Romans 11:18 kjv
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Romans 11:18 nkjv
do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
Romans 11:18 niv
do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
Romans 11:18 esv
do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
Romans 11:18 nlt
But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
Romans 11 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 6:13 | "a tenth will remain in it, and it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed is the stump in the land.” | The remnant/root of Israel endures. |
| Jer 11:16 | The LORD once called you 'a flourishing olive tree, handsome with good fruit.' But with the roar of a mighty tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be broken." | Israel as an olive tree. |
| Rom 11:17 | "if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree," | Immediate context: Gentiles grafted in. |
| Rom 11:25 | "a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." | Israel's temporary hardening, not final rejection. |
| Rom 3:1-2 | "Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God." | God's special calling and gifts to Israel. |
| Eph 2:11-13 | "Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh... remember that you were at that time separated from Christ... having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." | Gentiles' former state without Israel's spiritual blessings. |
| Eph 2:19-20 | "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone" | Gentiles' inclusion in God's household on Jewish foundations. |
| Gal 3:8-9 | "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.' So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." | Gentiles blessed through Abraham's covenant. |
| Gal 3:29 | "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." | Spiritual lineage tracing to Abraham for all believers. |
| Ps 73:6 | "Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment." | Warning against pride in general. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | General biblical warning against arrogance. |
| Isa 41:8 | "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;" | God's unique election of Abraham and Israel. |
| Deut 7:6-8 | "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his affection on you and chose you... but because the LORD loved you..." | Israel's election by God's grace, not merit. |
| Gen 12:3 | "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." | The Abrahamic Covenant: blessings to nations through Israel. |
| Zech 8:23 | "In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the skirt of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" | Gentiles' future recognition and attachment to Israel. |
| Jer 2:21 | "Yet I planted you a choice vine, of purest seed. How then has begun a degenerate plant of an alien vine to me?" | Israel as a specially chosen, noble vine. |
| John 4:22 | "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews." | Jesus confirming the Jewish origin of salvation. |
| Phil 2:3 | "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." | Exhortation to humility, especially toward others. |
| 1 Cor 4:7 | "For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" | Warning against boasting in anything received. |
| Rom 11:21 | "For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you." | Warning against arrogance and the possibility of being cut off for Gentiles too. |
| Matt 3:9 | "Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God can from these stones raise up children for Abraham." | Caution against presumption based solely on physical lineage, while upholding Abraham's significance. |
| Luke 19:42-44 | "If you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's failure to recognize salvation, connecting to their temporary rejection. |
Romans 11 verses
Romans 11 18 Meaning
This verse serves as a crucial warning to Gentile believers within the early church against spiritual arrogance toward Jewish people. It emphatically reminds them that their inclusion in God's covenant blessings is not due to their inherent merit or superiority, but entirely dependent on the spiritual heritage and foundational covenants established through Israel, symbolically represented as the "root" of the cultivated olive tree. Gentile Christians, likened to wild olive branches grafted into this tree, do not support this ancient and divinely established root; rather, the root is what sustains them and grants them life in the spiritual economy of God.
Romans 11 18 Context
Romans 11:18 is embedded within Paul's extensive argument in chapters 9-11 concerning Israel's place in God's redemptive plan. After explaining that God's promises to Israel have not failed despite many Jews rejecting Christ (Rom 9), and acknowledging that Gentile inclusion happened through Israel's stumbling (Rom 10), Paul turns to the olive tree analogy in chapter 11. He uses this vivid metaphor to illustrate the relationship between believing Gentiles and both believing and unbelieving Jews. The cultivated olive tree represents the continuity of God's covenant people. The "natural branches" are the Jewish people, some of whom were broken off due to unbelief. "Wild olive branches" are Gentile believers who have been grafted into this established tree, participating in its rich "root." This immediate context sets up a direct warning against Gentile triumphalism, countering any notion that Gentiles are superior or have replaced Israel. The chapter affirms God's continued faithfulness to Israel and anticipates their future restoration. The historical context for the Roman church included a mixed congregation of Jewish and Gentile believers, with potential for tension and Gentile spiritual pride, necessitating Paul's firm counsel.
Romans 11 18 Word analysis
do not boast (μὴ καυχάομαι - mē kauchaomai):
Mēis a strong negative particle, expressing a prohibition against a present or ongoing action.Kauchaomaimeans to boast, glory, pride oneself, or triumph. The injunction is a direct and forceful command against an attitude of arrogance, superiority, or self-exaltation. It directly addresses the sin of pride, especially in a spiritual or communal sense.over the branches (κατὰ τῶν κλάδων - kata tōn kladōn):
Katameans over, against, or down upon.Kladōn(genitive plural ofklados) refers to the branches. These branches represent the Jewish people, specifically those who, through unbelief, were temporarily cut off from the full spiritual benefits of the olive tree (God's covenant people). The phrase emphasizes boasting at the expense of or in opposition to them, indicating an antagonistic or contemptuous posture.If you do boast (εἰ δὲ καυχᾶσαι - ei de kauchasai):
Eiis a conditional particle, "if."Deis a connective, "but" or "and."Kauchai(second person singular indicative present middle voice ofkauchaomai) suggests a concession that this boasting might be happening. This phrase acknowledges the reality of the problem Paul is addressing and serves as a lead-in to the profound reminder.remember (μνημονεύετε - mnēmoneuete): Second person plural imperative of
mnēmoneuō, meaning to remember, recall, bear in mind. It implies that the truth Paul is about to state is fundamental and should be a constant, active part of their understanding. This is not a suggestion but a command to internalize a crucial theological reality.it is not you who support (σὺ ῥίζαν βαστάζεις - sy rhizan bastazeis - lit. "you do not bear the root"):
Sy(understood from the verb ending) is the emphatic "you."Rhizanis accusative for "root."Bastazeis(second person singular indicative present active ofbastazō) means to bear, carry, or support. The emphasis here is on the Gentile believer's active role. They did not originate, create, or sustain the "root" by their own effort or power. This directly negates any claim of independence or superiority.the root (ἡ ῥίζα - hē rhiza): Refers to the foundation and origin of God's covenant people and blessings. The root often symbolizes Abraham (e.g., Isa 11:10), the patriarchs, God's covenants, or the rich spiritual heritage that flows from them, providing life and sustenance. Some scholars also include Christ as the ultimate root and foundation revealed through Israel.
but the root that supports you (ἀλλὰ ἡ ῥίζα σέ - alla hē rhiza se - lit. "but the root [bears] you"):
Allaintroduces a strong contrast. The construction emphasizeshē rhiza(the root) as the subject,se(you, the Gentile) as the object, implying that the root is the one performing the action of bearing/supporting. This is a profound reversal: the flow of spiritual life and sustenance is from the root to the grafted branch.Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "do not boast over the branches": This phrase delivers a strong theological and ethical imperative. It targets a specific form of pride—ethnic or spiritual superiority—which could divide the early church and misrepresent God's ongoing relationship with Israel. It implies a direct prohibition against deriding, scorning, or devaluing the Jewish people, particularly those who have not yet believed in Jesus.
- "it is not you who support the root": This declaration underscores the utter dependence of Gentile believers on Israel's spiritual heritage. Gentiles did not originate the Abrahamic covenant, the Law, the prophets, or the lineage through which Messiah came. Their inclusion is entirely an act of God's grace, drawing them into a pre-existing divine plan and structure established through Israel. This challenges any notion of self-sufficiency or self-creation within their newfound faith.
- "but the root that supports you": This climactic statement clarifies the divine order and source of spiritual vitality. The root—representing Israel's foundational role in God's redemptive history (patriarchs, covenants, the messianic line, the spiritual revelation received through them)—is the very thing that nourishes and sustains the grafted-in Gentile believers. Their access to God, His promises, and salvation in Christ is historically and teleologically connected to Israel.
Romans 11 18 Bonus section
The concept of the "root" is richly multi-layered. It clearly refers to Israel's ancestral lineage and covenants, particularly Abraham, who received the promises of blessing for all nations. However, considering Paul's overall theology, the root also implicitly points to Christ as the ultimate source of spiritual life, through whom God's covenants find their "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Cor 1:20). Salvation "is from the Jews" (John 4:22), emphasizing that the entire framework for knowing God, understanding redemption, and receiving the Messiah emerged through Israel. Paul's warning therefore isn't just about showing respect; it's about acknowledging the very pipeline of salvation. Neglecting this truth could lead to spiritual blindness regarding God's enduring plan for Israel and an unhealthy triumphalism in the church, forgetting that Gentile inclusion is dependent on God's covenant faithfulness, not on replacement.
Romans 11 18 Commentary
Romans 11:18 delivers a sharp warning against Gentile Christian arrogance towards the Jewish people. Paul, utilizing the metaphor of an olive tree, highlights that Gentiles' spiritual blessings derive entirely from Israel's divinely chosen heritage, not from their own merit or superiority. The "root" symbolizes the patriarchal covenants, promises, and the spiritual foundation laid through Israel, which ultimately led to Christ. Gentile believers are depicted as "wild branches" graciously grafted into this established "cultivated tree." To boast over the "natural branches" (unbelieving Jews) would be a severe misapparition of God's redemptive economy and a failure to recognize the source of their own spiritual life. This verse calls for humility and reverence for God's mysterious, yet faithful, dealings with Israel, serving as a timeless reminder that all believers stand by grace and depend on the historical lineage through which salvation was ultimately made available.