Romans 11 1

Romans 11:1 kjv

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11:1 nkjv

I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11:1 niv

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11:1 esv

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11:1 nlt

I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11 verses

Romans 11 1 Meaning

Romans 11:1 poses and immediately answers a pivotal question regarding God's relationship with His chosen people, Israel. Following Paul's extensive discussion of Israel's disbelief and the inclusion of Gentiles in chapters 9 and 10, a natural conclusion could be drawn that God has irrevocably rejected Israel. This verse vehemently denies such a notion, asserting God's continued faithfulness to His covenant people. Paul provides himself as the primary and immediate evidence, identifying as a natural-born Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, and from the tribe of Benjamin, thus proving that at least some Israelites, including an apostle to the Gentiles, are still part of God's plan of salvation.

Romans 11 1 Context

Romans chapter 11 directly follows chapters 9 and 10, which detail God's sovereign choice (Rom 9), Israel's national unbelief, their pursuit of righteousness by law instead of faith in Christ (Rom 10:1-4), and the resulting inclusion of the Gentiles into God's plan of salvation. Given that the vast majority of Israel had rejected their Messiah, and the Church was rapidly expanding with Gentile converts, a crucial theological question naturally arose: Has God utterly abandoned His covenant people, Israel, forever? Romans 11:1 is the initial answer, providing an emphatic "no" and setting the stage for Paul's intricate explanation in the remainder of the chapter regarding God's enduring, yet multifaceted, plan for Israel, which includes a remnant and a future restoration. This verse combats any nascent replacement theology within the early Christian community that might suggest the church entirely supplanted Israel.

Romans 11 1 Word analysis

• I say then (Λέγω οὖν / Legō oun): A transitional phrase often used by Paul to draw a conclusion or introduce a new line of reasoning based on previous statements. Here, it introduces a crucial rhetorical question stemming from the preceding discussion of Israel's disbelief and the Gentiles' faith.
• has God (ὁ θεὸς / ho theos): Refers to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the covenant-making God of Israel. The question concerns His specific dealings with His chosen nation.
• cast away (ἀπώσατο / apōsato): An aorist middle indicative verb, strong in its implication. It means to "push away," "reject completely," "repudiate," or "cast off entirely and permanently." The question is not about temporary discipline, but ultimate and irreversible abandonment.
• His people (τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ / ton laon autou): Refers specifically to Israel, the descendants of Jacob, God's chosen nation by covenant (Ex 19:5; Deut 7:6). This phrase carries centuries of history regarding God's unique relationship with this people.
• Certainly not! (Μὴ γένοιτο! / Mē genoito!): This is one of Paul's most powerful and frequent expressions of absolute negation or strong disagreement, occurring ten times in Romans. It conveys "May it never be!", "God forbid!", or "By no means!" It completely rejects the preceding premise, indicating that the very idea is abhorrent or impossible.
• For I also am (καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ / kai gar egō): "For" introduces the reason for the emphatic denial. "I also" highlights Paul himself as an example. His personal identity is the immediate, living proof against the idea of Israel's total rejection.
• an Israelite (Ἰσραηλίτης / Israēlitēs): A direct descendant of Jacob (who was renamed Israel), identifying him as ethnically and nationally part of the Jewish people, bearing the name God gave to the patriarch.
• of the seed of Abraham (ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ / ek spermatos Abraam): This specifies his descent through Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation and the recipient of God's foundational promises and covenants (Gen 12, 15, 17, 22). It ties Paul directly to these covenantal blessings.
• of the tribe of Benjamin (φυλῆς Βενιαμίν / phylēs Beniamin): Paul further specifies his tribal affiliation, demonstrating his pure and authentic Jewish heritage (Phil 3:5). Benjamin was one of the smaller, yet highly esteemed, tribes; the first king of Israel (Saul) was from Benjamin. This emphasizes Paul's indisputable Jewish identity, showing that God has not rejected all individuals from His chosen people.

Romans 11 1 Bonus section

• This verse provides foundational ground against supersessionism (often called "replacement theology"), the idea that the church has entirely replaced Israel in God's plan and promises, rendering the Jewish people irrelevant to His future purposes. Paul directly states that God has not cast off His people, unequivocally asserting the enduring identity and future significance of ethnic Israel within God's sovereign plan.
• Paul’s use of his own person as a demonstration ("I also am an Israelite") implies the existence of a remnant (which he explicitly develops in Rom 11:2-5). He himself is part of this faithful minority, a testament to God's continued working among the Jewish people. This also echoes the Old Testament prophetic tradition of a "remnant" preserved by God through periods of apostasy or judgment (e.g., Isa 1:9, Mic 2:12, Zech 8:6).
• The rhetorical question "Has God cast away His people?" followed by an emphatic "Certainly not!" is a direct challenge to any misinterpretation that would diminish God's faithfulness (pistis Theou). Paul repeatedly underscores that God remains true to His promises, even when Israel falters in their faith (Rom 3:3-4). The integrity of God's character is at stake, making the answer paramount.
• The phrase "seed of Abraham" not only emphasizes Paul's physical lineage but implicitly connects to the Abrahamic Covenant—God's promise to make Abraham's descendants a great nation through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen 12:2-3). Paul reminds his readers that God's election of Israel and His covenant with Abraham are not to be easily dismissed.

Romans 11 1 Commentary

Romans 11:1 functions as the crucial opening statement for Paul's sustained argument concerning God's enduring plan for Israel. The preceding chapters (Rom 9-10) could lead to the erroneous conclusion that, because of Israel's national rejection of Jesus as Messiah, God had permanently disowned them in favor of the predominantly Gentile church. Paul swiftly and emphatically quashes this notion with his characteristic, strong negation, "Certainly not!" This is not merely a rhetorical flourish but a theological bedrock for understanding God's unwavering faithfulness.

Paul then offers himself, an Israelite "of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin," as undeniable evidence against the premise of total rejection. If God had completely cast off His people, how could Paul—a prominent apostle and formerly zealous Jew—be both an Israelite and a believer in Christ, specially chosen by God (Acts 9)? His existence and ministry are living proof of a continuous, though reconfigured, thread in God's saving purposes that includes a Jewish remnant. This personal testimony serves to prevent a triumphant, exclusionary stance by Gentile believers, and foreshadows Paul's more developed explanation in the remainder of chapter 11 concerning a remnant according to grace, a partial hardening, and the future restoration of all Israel. It underlines that God's covenant promises are not nullified by human disobedience.