom. 4:5, 8, 11:27). He gives us his righteousness and invites us to reign with him (Rom. 1:17, 5:17). He adopts us into his family and makes us his heirs. He gives us his Spirit so that we might walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4, 8:15–16). How great is our God!

Romans 11:34–35

For “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became his Counselor?” Or “Who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again?”

(a) Who has known? “We don’t know how to rescue humanity, but God has it all figured out.”

Paul raises a couple of rhetorical questions by paraphrasing Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11. None of us can counsel the Lord. His ways are far beyond our understanding.

(b) Who has first given? “God owes us nothing, yet he gives us everything.”

The Lord is the giver of life and all good things (Gen. 1:29, John 3:27, 1 Tim. 6:17, Jas. 1:17). We could not give him anything or put him in our debt because anything we may give to him, he first gave to us (Acts 17:25).

Romans 11:36

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

(a) From him. God is the Source and Sustainer of all life (Gen. 1:1, Col. 1:17, 1 Tim. 6:13, Rev. 4:11). Everything comes from him. Everything finds meaning and fulfillment in him.

(b) All things. God is the Creator of everything in heaven and the earth.

(c) Glory. When we consider the riches of God’s wisdom and mercy and his unsearchable judgments, we are filled with awe. We may not fully understand his ways, but we know God has everything in hand and is making everything right. All we can do is praise him for his goodness and grace.

(d) Amen or “so be it.” See entry for Rom. 1:25.

In the New Testament, the word amen typically concludes expressions of praise and prayers to God (Matt. 6:13, Rev. 7:12). See also the entry for Matt. 6:13.

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Romans 11