Romans 11

I ask then, did God1 reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Ibrahim, of the tribe of Binyamin. 2God did not reject his people,2 which he foreknew. Or don’t you know what Al-Kitab3 says about Ilyas4? How he pleads with God against Israel:

3“LORD5, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.” 6

4How does God answer him?

“I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 7 

5Even so at the present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6And 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.

7What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8Just as it is written,

“GOD8 gave them a spirit of stupor,” 9 “Eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this day.” 10

9Dawud says,

“Let their table become a snare, and a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution for them. 10Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see. Let their backs be bent forever.” 11

11I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the nations, to provoke the Jews to jealousy. 12Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the nations; how much more their fullness? 

13For I speak to you who are non-Jews. Since then as I am an apostle to non-Jews, I glorify my ministry; 14if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. 15For if the rejection of the Jews is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? 

16If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. 17But 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; 18do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” 20True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22See 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. 23They also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For 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? 

25For I do not desire, brothers12, to have you ignorant of this mystery, so that you not be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the nations has come in, 26and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written,

“The Redeemer13 will come from Al-Quds14, and he will turn away ungodliness from Yaqub. 27This is my covenant to them, When I will take away their sins.” 15

28Concerning the Injil,16 they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. 29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by the disobedience of the Jews, 31even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. 32For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

33Oh 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!

34For,

“Who has known the mind of the LORD17, or who has been his counsellor?” 18

35“Or who has first given to him, that it be repaid to him again?” 19

36For from him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

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  1. 11:1 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
  2. 11:2 God did not reject his people, the fact that God would never forever reject Israel despite their disobedience, is borne out by the teaching of both the Taurat and the Zabur. The Taurat, 1 Samuel 12:22 says: “For YAHWEH will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased YAHWEH to make you a people to himself.”
    The Zabur 94:14 says: “For YAHWEH will not forsake his people, neither will he reject his inheritance.” ↩︎
  3. 11:2 Al-Kitab, is an Arabic-derived term for “the Scriptures.” It is related to the Aramaic ketab and Hebrew terms ketab, miktab, and ktb. The same meaning of “the Scriptures” is expressed in Greek by graphe. In this verse, Al-Kitab refers to the Hebrew scriptures, including the Taurat, the Zabur, and the writings of the Prophets. ↩︎
  4. 11:2 Ilyas, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Elijah, which means “YAHWEH is My God”. (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  5. 11:3 LORD, the use of all capital letters means that the original Hebrew text quoted here uses God’s Name, YAHWEH, which God-fearing Jews to this day do not say out of respect. YAHWEH is the Name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎
  6. 11:3 See the Taurat, 1 Kings 19:10 (and 14) which says: He [Ilyas] said, I have been very jealous for YAHWEH God All-Powerful; for Bani-Israel have forsaken your covenant, broken down your altars, and killed your prophets: and I am left alone; and they seek my life, to take it away. ↩︎
  7. 11:4 See the Taurat, 1 Kings 19:18 which says: “Yet I will reserve seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” ↩︎
  8. 11:8 GOD, the use of all capital letters means that the original Hebrew text quoted here uses God’s Name, YAHWEH, which God-fearing Jews to this day do not say out of respect. YAHWEH is the Name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎
  9. 11:8 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 29:10 which says: “For YAHWEH poured out on you a spirit of stupor, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, has he covered.” ↩︎
  10. 11:8 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 29:4 which says: “but YAHWEH has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day.” ↩︎
  11. 11:9-10 Quoting the Zabur 69:22-23 which says: Let their table become a snare before them. May it become a retribution and a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see. Let their backs be bent forever. ↩︎
  12. 11:25 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” ↩︎
  13. 11:26 Redeemer, or Deliverer. ↩︎
  14. 11:26 Al-Quds, meaning “the Holy (City).” The Greek text quotes verbatim from the Hebrew which says Zion, a synonym for Jerusalem. It originally referred to Mount Zion, one of the hills of Jerusalem. ↩︎
  15. 11:26-27 Quoting the Taurat from 2 places in the Book of Shaya 59:20-21 and 27:9 as follows: “A Redeemer will come to Al-Quds, and to those who turn from disobedience in Yaqub,” says YAHWEH. “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says YAHWEH, “my Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed,” says YAHWEH, “from now on and forever.”
    “Therefore by this shall the iniquity of Yaqub be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he makes all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that are beaten in pieces, so that the Asherim and the sun-images shall rise no more.” ↩︎
  16. `11:28 Injil, this Arabic word is derived from Euangel (Greek) and means “good news” or “Gospel” (old English for ‘good news’). Depending on context, Injil can refer to, 
    1. the whole Christian New Testament containing 27 books, 
    2. the first 4 books of the New Testament, that is, the Injil according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, or,
    3. the message or “good news” of forgiveness of sins through ‘ISA AL-MASIH. ↩︎
  17. 11:34 LORD, the use of all capital letters means that the original Hebrew text quoted here uses God’s Name, YAHWEH, which God-fearing Jews to this day do not say out of respect. YAHWEH is the Name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎
  18. 11:34 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 40:13 which says: “Who has known the mind of YAHWEH, or who has taught him as his counsellor?” ↩︎
  19. 11:35 Adapted from the Taurat, Ayub 41:11 which says: “Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.” ↩︎