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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Romans 11:1–32. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The apostle proposes here a plausible objection, which might be urged against the divine conduct in casting off the Jewish nation (v. 1): "Hath God cast away his people? Is the rejection total and final? Are they all abandoned to wrath and ruin, and that eternal? Is the extent of the sentence so large as to be without reserve, or the continuance of it so long as to be without repeal? Will he have no more a peculiar people to himself?" In opposition to this, he shows that there was a great deal of goodness and mercy expressed along with this seeming severity, particularly he insists upon three things:—1. That, though some of the Jews were cast off, yet they were not all so. 2. That, though the body of the Jews were cast off, yet the Gentiles were taken in. And, 3. That, though the Jews were cast off at present, yet in God's due time they should be taken into his church again.
I.The Jews, it is true, were many of them cast off, but not all.
The supposition of this he introduces with a God forbid. He will by no means endure such a suggestions. God had made a distinction between some of them and others.
1.There was a chosen remnant of believing Jews, that obtained righteousness and life by faith in Jesus Christ, v. 1-7. These are said to be such as he foreknew (v. 2), that is, had thoughts of love to, before the world was; for whom he thus foreknew he did predestinate. her lies the ground of the difference. They are called the election (v. 7), that is, the elect, God's chosen ones, whom he calls the election, because that which first distinguished them from the dignified them above others was God's electing love. Believers are the election, all those and those only whom God hath chosen. Now,
(1.)He shows that he himself was one of them: For I also am an Israelite; as if he had said, "Should I say that all the Jews are rejected, I should cut off my own claims, and see myself abandoned." Paul was a chosen vessel (Acts ix. 15), and yet he was of the seed of Abraham, and particularly of the tribe of Benjamin, the least and youngest of all the tribes of Israel.
(2.)He suggests that as in Elias's time, so now, this chosen remnant was really more and greater than one would think it was, which intimates likewise that it is no new nor unusual thing for God's grace and favour to Israel to be limited and confined to a remnant of that people; for so it was in Elijah's time. The scripture saith it of Elias, en Elia—in the story of Elias, the great reformer of the Old Testament. Observe,
[1.]His mistake concerning Israel; as if their apostasy in the days of Ahab was so general that he himself was the only faithful servant God had in the world. He refers to 1 Kings xix. 14, where (it is here said) he maketh intercession to God against Israel. A strange kind of intercession: entynchanei to Theo kata tou Israel—He deals with God against Israel; so it may be read; so entynchano is translated, Acts xxv. 24. The Jews enetychon moi—have dealt with me. In prayer we deal with God, commune with him, discourse with him: it is said of Elijah (Jam. v. 17) that he prayed in praying. We are then likely to pray in praying, to make a business of that duty, when we pray as those that are dealing with God in the duty. Now Elijah in this prayer spoke as if there were one left faithful in Israel but himself. See to what a low ebb the profession of religion may sometimes be brought, and how much the face of it may be eclipsed, that the most wise and observing men may give it up for gone. So it was in Elijah's time. That which makes the show of a nation is the powers and the multitude. The powers of Israel were then persecuting powers: They have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars, and they seek my life. The multitude of Israel were then idolatrous: I am left alone. Thus those few that were faithful to God were not only lost in the crowd of idolaters, but crushed and driven into corners by the rage of persecutors. When the wicked rise, a man is hidden, Prov. xxviii. 12.—Digged down thine altars; not only neglected them, and let them go out of repair, but digged them down. When altars were set up for Baal, it is no wonder if God's altars were pulled down; they could not endure that standing testimony against their idolatry. This was his intercession against Israel; as if he had said, "Lord, is not this a people ripe for ruin, worthy to be cast off? What else canst thou do for thy great name?" It is a very sad thing for any person or people to have the prayers of God's people against them, especially of God's prophets, for God espouses, and sooner or later will visibly own, the cause of his praying people.
[2.]The rectifying of this mistake by the answer of God (v. 4): I have reserved. Note, First, Things are often much better with the church of God than wise and good men think they are. They are ready to conclude hardly, and to give up all for gone, when it is not so. Secondly, In times of general apostasy, there is usually a remnant that keep their integrity—some, though but a few; all do not go one way. Thirdly, That when there is a remnant who keep their integrity in times of general apostasy it is God that reserves to himself that remnant. If he had left them to themselves, they had gone down the stream with the rest. It is his free and almighty grace that makes the difference between them and others.—Seven thousand: a competent number to bear their testimony against the idolatry of Israel, and yet, compared with the many thousands of Israel, a very small number, one of a city, and two of a tribe, like the grape-gleanings of the vintage. Christ's flock is but a little flock; and yet, when they come all together at last, they will be a great and innumerable multitude, Rev. vii. 9. Now the description of this remnant is that they had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal, which was then the reigning sin of Israel. In court, city, and country, Baal had the ascendant; and the generality of people, more or less, paid their respect to Baal. The best evidence of integrity is a freedom from the present prevailing corruptions of the times and places that we live in, to swim against the stream when it is strong. Those God will own for his faithful witnesses that are bold in bearing their testimony to the present truth, 2 Pet. i. 12. This is thank-worthy, not to bow to Baal when every body bows. Sober singularity is commonly the badge of true sincerity.
[3.]The application of this instance to the case in hand: Even so at this present time, v. 5-7. God's methods of dispensation towards his church are as they used to be. As it has been, so it is. In Elijah's time there was a remnant, and so there is now. If then there was a remnant left under the Old Testament, when the displays of grace were less clear and the pourings out of the Spirit less plentiful, much more now under the gospel, when the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, appears more illustrious.—A remnant, a few of many, a remnant of believing Jews when the rest were obstinate in their unbelief. This is called a remnant according to the election of grace; they are such as were chosen from eternity in the counsels of divine love to be vessels of grace and glory. Whom he did predestinate those he called. If the difference between them and others be made purely by the grace of God, as certainly it is (I have reserved them, saith he, to myself), then it must needs be according to the election; for we are sure that whatever God does he does it according to the counsel of his own will. Now concerning this remnant we may observe, First, Whence it takes its rise, from the free grace of God (v. 6), that grace which excludes works. The eternal election, in which the difference between some and others is first founded, is purely of grace, free grace; not for the sake of works done or foreseen; if so, it would not be grace. Gratia non est ullo modo gratia, si non sit omni modo gratuita—It is not grace, properly so called, if it be not perfectly free. Election is purely according to the good pleasure of his will, Eph. i. 5. Paul's heart was so full of the freeness of God's grace that in the midst of his discourse he turns aside, as it were, to make this remark, If of grace, then not of works. And some observe that faith itself, which in the matter of justification if opposed to works, is here included in them; for faith has a peculiar fitness to receive the free grace of God for our justification, but not to receive that grace for our election. Secondly, What it obtains: that which Israel, that is, the body of that people, in van sought for (v. 7): Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, that is, justification, and acceptance with God (see ch. ix. 31), but the election have obtained it. In them the promise of God has its accomplishment, and God's ancient kindness for that people is remembered. He calls the remnant of believers, not the elect, but the election, to show that the sole foundation of all their hopes and happiness is laid in election. They were the persons whom God had in his eye in the counsels of his love; they are the election; they are God's choice. Such was the favour of God to the chosen remnant. But,
2.The rest were blinded, v. 7. Some are chosen and called, and the call is made effectual. But others are left to perish in their unbelief; nay, they are made worse by that which should have made them better. The gospel, which to those that believed was the savour of life unto life, to the unbelieving was the savour of death unto death. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. Good old Simeon foresaw that the child Jesus was set for the fall, as well as for the rising again, of many in Israel, Luke ii. 34.—Were blinded; eporothesan—they were hardened; so some. They were seared, and made brawny and insensible. They could neither see the light, nor feel the touch, of gospel grace. Blindness and hardness are expressive of the same senselessness and stupidity of spirit. They shut their eyes, and would not see; this was their sin: and then God, in a way of righteous judgment, blinded their eyes, that they could not see; this was their punishment. This seemed harsh doctrine: to qualify it, therefore, he vouches two witnesses out of the Old Testament, who speak of such a thing.
(1.)Isaiah, who spoke of such a judgment in his day, ch. xxix. 10; vi. 9. The spirit of slumber, that is, an indisposedness to mind either their duty or interest. They are under the power of a prevailing unconcernedness, like people that are slumbering and sleeping; not affected with any thing that is said or done. They were resolved to continue as they were, and would not stir. The following words explain what is meant by the spirit of slumber: Eyes, that they should not see, and ears, that they should not hear. They had the faculties, but in the things that belonged to their peace they had not the use of those faculties; they were quite infatuated, they saw Christ, but they did not believe in him; they heard his word, but they did not receive it; and so both their hearing and their seeing were in vain. It was all one as if they had neither seen nor heard. Of all judgments spiritual judgments are the sorest, and most to be dreaded, though they make the least noise.—Unto this day. Ever since Esaias prophesied, this hardening work has been in the doing; some among them have been blind and senseless. Or, rather, ever since the first preaching of the gospel: though they have had the most convincing evidences that could be of the truth of it, the most powerful preaching, the fairest offers, the clearest calls from Christ himself, and from his apostles, yet to this day they are blinded. It is still true concerning multitudes of them, even to this day in which we live; they are hardened and blinded, the obstinacy and unbelief go by succession from generation to generation, according to their own fearful imprecation, which entailed the curse: His blood be upon us and upon our children.
(2.)David (v. 9, 10), quoted from Ps. lxix. 22, 23, where David having in the Spirit foretold the sufferings of Christ from his own people the Jews, particularly that of their giving him vinegar to drink (v. 21, which was literally fulfilled, Matt. xxvii. 48), an expression of the greatest contempt and malice that could be, in the next words, under the form of an imprecation, he foretels the dreadful judgments of God upon them for it: Let their table become a snare, which the apostle here applies to the present blindness of the Jews, and the offence they took at the gospel, which increased their hardness. This teaches us how to understand other prayers of David against his enemies; they are to be looked upon as prophetic of the judgments of God upon the public and obstinate enemies of Christ and his kingdom. His prayer that it might be so was a prophecy that it should be so, and not the private expression of his own angry resentments. It was likewise intended to justify God, and to clear his righteousness in such judgments. He speaks here,
[1.]Of the ruin of their comforts: Let their table be made a snare, that is, as the psalmist explains it, Let that which should be for their welfare be a trap to them. The curse of God will turn meat into poison. It is a threatening like that in Mal. ii. 2, I will curse your blessings. Their table a snare, that is, an occasion of sin and an occasion of misery. Their very food, that should nourish them, shall choke them.
[2.]Of the ruin of their powers and faculties (v. 10), their eyes darkened, their backs bowed down, that they can neither find the right way, nor, if they could, are they able to walk in it. The Jews, after their national rejection of Christ and his gospel, became infatuated in their politics, so that their very counsels turned against them, and hastened their ruin by the Romans. They looked like a people designed for slavery and contempt, their backs bowed down, to be ridden and trampled upon by all the nations about them. Or, it may be understood spiritually; their backs are bowed down in carnality and worldly-mindedness. Curvæ in terris animæ—They mind earthly things. This is an exact description of the state and temper of the present remainder of that people, than whom, if the accounts we have of them be true, there is not a more worldly, wilful, blind, selfish, ill-natured, people in the world. They are manifestly to this day under the power of this curse. Divine curses will work long. It is a sign we have our eyes darkened if we are bowed down in worldly-mindedness.
II.Another thing which qualified this doctrine of the rejection of the Jews was that though they were cast off and unchurched, yet the Gentiles were taken in (v. 11-14), which he applies by way of caution to the Gentiles, v. 17-22.
1.The rejection of the Jews made room for the reception of the Gentiles. The Jews' leavings were a feast for the poor Gentiles (v. 11): "Have they stumbled that they should fall? Had God no other end in forsaking and rejecting them than their destruction?" He startles at this, rejecting the thought with abhorrence, as usually he does when any thing is suggested which seems to reflect upon the wisdom, or righteousness, or goodness of God: God forbid! no, through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles. Not but that salvation might have come to the Gentiles if they had stood; but by the divine appointment it was so ordered that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles upon the Jews' refusal of it. Thus in the parable (Matt. xxii. 8, 9), Those that were first bidden were not worthy—Go ye therefore into the highways, Luke xiv. 21. And so it was in the history (Acts xiii. 46): It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but, seeing you put it from you, lo, we turn to the Gentiles; so Acts xviii. 6. God will have a church in the world, will have the wedding furnished with guests; and, if one will not come, another will, or why was the offer made? The Jews had the refusal, and so the tender came to the Gentiles. See how Infinite Wisdom brings light out of darkness, good out of evil, meat out of the eater, and sweetness out of the strong. To the same purport he says (v. 12), The fall of them was the riches of the world, that is, it hastened the gospel so much the sooner into the Gentile world. The gospel is the greatest riches of the place where it is; it is better than thousands of gold and silver. Or, The riches of the Gentiles was the multitude of converts among them. True believers are God's jewels. To the same purport (v. 15): The casting away of them is the reconciling of the world. God's displeasure towards them made way for his favour towards the Gentiles. God was in Christ reconciling the world, 2 Cor. v. 19. And therefore he took occasion from the unbelief of the Jews openly to disavow and disown them, though they had been his peculiar favourites, to show that in dispensing his favours he would now no longer act in such a way of peculiarity and restriction, but that in every nation he that feared God and wrought righteousness should be accepted of him, Acts x. 34, 35.
2.The use that the apostle makes of this doctrine concerning the substitution of the Gentiles in the room of the Jews.
(1.)As a kinsman to the Jews, here is a word of excitement and exhortation to them, to stir them up to receive and embrace the gospel-offer. This God intended in his favour to the Gentiles, to provoke the Jews to jealousy (v. 11), and Paul endeavours to enforce it accordingly (v. 14): If by any means I might provoke to emulation those who are my flesh. "Shall the despised Gentiles run away with all the comforts and privileges of the gospel, and shall not we repent of our refusal, and now at last put in for a share? Shall not we believe and obey, and be pardoned and saved, as well as the Gentiles?" See an instance of such an emulation in Esau, Gen. xxviii. 6-9. There is a commendable emulation in the affairs of our souls: why should not we be as holy and happy as any of our neighbours? In this emulation there needs no suspicion, undermining or countermining; for the church has room enough, and the new covenant grace and comfort enough, for us all. The blessings are not lessened by the multitudes of the sharers.—And might save some of them. See what was Paul's business, to save souls; and yet the utmost he promises himself is but to save some. Though he was such a powerful preacher, spoke and wrote with such evidence and demonstration of the Spirit, yet of the many he dealt with he could but save some. Ministers must think their pains well bestowed if they can but be instrumental to save some.
(2.)As an apostle to the Gentiles, here is a word of caution for them: "I speak to you Gentiles. You believing Romans, you hear what riches of salvation are come to you by the fall of the Jews, but take heed lest you do any thing to forfeit it." Paul takes this, as other occasions, to apply his discourse to the Gentiles, because he was the apostle of the Gentiles, appointed for the service of their faith, to plant and water churches in the Gentile nations. This was the purport of his extraordinary mission, Acts xxii. 21, I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles; compare Acts ix. 15. It was likewise the intention of his ordination, Gal. ii. 9. Compare Acts xiii. 2. It ought to be our great and special care to do good to those that are under our charge: we must particularly mind that which is our own work. It was an instance of God's great love to the poor Gentiles that he appointed Paul, who in gifts and graces excelled all the apostles, to be the apostle of the Gentiles. The Gentile world was a wider province; and the work to be done in it required a very able, skilful, zealous, courageous workman: such a one was Paul. God calls those to special work whom he either sees or makes fit for it.—I magnify my office. There were those that vilified it, and him because of it. It was because he was the apostle of the Gentiles that the Jews were so outrageous against him (Acts xxii. 21, 22), and yet he thought never the worse of it, though it set him up as the butt of all the Jewish rage and malice. It is a sign of true love to Jesus Christ to reckon that service and work for him truly honourable which the world looks upon with scorn, as mean and contemptible. The office of the ministry is an office to be magnified. Ministers are ambassadors for Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God, and for their work's sake are to be esteemed highly in love.—My office; ten diakonian mou—my ministry, my service, not my lordship and dominion. It was not the dignity and power, but the duty and work, of an apostle, that Paul was so much in love with. Now two things he exhorts the Gentiles to, with reference to the rejected Jews:—
[1.]To have a respect for the Jews, notwithstanding, and to desire their conversion. This is intimated in the prospect he gives them of the advantage that would accrue to the church by their conversion, v. 12, 15. It would be as life from the dead; and therefore they must not insult and triumph over those poor Jews, but rather pity them, and desire their welfare, and long for the receiving of them in again.
[2.]To take heed to themselves, lest they should stumble and fall, as they Jews had done, v. 17-22. Here observe,
First, The privilege which the Gentiles had by being taken into the church. They were grafted in (v. 17), as a branch of a wild olive into a good olive, which is contrary to the way and custom of the husbandman, who grafts the good olive into the bad; but those that God grafts into the church he finds wild and barren, and good for nothing. Men graft to mend the tree; but God grafts to mend the branch. 1. The church of God is an olive-tree, flourishing and fruitful as an olive (Ps. lii. 8; Hos. xiv. 6), the fruit useful for the honour both of God and man, Judg. ix. 9. 2. Those that are out of the church are as wild olive-trees, not only useless, but what they do produce is sour and unsavoury: Wild by nature, v. 24. This was the state of the poor Gentiles, that wanted church privileges, and in respect of real sanctification; and it is the natural state of every one of us, to be wild by nature. 3. Conversion is the grafting in of wild branches into the good olive. We must be cut off from the old stock, and be brought into union with a new root. 4. Those that are grafted into the good olive-tree partake of the root and fatness of the olive. It is applicable to a saving union with Christ; all that are by a lively faith grafted into Christ partake of him as the branches of the root—receive from his fulness. But it is here spoken of a visible church-membership, from which the Jews were as branches broken off; and so the Gentiles were grafted in, autois—among those that continued, or in the room of those that were broken off. The Gentiles, being grafted into the church, partake of the same privileges that the Jews did, the root and fatness. The olive-tree is the visible church (called so Jer. xi. 16); the root of this tree was Abraham, not the root of communication, so Christ only is the root, but the root of administration, he being the first with whom the covenant was so solemnly made. Now the believing Gentiles partake of this root: he also is ason of Abraham (Luke xix. 9), the blessing of Abraham comes upon the Gentiles (Gal. iii. 14), the same fatness of the olive-tree, the same for substance, special protection, lively oracles, means of salvation, a standing ministry, instituted ordinances; and, among the rest, the visible church-membership of their infant seed, which was part of the fatness of the olive-tree that the Jews had, and cannot be imagined to be denied to the Gentiles.
Secondly, A caution not to abuse these privileges. 1. "Be not proud (v. 18): Boast not against the branches. Do not therefore trample upon the Jews as a reprobate people, nor insult over those that are broken off, much less over those that do continue." Grace is given, not to make us proud, but to make us thankful. The law of faith excludes all boasting either of ourselves or against others. "Do not say (v. 19): They were broken off that I might be grafted in; that is, do not think that thou didst merit more at the hand of God than they, or didst stand higher in his favour." "But remember, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Though thou art grafted in, thou art still but a branch borne by the root; nay, and an engrafted branch, brought into the good olive contrary to nature (v. 24), not free-born, but by an act of grace enfranchised and naturalized. Abraham, the root of the Jewish church, is not beholden to thee; but thou art greatly obliged to him, as the trustee of the covenant and the father of many nations. Therefore, if thou boast, know (this word must be supplied to clear the sense) thou bearest not the root but the root thee." 2. "Be not secure (v. 20): Be not high-minded, but fear. Be not too confident of your own strength and standing." A holy fear is an excellent preservative against high-mindedness: happy is the man that thus feareth always. We need not fear but God will be true to his word; all the danger is lest we be false to ours. Let us therefore fear, Heb. iv. 1. The church of Rome now boasts of a patent of perpetual preservation; but the apostle here, in his epistle to that church when she was in her infancy and integrity, enters an express caveat against that boast, and all claims of that kind.—Fear what? "Why fear lest thou commit a forfeiture as they have done, lest thou lose the privileges thou now enjoyest, as they have lost theirs." The evils that befal others should be warnings to us. Go (saith God to Jerusalem Jer. vii. 12), and see what I did to Shiloh; so now, let all the churches of God go and see what he did to Jerusalem, and what is become of the day of their visitation, that we may hear and fear, and take heed of Jerusalem's sin. The patent which churches have of their privileges is not for a certain term, nor entailed upon them and their heirs; but it runs as long as they carry themselves well, and no longer. Consider, (1.) "How they were broken off. It was not undeservedly, by an act of absolute sovereignty and prerogative, but because of unbelief." It seems, then, it is possible for churches that have long stood by faith to fall into such a state of infidelity as may be their ruin. Their unbelief did not only provoke God to cut them off, but they did by this cut themselves off; it was not only the meritorious, but the formal cause of their separation. "Now, thou art liable to the same infirmity and corruption that they fell by." Further observe, They were natural branches (v. 21), not only interested in Abraham's covenant, but descending from Abraham's loins, and so born upon the premises, and thence had a kind of tenant-right: yet, when they sunk into unbelief, God did not spare them. Prescription, long usage, the faithfulness of their ancestors, would not secure them. It was in vain to plead, though they insisted much upon it, that they were Abraham's seed, Matt. iii. 9; John viii. 33. It is true they were the husbandmen to whom the vineyard was first let out; but, when they forfeited it, it was justly taken from them, Matt. xxi. 41, 43. This is called here severity, v. 22. God laid righteousness to the line and judgment to the plummet, and dealt with them according to their sins. Severity is a word that sounds harshly; and I do not remember that it is any where else in scripture ascribed to God; and it is here applied to the unchurching of the Jews. God is most severe towards those that have been in profession nearest to him, if they rebel against him, Amos iii. 2. Patience and privileges abused turn to the greatest wrath. Of all judgments, spiritual judgments are the sorest; for of these he is here speaking, v. 8. (2.) "How thou standest, thou that art engrafted in." He speaks to the Gentile churches in general, though perhaps tacitly reflecting on some particular person, who might have expressed some such pride and triumph in the Jews' rejection. "Consider then," [1.] "By what means thou standest: By faith, which is a depending grace, and fetches in strength from heaven. Thou dost not stand in any strength of thy own, of which thou mightest be confident: thou art no more than the free grace of God makes thee, and his grace is his own, which he gives or withholds at pleasure. That which ruined them was unbelief, and by faith thou standest; therefore thou hast no faster hold than they had, thou standest on no firmer foundation than they did." [2.] "On what terms (v. 22): Towards thee goodness, if thou continue in his goodness, that is, continue in a dependence upon and compliance with the free grace of God, the want of which it was that ruined the Jews—if thou be careful to keep up thine interest in the divine favour, by being continually careful to please God and fearful of offending him." The sum of our duty, the condition of our happiness, is to keep ourselves in the love of God. Fear the Lord and his goodness. Hos. iii. 5.
III.Another thing that qualified this doctrine of the Jews' rejection is that, though for the present they are cast off, yet the rejection is not final; but, when the fulness of time is come, they will be taken in again. They are not cast off for ever, but mercy is remembered in the midst of wrath. Let us observe,
1.How this conversion of the Jews is here described.
(1.)It is said to be their fulness (v. 12), that is, the addition of them to the church, the filling up again of that place which became vacant by their rejection. This would be the enriching of the world (that is, the church in the world) with a great deal of light and strength and beauty.
(2.)It is called the receiving of them. The conversion of a soul is the receiving of that soul, so the conversion of a nation. They shall be received into favour, into the church, into the love of Christ, whose arms are stretched out for the receiving of all those that will come to him. And this will be as life from the dead—so strange and surprising, and yet withal so welcome and acceptable. The conversion of the Jews will bring great joy to the church. See Luke xv. 32, He was dead, and is alive; and therefore it was meet we should make merry and be glad.
(3.)It is called the grafting of them in again (v. 23), into the church, from which they had been broken off. That which is grafted in receives sap and virtue from the root; so does a soul that is truly grafted into the church receive life, and strength, and grace from Christ the quickening root. They shall be grafted into their own olive-tree (v. 24); that is, into the church of which they had formerly been the most eminent and conspicuous members, to retrieve those privileges of visible church-membership which they had so long enjoyed, but have now sinned away and forfeited by their unbelief.
(4.)It is called the saving of all Israel, v. 26. True conversion may well be called salvation; it is salvation begun. See Acts ii. 47. The adding of them to the church is the saving of them: tous sozomenous, in the present tense, are saved. When conversion-work goes on, salvation-work goes on.
2.What it is grounded upon, and what reason we have to look for it.
(1.)Because of the holiness of the first-fruits and the root, v. 16. Some by the first-fruits understand those of the Jews that were already converted to the faith of Christ and received into the church, who were as the first-fruits dedicated to God, as earnests of a more plentiful and sanctified harvest. A good beginning promises a good ending. Why may we not suppose that others may be savingly wrought upon as well as those who are already brought in? Others by the first-fruits understand the same with the root, namely, the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from whom the Jews descended, and with whom, as the prime trustees, the covenant was deposited: and so they were the root of the Jews, not only as a people, but as a church. Now, if they were holy, which is not meant so much of inherent as of federal holiness—if they were in the church and in the covenant—then we have reason to conclude that God hath a kindness for the lump—the body of that people; and for the branches—the particular members of it. The Jews are in a sense a holy nation (Exod. xix. 6), being descended from holy parents. Now it cannot be imagined that such a holy nation should be totally and finally cast off. This proves that the seed of believers, as such, are within the pale of the visible church, and within the verge of the covenant, till they do, by their unbelief, throw themselves out; for, if the root be holy, so are the branches. Though real qualifications are not propagated, yet relative privileges are. Though a wise man does not beget a wise man, yet a free man begets a free man. Though grace does not run in the blood, yet external privileges do (till they are forfeited), even to a thousand generations. Look how they will answer it another day that cut off the entail, by turning the seed of the faithful out of the church, and so not allowing the blessing of Abraham to come upon the Gentiles. The Jewish branches are reckoned holy, because the root was so. This is expressed more plainly (v. 28): They are beloved for the fathers' sakes. In this love to the fathers the first foundation of their church-state was laid (Deut. iv. 37): Because he loved they fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them. And the same love would revive their privileges, for still the ancient loving-kindness is remembered; they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. It is God's usual method of grace. Kindness to the children for the father's sake is therefore called the kindness of God, 2 Sam. ix. 3, 7. Though, as concerning the gospel (namely, in the present dispensation of it), they are enemies to it for your sakes, that is, for the sake of the Gentiles, against whom they have such an antipathy; yet, when God's time shall come, this will wear off, and God's love to their fathers will be remembered. See a promise that points at this, Lev. xxvi. 42. The iniquity of the fathers is visited but to the third and fourth generation; but there is mercy kept for thousands. Many fare the better for the sake of their godly ancestors. It is upon this account that the church is called their own olive-tree. Long it had been their own peculiar, which is some encouragement to us to hope that there may be room for them in it again, for old acquaintance-sake. That which hath been may be again. Though particular persons and generations wear off in unbelief, yet there having been a national church-membership, though for the present suspended, we may expect that it will be revived.
(2.)Because of the power of God (v. 23): God is able to graft them in again. The conversion of souls is a work of almighty power; and when they seem most hardened, and blinded, and obstinate, our comfort is that God is able to work a change, able to graft those in that have been long cast out and withered. When the house is kept by the strong man armed, with all his force, yet God is stronger than he, and is able to dispossess him. The condition of their restoration is faith: If they abide not still in unbelief. So that nothing is to be done but to remove that unbelief that is the great obstacle; and God is able to take that away, though nothing less than an almighty power will do it, the same power that raised up Christ from the dead, Eph. i. 19, 29. Otherwise, can these dry bones live?
(3.)Because of the grace of God manifested to the Gentiles. Those that have themselves experienced the grace of God, preventing, distinguishing grace, may thence take encouragement to hope well concerning others. This is his argument (v. 24): "If thou wast grafted into a good olive, that was wild by nature, much more shall these that were the natural branches, and may therefore be presumed somewhat nearer to the divine acceptance." This is a suggestion very proper to check the insolence of those Gentile Christians that looked with disdain and triumph upon the condition of the rejected Jews, and trampled upon them; as if he had said, "Their condition, bad as it is, is not so bad as yours was before your conversion; and therefore why may it not be made as good as yours is?" This is his argument (v. 30, 31): As you in times past have not, &c. It is good for those that have found mercy with God to be often thinking what they were in time past, and how they obtained that mercy. This would help to soften our censures of those that still continue in unbelief, and quicken our prayers for them. He argues further from the occasion of the Gentiles' call, that is, the unbelief of the Jews; thence it took rise: "You have obtained mercy through their unbelief; much more shall they obtain mercy through your mercy. If the putting out of their candle was the lighting of yours, by that power of God which brings good out of evil, much more shall the continued light of your candle, when God's time shall come, be a means of lighting theirs again." "That through your mercy they might obtain mercy, that is, that they may be beholden to you, as you have been to them." He takes it for granted that the believing Gentiles would do their utmost endeavour to work upon the Jews—that, when God had persuaded Japhet, Japhet would be labouring to persuade Shem. True grace hates monopolies. Those that have found mercy themselves should endeavour that through their mercy others also may obtain mercy.
(4.)Because of the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament, which point at this. He quotes a very remarkable one, v. 26, from Isa. lix. 20, 21. Where we may observe,
[1.]The coming of Christ promised: There shall come out of Zion the deliverer. Jesus Christ is the great deliverer, which supposes mankind in a state of misery and danger. In Isaiah it is, the Redeemer shall come to Zion. There he is called the Redeemer; here the deliverer; he delivers in a way of redemption, by a price. There he is said to come to Zion, because when the prophet prophesied he was yet to come into the world, and Zion was his first head-quarters. Thither he came, there he took up his residence: but, when the apostle wrote this, he had come, he had been in Zion; and he is speaking of the fruits of his appearing, which shall come out of Zion; thence, as from the spring, issued forth those streams of living water which in the everlasting gospel watered the nations. Out of Zion went forth the law, Isa. ii. 3. Compare Luke xxiv. 47.
[2.]The end and purpose of this coming: He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Christ's errand into the world was to turn away ungodliness, to turn away the guilt by the purchase of pardoning mercy, and to turn away the power by the pouring out of renewing grace, to save his people from their sins (Matt. i. 21), to separate between us and our sins, that iniquity might not be our ruin, and that it might not be our ruler. Especially to turn it away from Jacob, which is that for the sake of which he quotes the text, as a proof of the great kindness God intended for the seed of Jacob. What greater kindness could he do them than to turn away ungodliness from them, to take away that which comes between them and all happiness, take away sin, and then make way for all good? This is the blessing that Christ was sent to bestow upon the world, and to tender it to the Jews in the first place (Acts iii. 26), to turn people from their iniquities. In Isaiah it is, The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto those that turn from transgression in Jacob, which shown who in Zion were to have a share in and to reap benefit by the deliverance promised, those and those only that leave their sins and turn to God; to them Christ comes as a Redeemer, but as an avenger to those that persist in impenitence. See Deut. xxx. 2, 3. Those that turn from sin will be owned as the true citizens of Zion (Eph. ii. 19), the right Jacob, Ps. xxiv. 4, 6. Putting both these readings together, we learn that none have an interest in Christ but those that turn from their sins, nor can any turn from their sins but by the strength of the grace of Christ.—For this is my covenant with them—this, that the deliverer shall come to them—this, that my Spirit shall not depart from them, as it follows, Isa. lix. 21. God's gracious intentions concerning Israel were made the matter of a covenant, which the God that cannot lie could not but be true and faithful to. They were the children of the covenant, Acts iii. 25. The apostle adds, When I shall take away their sins, which some think refers to Isa. xxvii. 9, or only to the foregoing words, to turn away ungodliness. Pardon of sin is laid as the foundation of all the blessings of the new covenant (Heb. viii. 12): For I will be merciful. Now from all this he infers that certainly God had great mercy in store for that people, something answerable to the extent of these rich promises: and he proves his inference (v. 29) by this truth: For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Repentance is sometimes taken for a change of mind, and so God never repents, for he is in one mind and who can turn him? Sometimes for a change of way, and that is here understood, intimating the constancy and unchangeableness of that love of God which is founded in election. Those gifts and callings are immutable; whom he so loves, he loves to the end. We find God repenting that he had given man a being (Gen. vi. 6, It repented the Lord that he had made man), and repenting that he had given a man honour and power (1 Sam. xv. 11, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king); but we never find God repenting that he had given a man grace, or effectually called him; those gifts and callings are without repentance.
Historical interpretation
Eleven Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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If the wild olive takes kindly to the graft … it becomes a fruit bearing olive.… So likewise men shall be spiritual if they progress by faith to better things and receive the Spirit of God and bring forth the fruit.
This truth, therefore, [he declares], in order that we may not reject the engrafting of the Spirit while pampering the flesh. "But thou, being a wild olive-tree," he says, "hast been grafted into the good olive-tree, and been made a partaker of the fatness of the olive-tree." As, therefore, when the wild olive has been engrafted, if it remain in its former condition, viz., a wild olive, it is "cut off, and cast into the fire;" but if it takes kindly to the graft, and is changed into the good olive-tree, it becomes a fruit-bearing olive, planted, as it were, in a king's park: so likewise men, if they do truly progress by faith towards better things, and receive the Spirit of God, and bring forth the fruit thereof, shall be spiritual, as being planted in the paradise of God.
The graft uses as soil the tree in which it is engrafted. Now all the plants sprouted forth simultaneously in consequence of the divine order. Wherefore also, though the wild olive is wild, it crowns the Olympic victors.… Now we see that the wild trees attract more nutriment because they cannot ripen. The wild trees therefore have less power of secretion than those that are cultivated. And the cause of their wildness is the absence of the power of secretion. The engrafted olive accordingly receives more nutriment from its growing in the cultivated one, and it gets accustomed, as it were, to secrete the nutriment, becoming thus assimilated to the fatness of the cultivated tree.
If some Jews have not believed, then they have been cut out of the promise.… The Gentiles, who were from a bad root, were grafted into a good tree, which is the opposite of what happens in agriculture, where it is the good branch which is grafted onto a bad root.
"And if some of the branches be broken off."
And yet above thou didst say that the more part perished, and a few were saved only. How came it then that speaking of those that perished, thou hast used a "some," which is indicative of fewness? It is not, he replies, in opposition to myself, but out of a desire to court and recover those that are distressed. Observe how in the whole of the passage one finds him working at this object, the wish to solace them. And if you deny it, many contradictions will follow. But let me beg you to notice his wisdom, how while he seems to be speaking for them, and devising a solace for them, he aims a secret blow at them, and shows them to have fallen from being Abraham's kinsmen. For what he was desirous of saying was, that they had nothing in common with them. For if the root be holy, and these be not holy, then these are far away from the root. Then under the appearance of solacing the Jews, he again by his accusation smiteth them of the Gentiles. For after saying, "And if some of the branches were broken off," he proceeds.
"And thou being a wild olive wert grafted in."
For the less esteem the man of the Gentiles is of, the more the Jew is vexed at seeing him enjoy his goods. And to the other, the disgrace of the little esteem he was of, is nothing to the honor of the change. And consider his skilfulness. He does not say, "thou wert" planted "in," but "thou weft grafted in," by this again cutting the Jew to the heart, as showing that the Gentile man was standing in his own tree, and himself lying on the ground. Wherefore he does not stop even here, nor after he had spoken of grafting in does he leave off (and yet in this he declared the whole matter), but still he dwells over the prosperous state of the Gentile, and enlarges upon his fair fame in the words, "And with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree." And he seems indeed to have viewed him in the light of an addition. But he shows that he was no whit the worse on that account, but in possession of everything, that the branch which had come up out of the root had. Lest then on hearing the words, "and thou wert grafted in," thou shouldest suppose him to be lacking when compared with the natural branch, see how he makes him equal to it by saying, that "with them thou partakest of the root and fatness of the olive:" that is, hast been put into the same noble rank, the same nature.
The branches were not broken off for your sake, but you were grafted in because they were broken off. You were an olive shoot, to be sure, but a wild and uncultivated one. “The richness of the olive tree” is the root of their fathers, the richness of Christ.
“The riches of the olive tree” means the teaching of righteousness.
After showing that the fall of the Jews was useful and reparable, the Apostle now forbids the Gentiles to boast against the Jews. In regard to this he does two things: first, he shows that the converted Gentiles must not boast against the Jews; 446 secondly, he answers an objection from the Gentiles [v. 19; n. 898]. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he forbids the Gentiles to boast against the Jews; secondly, he gives the reason for this prohibition [v. 18b; n. 897]. 895. There seemed to be two things that might tempt the Gentiles to boast against the Jews. First, the defection of the Jews. Hence he says: We have stated that if the root is holy, so too the branches. But if some of the branches, i.e., some of the Jews but not all, were broken off, i.e., separated from the faith of their fathers who are compared as the root, do not boast: "The flame will dry up his shoots" (Jb 15:30); "The branches not being perfect shall be broken" (Wis 4:5). The second ground for boasting was their own promotion. But the lower the state from which one has been promoted, the more he is inclined to vain boasting, as it says in Pr (30:21): "By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear: By a slave when he reigns..." Hence he reminds them of the low state from which they were raised, saying: And you, O Gentile, a wild olive shoot, i.e., a tree bearing no fruit: "He shall be like tamaric in the desert" (Jer 17:6); "Every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Mt 3:10). 896. Then he describes their promotion. First, that they have been raised to the dignity of that race; hence, he says: you were grafted in their place: "He shall break in pieces many and innumerable, and shall make others to stand in their stead" (Job 34:24). 447 Secondly that they have been made associates of the patriarchs, whom he had compared to the root; hence he says: to share the root, i.e., united to the patriarchs and prophets: "Many will come from the east and west, and sit at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 8:11). Thirdly, that they share the glory of the apostles when he says: and share the richness of the olive tree. The Jewish race is called the olive tree on account of the rich spiritual fruit they bore: "The Lord called you once a plentiful olive tree, fruitful and beautiful" (Jer 11:16); "I am like a green olive tree in the house of God" (Ps 52:8). But just as the roots of this olive tree are the patriarchs and prophets, so its richness is the abundance of the Holy Spirit's grace, which the apostles had more than all the others. This, therefore, is the way the Gentiles have been promoted to a partnership with that people, namely, with the patriarchs, apostles and prophets: "You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Eph 2:19). And although these may seem to be reasons for boasting, do not boast against the branches, i.e., against the Jews: "Your boasting is not good" (1 Cor 5:1). 897. Then when he says, If you do boast, he gives the reason for his admonition, saying: If in spite of this admonition you do boast by insulting the Jews, who stand upright or have been cut off, you should remember as a check to your boasting that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you, i.e., Judea did not receive salvation from the Gentiles, but just the reverse: "Salvation is from the Jews" (Jn 4:22). Hence, Abraham was promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed in him (Gen c.22). 448 898. Then when he says, You will say, he excludes an objection from the Gentiles: first, he presents the objection; secondly, he excludes it [v. 20; n. 900]; thirdly, he urges them to scrutinize God's judgments [v. 22; n. 903]. 899. First, therefore, he says: Therefore, O Gentile, who boasts against the Jews, you might say: Branches were broken off, so that I might be grafted in, i.e., God permitted the Jews to fall from faith, so that I might enter into faith. But no one accepts the loss of one things save for something more precious and more desired, just as a physician allows a foot to remain sore in order to heal the eye. Thus, it would seem that the Gentile nations are more valuable and acceptable to God than Judea. Hence it says in Mal (1:10): "I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations" and in Is (49:6): "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob; I will give you as a light to the nations." 900. Then when he says, That is true, he excludes the objection. First, he assigns the reason why the Jews fell away and the Gentiles were promoted, saying: That is true, i.e., that God permitted branches to be broken off, so that you might be grafted in, but consider the cause of the breaking off of the branches. It is because of their unbelief, i.e., because they refused to believe in Christ, that they were broken off: "If I speak the truth, why do you no believe me?" (Jn 8:46).But you, O Gentile, stand fast in faith, i.e., by believing in Christ, through Whom you have obtained 449 grace: "I preached to you the gospel, in which you stand, by which you are saved" (1 Cor 15:1). 901. Secondly, he gives an admonition, saying: So do not become proud, i.e., do not presume on yourself beyond yourself: "Do not be haughty, but consent to lower things" (Rom 12:15); but stand in awe, lest you too be broken off because of unbelief: "The fear of the Lord drives out sin" (Sir 1:27). 902. The reason for this admonition is given when he says: But if the natural branches, i.e., the Jews, who descended by natural origin from the patriarchs, God did not spare but allowed to be broken off, neither will he spare you, i.e., he might permit you to be broken off because of unbelief: "The jealously and rage of the husband will not spare on the day of revenge" (Pr 6:34); "I will not spare and I will not pardon; nor will I have mercy, but to destroy them" (Jer 13:14). This, therefore, is the Apostle's answer; that when someone sees that he has obtained grace and another has fallen, he should not boast against the fallen but rather fear for himself, because pride is the cause of falling headlong and fear is the cause of carefulness and being kept safe. 903. Then when he says, Note then the kindness and severity of God, he invites them to a close scrutiny of divine judgments: first, he invites them to consider; secondly, he instructs them as though unable to consider by themselves [v. 25); n. 912]; thirdly, as though he himself were not perfectly capable of this investigation, he exclaims in admiration of God’s wisdom [v. 33; n. 933]. 450 904. In regard to the first he does three things: first, he shows what should be considered, saying: Note then, i.e., give careful consideration to, the kindness of God having mercy: "How good, O Israel, is God to the upright of heart" (Ps 72:1); "Do you presume upon the riches of his kindness" (Rom 2:4); and his severity in punishing: "O Lord, thou God of vengeance (Ps 94:1); "The Lord is a jealous God and avenging (Nah 1:2). For the first consideration begets hope, the second begets fear, so that despair and presumption are avoided. 905. Secondly, he indicates the ones affected by each of these two qualities, saying: toward those who have fallen, i.e., the Jews, severity: "The Lord has destroyed without mercy all the habitations of Jacob" (Lam 2:2); but to you, the engrafted Gentile, kindness: "You have dealt kindly with your servant, O Lord" (Ps 119:65). 906. Thirdly, he shows how the foregoing points should be considered, since the situation is not immutable but could change in the future. 907. First, he shows this with respect to the Gentiles, saying: To you, I say, kindness, if you persevere in goodness: "Remain in my love" (Jn 15:9); otherwise, if you do not strive to persevere through fear and humility, you too will be cut off: "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down" (Mt 3:10). 908. Secondly, he shows the same with respect to the Jews. First, he states the fact: and even the others, namely, the Jews, if they do not persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in, i.e., restored to their former status: "Thou has prostituted thyself to many lovers. Nevertheless, return to me, says the Lord" (Jer 3:1). 451 909. Then he proves what he has said: First, from God's power, saying: For God has the power to graft them in against; therefore, their salvation is not to be despaired of: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save" (Is 59:1). Secondly, by arguing from the lesser, saying: For if you, O Gentile, have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, i.e., from Gentileness, which by nature was not fruit-bearing, not as God made nature, but because it was spoiled by sin: "They were a wicked generation, and their malice natural" (Wis 12:10); "We were by nature children of wrath" (Eph 2:3); and grafted into a cultivated olive tree, i.e., into the faith of the Jews, contrary to nature, i.e., against the common course of nature. (For it is not the custom to graft the branch of a bad tree onto a good tree, but vice versa. But what God does is not against nature; it is natural in the fullest sense. For we call that natural which is cause by an agent to which the patient is naturally subject, even if it is not in keeping with the specific nature of the patient; for just as the ebb and flow of the sea is natural, because it is produced by the motion of the moon, to which the water is naturally subject, although it is not natural to the nature of water: so, too, since every creature is naturally subject to God, whatever God does in creatures is natural in the full sense, although it is not natural to the proper and particular nature of the thing in which it is done, say when a blind man has sight restored or a dead man is revived). 911. If, I say, this was contrary to nature, how much more will these natural branches, i.e., which by natural origin pertains to the Jewish nation, be grated back into their own olive tree, i.e., be brought back to the greatness of their nation: "He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers" (Mal 4:6).
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Summary
Romans 11:17 is a pivotal verse within Paul's extended olive tree metaphor, illustrating God's sovereign inclusion of Gentile believers into the spiritual heritage of Israel. It portrays Gentiles, naturally like wild olive branches, being miraculously grafted into the cultivated olive tree, thereby sharing in the life-giving root and nourishing richness that rightfully belongs to God's covenant people. This act underscores divine grace, the continuity of God's redemptive plan, and the profound unity established between believing Jews and Gentiles in Christ.
Context
Literary Context
Romans 11:17 is situated within Paul's profound theological discourse in Romans 9-11, where he addresses the perplexing question of Israel's partial hardening and God's faithfulness to His covenant promises despite their widespread rejection of the Messiah. Following his assertion that God has not completely rejected Israel (Romans 11:1-2), Paul introduces the olive tree analogy in Romans 11:16. This verse specifically describes the Gentile's inclusion, serving as a crucial bridge between the explanation of Israel's stumble and the subsequent warning to Gentiles against arrogance and boasting over the "natural branches" in Romans 11:18-21. The metaphor continues to unfold, revealing God's ultimate plan for the salvation of all Israel (Romans 11:25-26).
Historical & Cultural Context
The practice of grafting was well-known in ancient agriculture, particularly in the Mediterranean world, where olive trees were a staple crop, vital for food, oil, and economic prosperity. Farmers typically grafted a cultivated branch onto a wild rootstock to improve the quality and yield of the fruit. Paul's reversal of this common practice – grafting a wild branch onto a cultivated tree – would have struck his audience as counter-intuitive and even unnatural. This agricultural anomaly powerfully illustrates the extraordinary and unexpected nature of God's grace in incorporating Gentiles, who were considered "outside" the covenant, into the spiritual blessings originally promised to Israel. The "cultivated olive tree" would have been readily understood as representing covenant Israel, while the "wild olive tree" clearly symbolized the unprivileged, non-Jewish nations.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several major theological themes in Romans and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights God's Sovereign Grace and Inclusion, demonstrating His unmerited favor in bringing Gentiles into His covenant family, not based on their merit but on His divine initiative, a theme echoed in Ephesians 2:11-13. Secondly, it emphasizes the Continuity of God's Covenant Promises, particularly those made to Abraham, as the "root and fatness" represent the enduring spiritual heritage and blessings flowing from God's faithfulness to Israel (Romans 9:4-5). Gentiles are not creating a new spiritual lineage but are being joined to the existing, ancient, and nourished spiritual tree. Lastly, it subtly introduces the theme of Humility and Warning Against Arrogance, as the very act of being grafted in implies dependence and precludes boasting, a point Paul explicitly develops in the subsequent verses of Romans 11.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From ek (out of) and kláō (to break), meaning "to exscind" or "to break off." This term vividly describes the removal of some of the natural branches (unbelieving Jews) from the cultivated olive tree due to their unbelief. It implies a decisive, yet not necessarily permanent, separation from the nourishing root.
From ágrios (wild, untamed) and elaía (olive tree). This compound word denotes an oleaster, a species of wild olive tree that produced inferior fruit compared to the cultivated variety. Its use here emphasizes the natural, uncultivated, and therefore spiritually unproductive state of the Gentiles prior to their inclusion in God's covenant.
From en (in) and a derivative of kéntron (a prick, sting). It literally means "to prick in" or "to insert," specifically referring to the agricultural practice of grafting. Paul's use of this term for the Gentiles' inclusion highlights the deliberate, intentional, and supernatural act of God in uniting them with the spiritual heritage of Israel.
Verse Breakdown
"And if some of the branches be broken off"
This clause refers to the unbelieving portion of Israel, who, due to their rejection of Christ, have been temporarily set aside or "broken off" from the visible, fruitful expression of God's covenant people. It acknowledges the reality of Israel's partial hardening, which Paul has been discussing since Romans 9.
"and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them"
This addresses the Gentile believers directly ("thou"), identifying them as naturally "wild olive trees"—outside the covenant and without the spiritual privileges of Israel. The phrase "wert graffed in among them" signifies God's gracious and extraordinary act of incorporating these Gentile believers into the spiritual community that was originally Israel's, sharing in its blessings and heritage.
"and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree"
This final clause explains the profound benefit of the grafting. "With them" underscores the unity between believing Jews and Gentiles. "Partakest" (Greek, synkoinōnós, a co-participant) emphasizes shared participation. The "root" symbolizes the source of life and covenant promises, particularly the Abrahamic covenant and the patriarchs, from whom Israel derived its spiritual vitality. The "fatness" (Greek, piótēs, plumpness, richness) represents the spiritual nourishment, blessings, and rich heritage that flow from this covenant root, including the Law, the prophets, and ultimately, the Messiah.
Literary Devices
The dominant literary device in Romans 11:17, and indeed throughout Romans 11, is an Extended Metaphor or Allegory of the olive tree. This metaphor serves as a comprehensive theological illustration of the relationship between Israel and the Gentiles in God's redemptive plan. The Symbolism within this metaphor is rich: the "cultivated olive tree" symbolizes covenant Israel, the "natural branches" represent individual Israelites, the "broken off" branches signify unbelieving Jews, the "wild olive tree" and its branches symbolize the Gentiles, and the "root and fatness" stand for the spiritual heritage, covenant promises, and blessings flowing from the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and God's faithfulness. Paul's use of an agriculturally counter-intuitive act (grafting a wild branch onto a cultivated tree) employs Irony to underscore the extraordinary and unexpected nature of God's grace towards the Gentiles, highlighting that their inclusion is solely by divine initiative, not natural right or merit.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Romans 11:17 profoundly articulates the theological truth of God's inclusive grace, demonstrating that salvation history is not merely a linear progression but a complex, divinely orchestrated drama involving both continuity and discontinuity. It underscores that Gentile believers are not a separate, new people of God, but have been brought into the existing covenant community, sharing in the spiritual blessings and heritage that originated with Israel. This highlights the singular nature of God's redemptive plan, rooted in His faithfulness to His ancient promises, and culminating in the unity of all believers in Christ, regardless of ethnic origin. The "root and fatness" represent the enduring spiritual vitality derived from the patriarchs and the covenant promises, which remain the source of life for all who believe.
Reflection and Application
Romans 11:17 calls Gentile believers to a profound sense of humility and gratitude. Our inclusion in God's family is not a right earned by our own merit or spiritual superiority, but a gracious act of God, who grafted us, as "wild olive trees," into a rich spiritual heritage that was not inherently ours. This should eradicate any sense of spiritual pride or anti-Semitism, reminding us that we are utterly dependent on the "root" of God's covenant faithfulness, which originated with Israel. Furthermore, understanding this metaphor fosters a deep appreciation for our Jewish roots, recognizing that our faith is not a new religion disconnected from the past, but the continuation and fulfillment of God's long-standing promises. It encourages us to celebrate the continuity of God's redemptive plan and to recognize the ongoing significance of Israel in God's purposes, fostering a spirit of inter-ethnic unity within the body of Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does the "olive tree" represent in Paul's analogy?
In Paul's intricate allegory, the "olive tree" primarily represents the covenant people of God, the community that receives God's promises and blessings. Its "root" signifies the patriarchs, particularly Abraham, and the enduring covenant promises made to them, which are the source of spiritual life and nourishment. The "natural branches" are individual Israelites, while the "wild olive tree" and its branches represent the Gentiles. This metaphor illustrates the continuity of God's redemptive plan and how both believing Jews and Gentiles are united in sharing the spiritual blessings that flow from God's faithfulness to His original covenant.
Why is Paul's description of grafting "unusual" or "unnatural" from an agricultural perspective?
In ancient agriculture, it was common practice to graft a cultivated branch onto a wild rootstock to improve the yield and quality of the wild tree's fruit. Paul's description in Romans 11:17 reverses this, depicting a wild branch (Gentiles) being grafted into a cultivated tree (Israel). This reversal is precisely the point: it highlights the extraordinary, counter-intuitive, and supernatural nature of God's grace. It emphasizes that the Gentiles' inclusion is not a natural development or something they merited, but a miraculous act of divine intervention, demonstrating God's sovereign power and unmerited favor in bringing those who were "far off" into His covenant family (Ephesians 2:13).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Romans 11:17, though speaking of Israel and Gentiles, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus, who is the very "root" from which all spiritual life and "fatness" flow. He is the true Israel, the faithful Son of Abraham, through whom all the covenant promises are realized. When Gentiles are "graffed in," they are not merely attached to an abstract covenant, but are united to Christ Himself, becoming co-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17). Jesus, as the "true vine" (John 15:1), is the source of all spiritual nourishment, and it is through faith in Him that both Jewish and Gentile believers receive the Holy Spirit and partake in the blessings of the new covenant. His sacrificial death on the cross broke down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, creating "one new humanity" in Himself (Ephesians 2:14-16), making it possible for wild branches to be grafted into the life-giving tree, nourished by His life and Spirit. Thus, the unity and shared blessings described in this verse are fully realized in the person and work of Christ.