Romans 11:22 kjv
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Romans 11:22 nkjv
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
Romans 11:22 niv
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
Romans 11:22 esv
Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Romans 11:22 nlt
Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.
Romans 11 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 11:21 | For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. | Warning against presumption |
| Rom 11:22 | See then the goodness and severity of God: toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness. | God's dealings with Israel and Gentiles |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. | Principle of sowing and reaping |
| Heb 12:29 | For our God is a consuming fire. | God's consuming nature |
| Ex 33:5 | ...For I will go up among you... (said God to Moses) | God's presence and judgment |
| Ex 34:6-7 | The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation. | God's character of mercy and judgment |
| Deut 7:9 | Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments up to a thousand generations, | God's faithfulness to covenant |
| Deut 7:10 | but repays to his face those who hate him, by destruction. He will not be slow to repay to one who hates him. | God's repayment to enemies |
| Josh 24:20 | If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after he has done you good. | Consequences of forsaking God |
| Ps 89:33-34 | but my steadfast love I will not wholly take from him, nor will I invalidate my covenant. My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter the utterance of my lips. | God's covenant faithfulness |
| Isa 45:7 | I form light, and create darkness; I make all these things. "I, the LORD, do all these things." | God as sovereign creator |
| Jer 18:7-10 | If at any time I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will reconsider the good that I had intended to do to it. Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Turn back, each from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.’ But they say, ‘It is in vain, for we will follow our own plans, and to each we will do the desire of our stubborn heart.’ Therefore thus says the LORD, Behold, I am planning disaster against this people. This very disaster they will not escape... | God's conditional plans |
| Matt 13:12 | For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but to the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. | Principle of increase/decrease |
| Luke 12:47-48 | And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a flogging with many blows. But the one who did not know, and did what deserves a flogging, will receive a flogging with few blows. | Responsibility based on knowledge |
| John 15:4-5 | Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. | Necessity of abiding in Christ |
| Acts 13:43 | And when the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. | Exhortation to continue in grace |
| Rom 11:19 | You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." | Israel's rejection |
| Rom 11:20 | That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. | Gentile's inclusion by faith |
| 1 Cor 10:11-12 | Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. | Warning to believers about falling |
| 1 Cor 15:2 | by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to what I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. | The importance of holding on to faith |
| Heb 3:14 | For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original assertion firm until the end. | Condition of remaining in Christ |
| 2 Pet 3:17-18 | You therefore, beloved, seeing that you already know these things, beware lest you too, carried away by the delusion of lawless people, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. | Warning against falling and growth in grace |
Romans 11 verses
Romans 11 22 Meaning
See then the goodness and severity of God: toward those who fell, severity, but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness.
Romans 11 22 Context
This verse is found in Romans chapter 11, where Paul discusses God's plan for Israel and the Gentiles. He addresses the question of whether God has completely rejected Israel, particularly in light of their rejection of Jesus Christ. Paul asserts that God has not abandoned Israel entirely. Instead, a remnant of Israel has been saved, and the Gentiles have been grafted into the olive tree of God's covenant people because of Israel's unbelief.
The immediate context (Romans 11:19-21) highlights that some branches (representing Jews who rejected Christ) were broken off the natural olive tree (representing God's covenant people) so that wild branches (representing Gentiles) could be grafted in. Paul warns the Gentile believers not to become arrogant, reminding them that their inclusion is due to their faith, and that just as branches were broken off due to unbelief, they too can be broken off if they do not continue in faith. Romans 11:22 thus serves as a summary and warning regarding God's sovereign and just dealings.
Historically, the primary audience for the letter to the Romans was the church in Rome, comprised of both Jewish and Gentile believers. The inclusion of Gentiles into God's people was a significant theological development, and Paul addresses potential tensions and misunderstandings arising from this. The polemic is subtle but present against any sense of Gentile superiority or security in their new position.
Romans 11 22 Word analysis
- Look (βλέπε - bleepo): This is an imperative, meaning "see" or "behold." It calls for careful observation and consideration of a truth. It's not just casual seeing, but a discerning attention.
- Then (οὖν - oun): This is a conjunction indicating a conclusion or result drawn from what has been previously stated. It connects this verse logically to the preceding statements about the broken branches and the grafted branches.
- Goodness (χρηστότητα - christoteta): This noun refers to God's kindness, benevolence, and beneficial nature. It's an active, operative goodness. In this context, it highlights God's grace extended to the Gentiles.
- And (καί - kai): A conjunction connecting "goodness" and "severity."
- Severity (ἀποτομίαν - apotomian): This noun refers to sharpness, sternness, or brusqueness. It denotes God's decisive and cutting judgment against sin and disobedience. It can also imply a ruthless cutting off.
- Of God (θεοῦ - theou): Genitive case, indicating possession or relation.
- Toward (εἰς - eis): A preposition often indicating direction or "into." Here it signifies the direction or recipient of God's actions.
- Those (τοὺς - tous): Masculine plural definite article, referring to "them."
- Fell (πτώσαντας - ptoisantas): This is the participle of "pipto" (to fall). It refers to those who fell away or stumbled, specifically the branches that were broken off, which in the context refers to the Jews who rejected Christ.
- Severity (ἀποτομίαν - apotomian): The same word as used earlier, emphasizing the severity of judgment.
- But (δὲ - de): A contrasting conjunction.
- Toward (εἰς - eis): Same preposition as before, indicating direction.
- You (ὑμᾶς - hymas): Pronoun in the accusative plural, referring to the Gentile believers.
- Goodness (χρηστότητα - christoteta): The same word for goodness or kindness, highlighting the continued favor shown to the Gentiles.
- If (ἐὰν - ean): A conditional particle, introducing a condition.
- You (ὑμεῖς - hymeis): Pronoun in the nominative plural.
- Continue (ἐπιμένῃτε - epimenete): From the verb "epimeo," meaning to remain, to persevere, or to continue steadfastly in something. It emphasizes persistent endurance.
- In (εἰς - eis): Again, the preposition indicating direction or "into."
- His (αὐτοῦ - autou): Possessive pronoun.
- Goodness (χρηστότητα - christoteta): The noun for goodness again. The condition for the Gentiles' continued inclusion is their persistence in God's goodness, which is maintained through their faith.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "the goodness and severity of God": This phrase encapsulates God's dual nature of mercy and judgment. It's a summary of how God relates to humanity, especially evident in His dealings with both disobedient Israel and believing Gentiles. It’s not two separate gods, but two aspects of the one God's character.
- "toward those who fell, severity": This points to the consequence of unbelief and disobedience. The Jewish people, in their mass rejection of Messiah, experienced God's severe judgment by being broken off from the covenant olive tree. This is not a permanent rejection of all Israel, but a manifestation of God's adherence to justice.
- "but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness": This contrasts the Gentile experience. They are beneficiaries of God's goodness through faith. However, this goodness is conditional upon their continued reliance on and faithfulness to God. Their salvation and inclusion are sustained by perseverance in the same grace and faith that brought them in. This "continue in his goodness" is an encouragement to persevere in faith, not an earning of salvation.
Romans 11 22 Bonus section
The concept of God's "severity" is not a deficiency in His character but a necessary aspect of His justice. Just as His goodness draws people in, His severity guards His holiness and warns against presumption. This is echoed in verses like Hebrews 12:29 where God is described as a consuming fire, emphasizing His righteous judgment against sin. The structure of the verse presents a careful balance: severity follows a "fall" (unbelief, rejection), while goodness is offered to those who "continue." This continuation is not a works-based salvation, but an endurance in faith and grace, as stressed in passages about abiding in Christ (John 15) and holding fast the confession of faith (Hebrews 3:14; 1 John 2:24). The contrast also serves as a vital pastoral caution to prevent pride and complacency among Gentile believers, reminding them that their standing is entirely dependent on God's grace apprehended by faith and sustained through perseverance.
Romans 11 22 Commentary
Paul instructs the Gentile believers to observe and understand the dual action of God's character – His kindness and His sternness. He demonstrates that God is both merciful and just. While He justly cut off the Jewish branches that lacked faith, He has graciously grafted the Gentile branches. This inclusion, however, is not a guarantee of perpetual security apart from continued faithfulness. The Gentiles must remain steadfast in their faith, actively dwelling within God's bestowed kindness, lest they too be cut off. The verse calls for humility and active perseverance in the faith that secured their inclusion. It highlights that God's judgments are deserved, and His mercies are free, but both must be acknowledged and respected. True continuation in God's goodness means continuing to live by faith, not presuming on past grace.