Romans 11 20

Romans 11:20 kjv

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Romans 11:20 nkjv

Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.

Romans 11:20 niv

Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.

Romans 11:20 esv

That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.

Romans 11:20 nlt

Yes, but remember ? those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.

Romans 11 verses

Romans 11 20 Meaning

Romans 11:20 is a direct caution from the Apostle Paul to Gentile believers regarding their spiritual standing. Having just explained that unbelieving natural branches (Israelites) were "broken off" from the cultivated olive tree, Paul affirms the Gentile's statement (verse 19) that they were grafted in. However, he immediately clarifies that the Jewish branches were removed due to their lack of faith (unbelief), while the Gentile branches maintain their place solely by their active trust in God (faith). This understanding is immediately followed by a strong command: Gentiles must not become proud or think highly of themselves due to their privileged position, but instead live in reverent fear, acknowledging God's sovereignty and their dependence on His grace.

Romans 11 20 Context

Romans 11:20 is deeply embedded within Paul's sustained theological argument (Romans 9-11) concerning God's faithfulness to Israel despite their widespread unbelief and the inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant plan. In this chapter, Paul uses the vivid allegory of a cultivated olive tree. The tree represents God's covenant people. The "natural branches" are the Israelites, and many were broken off due to their unbelief in Christ. The "wild branches" are the Gentiles, who by God's grace through faith have been grafted into the tree, now sharing in its root and rich nourishment. Verse 20 specifically follows a Gentile believer's hypothetical boasting about being grafted in at the expense of Israel. Paul acknowledges the fact of their grafting but quickly pivots to issue a severe warning, ensuring that the Gentiles understand their precarious standing is not based on inherent superiority but on sustained faith and God's undeserved kindness. Historically, there was a danger for Gentile Christians to develop spiritual pride and despise their Jewish spiritual heritage, especially as the early church navigated the complex relationship between Jewish and Gentile converts.

Romans 11 20 Word analysis

• Well said (καλῶς / kalōs): Lit. "rightly" or "correctly." Paul acknowledges the truth of the Gentile's statement from verse 19 regarding why the Jewish branches were broken off and Gentiles grafted in, yet this acknowledgment immediately precedes a strong caveat and warning. It indicates a pause to confirm the factual premise before correcting any erroneous conclusion or attitude derived from it.
• They were broken off (ἐξεκλάσθησαν / exeklasthesan): A passive verb, indicating a divine action; God broke them off. This signifies that their removal from the privileged position within the covenant community was not accidental or self-inflicted but an act of God's righteous judgment against their specific failure. It's a completed action, emphasizing the present state of those particular unbelieving Israelites.
• because of unbelief (τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ / tē apistia): The dative case points to "unbelief" as the instrumental cause. This is crucial: their exclusion was not arbitrary, but a direct consequence of their personal failure to trust in God's Messiah, Jesus Christ. This highlights individual responsibility, not corporate, unalterable rejection of all Israel (Rom 11:1, 25-29). This unbelief stands in stark contrast to the faith that grounds Gentile inclusion.
• but you stand (σὺ δὲ ἕστηκας / sy de hestēkas): The perfect tense of the verb "to stand" emphasizes a state of having stood and continuing to stand firm. It denotes an established position but also implies its ongoing nature—it requires continued stability. This "standing" is distinct from the broken-off branches and refers to the Gentile believers' current place within the olive tree, signifying acceptance into God's covenant relationship.
• by faith (τῇ πίστει / tē pistei): Again, the dative case signifies the means. "Faith" (trust, reliance) is the sole basis of the Gentile's standing. It is not by merit, ethnicity, or works, but entirely dependent on their trust in Christ and God's gracious provision. This grounds their position in God's grace and their response, rather than any intrinsic worth.
• Do not be conceited (μὴ ὑψηλοφρόνει / mē hypsēlophronei): A negative present imperative. This command means "do not begin to be high-minded" or "stop being high-minded/proud." The Greek term combines "high" (ὑψηλός) and "to think" (φρονέω), directly addressing intellectual or spiritual arrogance—the very attitude that could lead them to despise Israel or presume upon God's grace. This forbids spiritual snobbery.
• but fear (ἀλλὰ φοβοῦ / alla phobou): A present imperative. This is a call to continuous, reverential fear of God, an awe-filled respect for His power, holiness, and impartial justice. It is not a fear of condemnation for a genuine believer, but a humbling fear of God's sovereignty and judgment, a sober recognition that God broke off branches, and therefore, His judgment is a real possibility for those who do not remain in His kindness (Rom 11:22). This spiritual awe is a safeguard against pride and presumption.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith": This powerful contrast highlights God's righteous dealings. It underscores that God's actions are just and based on an unchanging principle: unbelief leads to exclusion, and faith leads to inclusion. It establishes that the Gentiles' position is not one of inherent superiority, but a demonstration of God's universal method of relating to humanity – through grace activated by faith, thereby leveling the playing field for all people before God. It implies the conditional nature of being "in," stressing the continuous role of personal faith.
• "Do not be conceited, but fear": This pithy exhortation encapsulates Paul's pastoral warning. The direct juxtaposition of "conceited" and "fear" shows them as antithetical attitudes. Pride arises from a forgetfulness of one's absolute dependence on God's grace, while holy fear cultivates humility and acknowledges God's power to both bless and judge. This is a practical call for sustained humility and vigilance in spiritual life, acting as a crucial preventative against falling into the very sin (presumption) that led to the downfall of the "natural branches."

Romans 11 20 Bonus section

• Paul's olive tree analogy, particularly the grafting of wild branches onto a cultivated tree, is agriculturally counter-intuitive. In real-world horticulture, one grafts a cultivated branch onto a wild stock to improve the fruit. Paul deliberately inverts this to highlight the extraordinary, unconventional, and purely gracious nature of God's action in grafting Gentiles into a spiritual heritage not naturally their own. It underscores that this "standing" is a supernatural work of God, emphasizing the complete lack of merit on the Gentiles' part.
• The conditional nature of "standing" ("provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off" - Rom 11:22) clarifies the "fear" mentioned in verse 20. This is not about fear of losing genuine salvation (as God's callings are irrevocable for true believers, Rom 11:29) but a call to live faithfully, actively dependent on God's grace, and to avoid presumption. It is a warning against adopting an external form of "standing" without genuine, continuing faith and obedience to the Lord. Failure to heed this warning risks exclusion from the visible community and blessings of God's people, analogous to branches removed from the tree, though not necessarily referring to the eternal state of the individual.
• The verse encapsulates Paul's delicate balance in addressing the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the early church. He aims to validate God's grace towards Gentiles while preventing anti-Judaism or spiritual arrogance within the burgeoning Gentile Christian communities. His exhortation to "fear" implies remembering the historical warning of Israel's past failures and acknowledging God's unbending standards, applicable to all who stand before Him.

Romans 11 20 Commentary

Romans 11:20 is a pivotal verse, correcting potential arrogance among Gentile believers. It firmly establishes that while the physical removal of unbelieving Israelite branches from God's covenant people (the cultivated olive tree) is a fact, it occurred due to their unbelief. Simultaneously, the Gentiles' inclusion (grafting in) is entirely attributed to their faith, not to any inherent worth or superiority over Israel. Therefore, Gentiles are strictly commanded to suppress any haughty thoughts or boasting concerning their new standing. Instead, they must cultivate a deep, reverential fear of God. This fear is not paralyzing terror but a healthy awe of His sovereign power, impartial judgment, and a sober realization that if God cut off natural branches for their unbelief, He could also cut off grafted-in branches that fail to persist in faith and humble dependence upon Him (as further clarified in Rom 11:22). The verse functions as both a theological clarification of God's justice and a profound pastoral warning to maintain humility and steadfast faith.

• Practical Examples:
  • A new convert in a church might boast about their transformation while looking down on those still struggling or those who have fallen away, forgetting their own past struggles.
  • A church might become exclusive, assuming its prosperity is due to its inherent superiority rather than God's grace, becoming disdainful of other less "successful" congregations.
  • An individual might develop spiritual pride from a sense of knowing more doctrine or performing more spiritual disciplines, rather than walking in humble gratitude for the grace enabling such understanding or practice.