Romans 11 11

Romans 11:11 kjv

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Romans 11:11 nkjv

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

Romans 11:11 niv

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

Romans 11:11 esv

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.

Romans 11:11 nlt

Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.

Romans 11 verses

Romans 11 11 Meaning

The Apostle Paul asks if Israel's failure to accept Christ led to their permanent, irretrievable fall. He emphatically denies this, stating that their stumble or trespass, though grievous, was not meant for their ultimate ruin. Instead, this partial hardening and misstep providentially led to the gospel reaching the Gentiles. This extension of salvation to the nations, in turn, serves God's strategic purpose: to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy and a desire to seek the Messiah whom the Gentiles have embraced, ultimately leading to their own salvation.

Romans 11 11 Context

Romans 11:11 sits within Paul's sustained argument in chapters 9-11 concerning God's faithfulness to Israel, despite their widespread rejection of Jesus as Messiah. Chapters 9-10 establish that God is sovereign (9) and Israel is culpable for their unbelief (10). Chapter 11 begins by asking if God has utterly cast off His people, emphatically denying it and pointing to a believing remnant. Verse 11 introduces a critical turn: Israel's trespass, though real, was neither complete nor permanent, but a temporary divine strategy. This perspective counters the potential theological error among Gentile believers that God had abandoned Israel for good or that Gentile salvation superseded God's plan for Israel. Historically, it addresses a sensitive topic for the Jewish-Christian and Gentile-Christian communities in Rome, providing reassurance of God's overarching redemptive plan that encompasses both groups.

Romans 11 11 Word analysis

• "So I ask" (Μὴ οὖν ἐπταισαν): The opening rhetorical question, typical of Paul (like Rom 6:1; 7:7), anticipating a strong negative answer. The Greek particle μὴ (mē) often signals a question expecting a "No."
• "did they stumble" (ἔπταισαν): From Greek ptaiō (πταίω), meaning "to trip, to make a false step, to commit an error." This refers to Israel's rejection of Christ as Messiah, which led them into unbelief and disobedience to the gospel. It implies a partial and reparable error, not a total collapse.
• "in order that they might fall?" (ἵνα πέσωσιν): Hina (ἵνα) indicates purpose. Pesōsin is from piptō (πίπτω), meaning "to fall, perish, collapse utterly, be ruined beyond recovery." This word emphasizes finality and irreparable destruction. Paul explicitly contrasts "stumbling" (a temporary setback) with "falling" (a definitive downfall).
• "By no means!" (Μὴ γένοιτο): A vigorous and characteristic Pauline emphatic denial, meaning "May it never be!" or "Absolutely not!" Paul uses this phrase frequently in Romans (e.g., 3:4, 6:2, 9:14) to shut down a potential theological misunderstanding concerning God's justice or faithfulness.
• "Rather" (Ἀλλὰ): A strong adversative conjunction, shifting from the negative denial to the positive divine purpose.
• "through their trespass" (τῷ αὐτῶν παραπτώματι): From Greek paraptōma (παράπτωμα), meaning "a false step, an offense, a transgression." This echoes "stumbled" and reinforces that Israel's offense against God, specifically their unbelief and rejection of the Messiah, was the immediate cause of the subsequent events. It highlights human responsibility in their actions.
• "salvation" (ἡ σωτηρία): From Greek sōtēria (σωτηρία), meaning "deliverance, preservation, health, salvation." Here it denotes the saving benefits of the gospel—justification, reconciliation, and eternal life—available through faith in Jesus Christ.
• "has come to the Gentiles" (τοῖς ἔθνεσιν): Ethnesin (ἔθνεσιν) refers to the "nations," "Gentiles," or non-Jewish peoples. This phrase marks the significant theological and historical development: the spread of the gospel to the wider world due to Israel's unresponsiveness. This was part of God's wider, pre-ordained plan.
• "so as to make Israel jealous" (εἰς τὸ παραζηλῶσαι αὐτούς): Parazēloō (παραζηλόω) means "to provoke to jealousy, to stir up to rivalry, to make jealous." The eist to + infinitive structure denotes the divine purpose or intended outcome. This "jealousy" is not negative envy but a holy jealousy, intended to stir Israel to spiritual longing and emulation, to desire the Messiah and the blessings they see the Gentiles receiving, thus leading to their salvation. This links back to God's method predicted in Deut 32:21.

• "did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means!": This entire phrase serves as a powerful refutation. Paul emphatically states that God's purpose for Israel's partial stumble (their unbelief) was not their ultimate and irreversible ruin. God never intended for their temporary misstep to lead to their complete destruction or permanent abandonment.
• "Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles": This reveals God's counter-intuitive yet sovereign plan. Israel's rejection became the occasion, not the cause, for God to extend His saving grace more broadly. The closed door to many Jews became an open door to the Gentile world, showcasing God's impartial love and broadening the scope of His redemptive work.
• "so as to make Israel jealous": This highlights the redemptive goal. The influx of Gentiles into God's family is not a final replacement of Israel but a catalyst designed by God to stir spiritual longing and repentance within Israel. Witnessing God's blessings among "non-people" is intended to prompt Israel to desire and embrace their own Messiah.

Romans 11 11 Bonus section

The concept of "stumbling" (πταίω) leading to "falling" (πίπτω) carries a judicial implication. A stumble can be a temporary failure, whereas a fall in a judicial sense means condemnation or complete judgment. Paul's denial confirms that Israel, as a nation, has not faced the final judicial "fall" but rather experienced a temporary stumble in unbelief. This distinction is vital for understanding that God's covenant with Israel remains intact for the future. Paul himself saw his role as an "apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom 11:13) as a direct means of fulfilling the jealousy-provoking strategy mentioned in this verse, actively seeking to save "some" of his kinsmen. This shows Paul's conviction that the current situation was temporary and redemptive, not definitive and damning, highlighting a practical outworking of this divine plan through human agency.

Romans 11 11 Commentary

Romans 11:11 stands as a pivotal verse in understanding God's enduring plan for Israel and the world. Paul passionately clarifies that Israel's rejection of Christ, though a profound trespass, did not lead to their irreversible downfall, a concept he vehemently rejects with "By no means!" This is crucial because it upholds God's faithfulness to His covenant promises. Instead, God sovereignly leveraged Israel's temporary unresponsiveness as a strategic turn in redemptive history: it served to pivot the primary focus of salvation to the Gentiles. This unexpected expansion of the gospel was not merely an alternative path but an intentional means to a further end – to provoke Israel to "jealousy." This is a holy jealousy, an emulation meant to awaken their spiritual senses as they witness the nations inheriting the very blessings originally promised to Israel, prompting them to turn back to their own Messiah and embrace the salvation now enjoyed by others. Thus, Israel's partial hardening is a temporary, instrumental step in God's overarching plan for the salvation of all.