Romans 11 16

Romans 11:16 kjv

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Romans 11:16 nkjv

For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Romans 11:16 niv

If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Romans 11:16 esv

If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Romans 11:16 nlt

And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy ? just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

Romans 11 verses

Romans 11 16 Meaning

The verse speaks about the significance of the "first of the dough" being holy to God. This holiness imparts a consecrated status to the entire lump. Similarly, if the "root" is holy, then the "branches" are also holy. This signifies that the faithfulness of the patriarchs, particularly Abraham, makes those who are grafted into the olive tree of God’s covenant holy, by extension.

Romans 11 16 Context

In Romans chapter 11, Paul is addressing the complex relationship between Israel and the Gentiles in God's salvation plan. He has established that God has not rejected His people, Israel. He uses the analogy of an olive tree where natural branches (unbelieving Israel) were broken off and wild branches (believing Gentiles) were grafted in. This verse serves as a foundational principle to explain why the inclusion of Gentiles doesn't nullify God's covenantal promises to Israel, and also why the breaking off of some branches doesn't mean the entire root is unsound. The immediate context leading up to this verse discusses God's sovereign choices and how Israel's stumbling has led to salvation for the Gentiles, which in turn will eventually provoke Israel to jealousy and salvation.

Romans 11 16 Word analysis

• "If" (Ἐὰν - Ean): A conditional particle introducing a hypothetical or assumed state.

• "the first" (ἡ ἀπαρχὴ - hē aparchē):

  • Literal meaning: The beginning, the first fruits.
  • Significance: Refers to the initial produce of a harvest, dedicated to God as a sign of consecration for the whole harvest. This concept originates in the Old Testament law.
  • Biblical usage: Also used for Christ as the first fruits of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:20-23).

• "of the dough" (τοῦ φυράματος - tou phýratos):

  • Literal meaning: The mixture, what is kneaded together (flour and water).
  • Significance: Represents the entirety of a batch prepared for baking.

• "is holy" (ἁγία - hagia):

  • Literal meaning: Holy, sacred, set apart for God.
  • Significance: Indicates that the first part, by its dedication, possesses a sacred quality.

• "so" (οὕτως - houtōs): Thus, in this manner.

• "is" (ἔστιν - estin): Present tense of "to be."

• "the whole" (ὅλον - holon): Entire, complete.

• "lump" (τοῦ περισσεύματος - tou perisseúmatos):

  • Literal meaning: That which is left over, the remainder. In this context, it refers to the rest of the dough.
  • Significance: Extends the consecration of the first part to the entire mass.

• "And if" (Καὶ ἐὰν - Kai ean): Connective and conditional.

• "the root" (ἡ ῥίζα - hē rhiza):

  • Literal meaning: The underground part of a plant from which it derives sustenance and stability.
  • Significance: Symbolizes the patriarchs, particularly Abraham, and the covenant God made with him. The spiritual foundation.

• "is holy" (ἁγία - hagia): Same as above, set apart for God.

• "so" (οὕτως - houtōs): Thus, in this manner.

• "are" (εἰσιν - eisin): Present tense plural of "to be."

• "the branches" (τὰ κλήματα - ta klḗmata):

  • Literal meaning: The offshoots or limbs of a tree.
  • Significance: Represent the descendants or those connected to the root. In Romans 11, this refers to both natural and grafted branches (believing Jews and Gentiles).

• Word Group Analysis:

  • "first of the dough... whole lump": This is a common Hebrew idiom and legal principle from the Old Testament concerning the firstfruits. It highlights that consecration flows from the initial portion to the entirety. This principle protected the sanctity of God's portion and its relation to the whole offering.
  • "root... branches": This extends the principle of consecration and connection to a living organism – a tree. The life and holiness of the root sustain and are reflected in the branches. For Israel, Abraham is the foundational "root" of their national and spiritual identity and God's covenant. For the church, Christ is the ultimate root.

Romans 11 16 Bonus section

The concept of "firstfruits" (aparche) is crucial not just for offerings but also eschatologically in the New Testament. Jesus is the "firstfruits" of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23), signifying the ultimate validation and promise of future resurrection for all who are united with Him. The Apostle Paul is demonstrating that just as the holiness of the first dough consecrates the whole, and the holiness of the root blesses the branches, so too does the faith of Abraham, the chosen root, provide a basis for blessing to both Jewish believers (natural branches) and Gentile believers (grafted branches) through the Messiah. The enduring faithfulness of God to His initial covenant commitments, epitomized by Abraham, is the underlying theme that permits the inclusion and sustained holiness of all who are part of God’s people, whether originally from Israel or brought in from the nations. This emphasizes God’s sovereign grace and the interconnectedness of all believers in the divine economy of salvation.

Romans 11 16 Commentary

This verse employs two powerful analogies rooted in Old Testament concepts of consecration and covenant. The first, the "first of the dough" and the "whole lump," comes directly from Israelite law concerning firstfruits offerings (Numbers 15:20-21). It establishes a principle: if the initial portion is holy, set apart for God, the entire mass inherits that sanctity by extension. This is not magical thinking but reflects a divine ordering where the sacred first portion blesses and designates the rest.

The second analogy, the "root" and the "branches," speaks to the foundational aspect of God's covenant. Israel’s origin and spiritual heritage are rooted in the patriarchs, especially Abraham, with whom God established a foundational covenant. Because Abraham was righteous and his covenant with God was holy, his descendants (the natural branches) are, in a fundamental sense, set apart by God due to their ancestral connection and God’s promises. However, not all "branches" manifest this holiness.

When applied to the olive tree metaphor in Romans 11, the holy "root" (the patriarchs and the Abrahamic covenant) signifies that the identity and blessings of Israel remain rooted in God’s faithfulness. Though some natural branches (unbelieving Jews) were broken off, and wild branches (believing Gentiles) were grafted in, the fundamental holiness of the root means the tree (God's people, both Jew and Gentile) is inherently connected to that divine origin. The holiness of the root validates the inclusion of the grafted branches and holds out the ultimate restoration of the natural branches when they return to the root through faith. This teaches that God's election and covenant faithfulness are foundational, working through and ultimately encompassing all who are in Christ, the true root and descendant of Abraham.