Romans 11:19 kjv
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Romans 11:19 nkjv
You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."
Romans 11:19 niv
You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."
Romans 11:19 esv
Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
Romans 11:19 nlt
"Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me."
Romans 11 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 11:11 | 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. | God's purpose in Israel's stumble is Gentile salvation and Israel's jealousy. |
| Rom 11:12 | Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? | Israel's temporary stumble brings riches to Gentiles; greater riches in their restoration. |
| Rom 11:13-14 | For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. | Paul's mission to Gentiles aims to provoke Israel to jealousy, leading to their salvation. |
| Rom 11:17 | And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; | Identifies Gentiles as wild olive branches grafted into Israel's root. |
| Rom 11:18 | Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. | Directly warns against Gentile boasting over the original Jewish branches. |
| Rom 11:20 | Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: | Refutes the premise of the boast, clarifying Israel's breaking off was due to unbelief, and warns Gentiles against pride. |
| Rom 11:21 | For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. | Threatens that Gentiles can also be broken off if they do not remain in faith. |
| Rom 11:24 | For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? | Highlights the unnaturalness of Gentile grafting and the naturalness of Israel's re-grafting. |
| Rom 11:25-26 | For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: | Reveals the mystery: Israel's partial hardening is temporary, leading to eventual full salvation. |
| Eph 2:11-12 | Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: | Describes Gentiles as formerly separated from Israel and God's covenant promises. |
| Eph 2:13 | But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. | Explains that Gentiles are now brought near to God through Christ's sacrifice. |
| Eph 2:19 | Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; | Declares Gentiles are no longer outsiders but fellow citizens and members of God's household with believers from Israel. |
| Gal 3:8 | And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. | God's plan for Gentile blessing through faith was part of the Abrahamic covenant from the beginning. |
| Is 49:6 | And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. | Prophecy of God's Servant (Messiah) as a light to Gentiles, bringing salvation. |
| Is 56:3 | Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. | God promises inclusion and welcome for foreigners (Gentiles) who join Him, contrary to the idea of being cut off. |
| Ps 69:23 | Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. | Old Testament prophetic prayer used in Rom 11:9-10 to describe the hardening of some within Israel. |
| Rom 3:3-4 | For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. | Israel's unbelief does not nullify God's faithfulness or promises. |
| Rom 9:6 | Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: | Explains that not all ethnic Israel belongs to the spiritual Israel of God's promise. |
| Deut 32:21 | They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. | God declares He will provoke Israel to jealousy using "no people" (Gentiles). |
| 1 Cor 10:12 | Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. | General warning against overconfidence, applicable to the Gentile pride Paul addresses. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. | Wisdom literature's warning against pride, underpinning Paul's caution against boasting. |
| James 4:6 | But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. | Reiterates God's opposition to pride and favor for humility. |
| Rom 12:3 | For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. | Exhortation to humility and not to be conceited, aligning with the warning in Rom 11:19ff. |
Romans 11 verses
Romans 11 19 Meaning
Romans 11:19 expresses an anticipated thought or potential boast from a Gentile believer. It captures the misguided logic that suggests the removal of some Jewish people (branches broken off from the cultivated olive tree) was solely to make space for Gentiles (wild branches) to be grafted into God's covenant people. This statement, posed by Paul, directly challenges the notion that Gentile inclusion happens because of Israel's exclusion, implying the Gentiles' superior merit or standing. Paul quickly refutes this self-congratulatory attitude in the subsequent verses.
Romans 11 19 Context
Romans 11:19 is deeply embedded in Paul's profound theological discourse on Israel's past, present, and future in chapters 9-11 of Romans. Specifically, it appears within the elaborate metaphor of the cultivated olive tree (representing God's covenant people) and its branches. Chapters 9 and 10 establish God's sovereign election, Israel's historical unbelief, and the righteousness by faith now open to both Jews and Gentiles. Chapter 11 begins by affirming that God has not utterly rejected Israel; a believing remnant exists (11:1-10). Then, Paul introduces the concept that Israel's temporary "fall" or hardening served a purpose: to allow salvation to reach the Gentiles (11:11-12).
The verse itself (11:19) is a rhetorical question, expressing a hypothetical boast or misinterpretation that Paul anticipates from Gentile believers. It is an argument a proud Gentile might make to rationalize their current favored position within God's plan. Paul immediately rebukes this perspective, clarifying that the Jewish people were broken off due to their unbelief and that Gentiles stand by faith—not by superior merit or to replace Israel. Historically, some early Gentile Christians indeed struggled with arrogance towards Jewish believers and the Jewish roots of their faith, viewing themselves as God's new, superior people, leading to what is sometimes called supersessionism or replacement theology. Paul aims to correct this dangerous pride and misunderstanding, emphasizing God's enduring covenant faithfulness to Israel, even in their temporary partial hardening.
Romans 11 19 Word analysis
- Thou: (Gk. σύ - sy) - This singular pronoun points directly to an individual Gentile believer, or rhetorically, to the collective Gentile Christian community in Rome. Paul personalizes the anticipated boast to highlight its individual arrogance.
- wilt say then, (Gk. Ἐρεῖς οὖν - Ereis oun) -
- Ereis (future indicative of ἐρῶ - erō): "you will say" or "you are likely to say." Paul anticipates this proud reasoning.
- Oun: "then," "therefore," "accordingly." It signals a conclusion drawn, though in this case, a faulty one. It connects this anticipated statement to the preceding explanation of branches being broken off and others grafted in.
- The branches: (Gk. οἱ κλάδοι - hoi kladoi) - Refers specifically to those from ethnic Israel who rejected Jesus as Messiah and were consequently "broken off" from the vitality of God's covenant blessings within the analogy of the olive tree.
- were broken off, (Gk. ἐξεκλάσθησαν - exeklasthesan) - This verb (aorist passive indicative of ἐκκλάω - ekklaō) emphasizes a decisive past action, implying God's active involvement in the "breaking off" due to their unbelief, as stated in v.20. It's a powerful image of separation from the source of life.
- that I might be graffed in. (Gk. ἵνα ἐγὼ ἐγκεντρισθῶ - hina egō enkentristhō) -
- Hina: "in order that," "so that." This is a crucial purpose clause, but in the context of v.19, it's the misconstrued purpose from the perspective of a proud Gentile. Paul addresses this wrong understanding of God's purpose.
- Egō: "I." Again, personalizing the Gentile's thought, emphasizing a self-centered perspective.
- Enkentristhō (aorist passive subjunctive of ἐγκεντρίζω - enkentrizō): "might be graffed in." This verb refers to the agricultural practice of joining a shoot from one plant onto another, allowing it to draw sustenance from the host. For the Gentiles, this was an "unnatural" grafting, as they were "wild" olive branches.
Words-group analysis:
- Thou wilt say then: This phrase indicates a rhetorical question, setting up an anticipated objection or conclusion from the Gentile believer that Paul intends to correct. It shows Paul is engaging directly with potential pride in the Roman Christian community.
- The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in: This entire statement encapsulates the mistaken Gentile premise. It assumes a direct causal relationship and a zeros-sum game: Israel's loss directly equals Gentile gain, and their exclusion was for the explicit purpose of the Gentile's inclusion. This self-serving interpretation completely misses God's broader plan and faithfulness to Israel, as Paul proceeds to explain in detail.
Romans 11 19 Bonus section
- Agricultural Metaphor Significance: The olive tree metaphor would have been very familiar in the ancient Mediterranean world. Wild olive branches grafted into cultivated stock was counter-intuitive, as normally it's the other way around. This 'contrary to nature' aspect (Rom 11:24) profoundly underscores the surprising and unmerited nature of Gentile inclusion in God's covenant people, further deflating any ground for Gentile pride.
- Polemics against Supersessionism: This passage (Romans 11, particularly v.19-25) stands as one of the strongest biblical arguments against what is known as "supersessionism" or "replacement theology," which argues that the Christian church has permanently replaced Israel in God's plan. Paul emphatically argues against this by affirming God's continuing faithfulness to ethnic Israel and predicting their future full restoration.
- The Role of Jealousy: Paul states earlier (Rom 11:11) that through the Gentiles' salvation, Israel would be provoked to jealousy, leading to their own eventual salvation. This further complicates the notion of simple replacement; rather, it's a dynamic, interdependent divine strategy.
Romans 11 19 Commentary
Romans 11:19 exposes a prevalent spiritual danger: self-congratulation and misinterpreting God's divine actions through a lens of human superiority. Paul uses a direct rhetorical challenge to the Gentile believers, predicting their potential thought that Israel's "broken off" state was precisely for their benefit, implying their inherent deservingness or a divine preference. This reasoning, rooted in pride, suggests a replacement of Israel rather than a widening of God's grace.
Paul's immediate response (v.20) clarifies the divine logic: the Jewish branches were broken off due to unbelief, and the Gentile stands only by faith. The purpose of Israel's partial hardening was not solely for Gentile convenience, but also ultimately for the restoration of "all Israel" and to provoke them to jealousy. This verse serves as a crucial warning against arrogance for Gentiles, reminding them they are recipients of grace, not displacers of a divinely ordained people. Their inclusion is contrary to nature, emphasizing God's unexpected grace rather than any Gentile merit.