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 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 11:19 | "You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’" | Context for 11:20 |
| Romans 11:21 | "For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either." | Warning against boasting |
| Romans 11:22 | "Note then the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness to you, on the condition that you remain in His kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off." | Kindness and severity illustrated |
| John 15:2 | "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." | Fruit bearing and pruning |
| John 15:5-6 | "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." | Remaining in Christ |
| Hebrews 3:14 | "For we have become partners of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our justification firm until the end." | Perseverance |
| Hebrews 12:15 | "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." | Danger of falling from grace |
| 1 Corinthians 10:12 | "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." | Warning against self-confidence |
| Galatians 5:4 | "You are severed from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." | Falling from grace through legalism |
| Ephesians 2:11-13 | "Therefore remember that formerly you were Gentiles in the flesh… that at that time you were separate from Christ… alienated… But now in Christ Jesus you who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." | Gentiles' prior state and present inclusion |
| Acts 10:34-35 | "Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”" | God's impartiality |
| Romans 1:16 | "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek." | Gospel's power for Jew and Gentile |
| Romans 3:29-30 | "Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith." | Unity of God for all peoples |
| Romans 4:16 | "That is why it depends on faith, in order that the purpose of God’s promise may rest securely on grace and may be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adhering to the law but also to those who belong to the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." | Faith as the basis for inclusion |
| Isaiah 5:1-7 | Parable of the barren vineyard, representing Israel's failure. | Old Testament illustration of brokenness |
| Jeremiah 11:16 | "The LORD once called you ‘a green olive tree, beautiful in fruit.’ But with the roar of a great tempest He will set it ablaze, and its branches will be broken." | Prophecy of Israel's breaking |
| Colossians 1:23 | "...if indeed you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, not shifting away from the hope of the gospel that you heard..." | Call to steadfastness in faith |
| 1 Peter 5:5 | "Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”" | Humility and opposition to the proud |
| Revelation 3:11 | "I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown." | Warning to hold fast |
Romans 11 verses
Romans 11 20 Meaning
Good! Let's delve into Romans 11:20. This verse explains that the inclusion of Gentiles into God's plan came because the natural branches (Israel) were broken off due to unbelief. Their brokenness is a doorway for Gentiles. However, the verse strongly warns Gentiles not to be arrogant about their position.
Romans 11 20 Context
Romans 11 addresses the salvation of Israel in relation to the inclusion of Gentiles. Paul has just explained that though Israel largely rejected Messiah, their stumbling paved the way for the Gentiles' salvation. This current verse is a direct response to an imagined objection from a Gentile believer: that Israel was broken off so they (the Gentiles) could be grafted in, implying their superior or permanent status. Paul confirms the truth of the gentile's inclusion but immediately pivots to a warning. The preceding verses establish that God's faithfulness to His promises to Abraham ensures that a remnant of Israel will be saved. This chapter is crucial for understanding the relationship between Israel and the Church.
Romans 11 20 Word Analysis
- δύνασαι (dynasai): You are able. This word signifies inherent power or capacity. Here, it refers to their ability to remain in God's kindness.
- ὑπεραίρω (hyperairō): To lift up, to exalt, to be arrogant. This is the key term Paul uses to describe a spiritual danger: excessive pride and self-exaltation, particularly against the natural branches (Israel).
- γάρ (gar): For, because. This conjunction introduces the reason for the caution.
- ἐξῆρθησαν (exērthēsan): They were broken off. A past passive perfect participle of ἐξαίρω (exairō), meaning to lift out, take away, or remove. This refers to Israel's general rejection of Messiah and consequent removal from their natural place in God's favor concerning salvation at that time.
- κατὰ (kata): Down, against. Used here with "pistis" (faith), indicating "according to faith" or "by faith."
- πίστιν (pistin): Faith. The genitive singular feminine noun referring to reliance upon, trust in, and firm belief in God and His Messiah. The "dia" (through) preposition often precedes "pisteos" in other contexts related to salvation. The specific wording "dia tēs pisteōs" is critical, emphasizing faith as the means of being grafted in.
- σὺ (su): You (singular). Referring to the Gentile believer being addressed.
- εἰς (eis): Into. Indicating the direction of insertion.
- ἐν (en): In. Used with "chresmotēti" (kindness).
- χρηστότητι (chresmotēti): Kindness, goodness, gentleness. Refers to God's benevolent and gracious disposition.
- καὶ (kai): And.
- οὐκ (ouk): Not.
- φείδησαι (pheisai): Spare. A subjunctive form of φείδομαι (pheidomai), to spare, refrain from harming, have compassion.
Words Group Analysis:
- "ἐν δὲ τῷ μὴ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀπιστίαν," (en de tō mē einai autous apistian): "But by their unbelief." The articular infinitive phrase "tō mē einai" means "because of their not being" or "by their unbelief." The emphasis is on their active unbelief as the cause for the "breaking off."
- "σὺ δύνασαι," (su dynasai): "you stand by faith." This clause highlights the Gentile's position through faith. It's not a natural position but one dependent on faith.
- "μὴ ὑπεραίρω," (mē hyperairō): "do not be arrogant." The aorist subjunctive with "me" expresses a prohibition: "Do not exalt yourself" or "Do not become conceited." This is a strong imperative against pride.
- "ἀλλ’ φόβου" (all' phobou): "but fear." This stands in contrast to arrogance, calling for reverence and caution.
- "εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν μὲν φύσεως" (ei gar ho Theos tōn men physeōs): "For if God did not spare the natural branches." This sets up a comparison or consequence.
Romans 11 20 Bonus Section
The analogy of the olive tree, originating in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 10:1, where Israel is described as a flourishing olive tree), is masterfully recontextualized by Paul. He illustrates a divine re-potting, or a grafting in, which demonstrates God's ability to incorporate people from a completely different root into His covenantal people. The root remains the foundational promise to Abraham. The breaking off is not permanent for Israel as a whole, as indicated by later verses about the restoration of a remnant. For the Gentile, their grafting is an act of God's grace, but one that requires continued sustenance by faith, connected to the shared root, which is Christ. This passage powerfully argues against any notion of Gentile supersessionism where the church entirely replaces Israel. Instead, it highlights an organic, though sometimes disruptive, continuation and expansion of God's people.
Romans 11 20 Commentary
The verse serves as a critical warning to Gentile believers against pride stemming from their inclusion in God's redemptive history. The breaking off of some branches of Israel, due to their persistent unbelief in Yeshua, created an opening. Gentiles were then grafted in through faith in Yeshua. However, this graft-in does not make them inherently superior or guarantee their permanent standing. Their place is contingent on continuing "in His kindness" (Romans 11:22), which is maintained through continued faith and obedience. To boast against the natural branches would be to ignore the severity of God displayed in their cutting off, and it would set the Gentile believer on a path of self-reliance, which is the very reason the natural branches fell. This implies that the olive tree is one entity, and the faithfulness of the grafted-in branches is crucial for their own preservation. True understanding recognizes God's sovereign plan which incorporates both the stumbling of some and the inclusion of others, all under His perfect justice and mercy. The principle that those who think they stand must take heed lest they fall (1 Cor 10:12) is vividly illustrated here.