Romans 11:3 kjv
Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
Romans 11:3 nkjv
"LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"?
Romans 11:3 niv
"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?
Romans 11:3 esv
"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
Romans 11:3 nlt
"LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."
Romans 11 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 11:2 | ...his people? God forbid! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. | Paul's own connection |
| Romans 11:3 | Lord, they have killed your prophets and dug up your altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life. | Elijah's plea |
| Romans 11:4 | But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." | God's faithful remnant |
| 1 Kings 19:10 | He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.” | Elijah's words |
| 1 Kings 19:14 | he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.” | Elijah's prayer |
| 1 Kings 19:18 | “Yet I will cause to remain among Israel seven thousand; all knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.” | God's preservation |
| Psalm 50:5 | “Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” | Covenant keepers |
| Isaiah 1:9 | Unless the Lord of hosts Had left us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. | Remnant principle |
| Jeremiah 23:3 | "And I will gather the remnant of My sheep From all the lands where I have driven them, And bring them back to their pastures; And they shall be fruitful and multiply. | God's ingathering |
| Jeremiah 31:7 | For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout for the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people! The remnant of Israel!’ ” | Cry for Israel's remnant |
| Amos 3:12 | Thus says the Lord: “As a shepherd takes from the mouth of the lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel who sit in Samaria, In the corner of a couch and on the silken cushions of a divan.” | Survival from destruction |
| Romans 9:27 | Also Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant of them will be saved. | Isaiah quoted in Romans |
| Galatians 3:29 | And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. | Spiritual Israel |
| Philippians 3:3 | For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh— | True circumcision |
| Revelation 7:4 | And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand were sealed from all the tribes of the children of Israel. | Symbolic number of the redeemed |
| John 8:31-32 | Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” | Abiding in the truth |
| 2 Timothy 2:19 | Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” | God's secure foundation |
| Acts 1:5 | For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” | Baptism of the Spirit |
| Isaiah 6:13 | But as a terebinth tree or as an oak whose stump remains when it is cut down, So holy seed shall be its stump. | The holy seed |
| 1 Peter 2:9 | But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; | Chosen people |
Romans 11 verses
Romans 11 3 Meaning
Elijah lamented to God about Israel's spiritual state, feeling he was the only true worshiper left. This verse clarifies that God had a preserved remnant of believers within Israel even during Elijah's time, demonstrating God’s consistent sovereign choice and faithfulness.
Romans 11 3 Context
Romans 11 addresses God's relationship with Israel and the inclusion of Gentiles. Paul, a Jew, defends God’s faithfulness to His covenant people, even though many Israelites did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. He uses Elijah’s complaint to illustrate that God has always maintained a faithful remnant within Israel. This chapter reassures believers, both Jew and Gentile, of God's sovereign plan for salvation and His ongoing purposes for His people. The immediate context of verse 3 is Paul referencing Elijah's dramatic prayer in 1 Kings 19, where Elijah felt utterly alone in his opposition to idolatry in Israel.
Romans 11 3 Word Analysis
καὶ (kai): "and" – A conjunctive particle connecting Elijah’s complaint with God's answer and Paul's argument.
Η aplikace: (Iliá): "Elijah" – The great prophet from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, known for his confrontations with Ahab and Jezebel.
ἀπὸ (apo): "from" – Indicates the source or origin of the action.
τοῦ (tou): "the" – Definite article.
Ἰσραήλ (Israḗl): "Israel" – The people of the covenant, descendants of Jacob.
λέγει (légei): "says" or "prays" (present tense, third person singular) – Depicts Elijah in the act of speaking or praying his complaint.
πρὸς (pros): "to" or "against" – Shows directionality.
τὸν (ton): "the" – Definite article.
Κύριον (Kýrion): "Lord" (Accusative case) – Referring to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.
“Κύριε (Kýrie): "O Lord" (Vocative case) – Direct address, showing an earnest appeal.
κατέφθαραν (katéphtharan): "they have killed" (aorist active indicative, third person plural) – Emphatic statement of destructive action against God's messengers.
τοὺς (tous): "the" – Definite article.
προφήτας (prophḗtas): "prophets" (Accusative plural) – God's messengers who spoke His word.
σου (sou): "Your" – Possessive pronoun, referring to God.
καὶ (kai): "and" – Connecting clause.
τὰ (ta): "the" – Definite article.
θυσιαστήρια (thysiastḗria): "altars" (Accusative plural) – Places of sacrifice, centers of worship, here destroyed.
σου (sou): "Your" – Possessive pronoun, referring to God.
ἔσκαψαν (éskaphan): "they dug up" or "they have digged down" (aorist active indicative, third person plural) – A vivid action of desecration and demolition of altars.
καὶ (kai): "and" – Connecting clause.
ἐγὼ (egṓ): "I" – Emphasis on Elijah's singular experience.
ὑπε,”_(transliteration, Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek meaning) ____
Elijah: Hebrew prophet, zealous for God, often speaking truth to power, a solitary figure in his generation. His prayers are powerful and reveal his inner turmoil.
alone: Symbolizes a perceived complete lack of support, highlighting extreme discouragement.
killed… prophets: Points to a systemic persecution of God’s servants.
dug up… altars: Denotes the deliberate destruction of true worship sites, a profound offense against God.
sought my life: Indicates personal danger and the stakes of Elijah's stand.
Lord, they have killed Your prophets: Expresses intense grief and betrayal over the desecration of God's people and places of worship.
I am left alone: This statement reflects Elijah's profound isolation and despair, feeling like the sole faithful witness.
they seek my life: Emphasizes the immediate and personal threat Elijah faced.
word-group analysis: The passage portrays a desperate situation where God's chosen people have actively worked against God, resulting in the persecution of His spokesmen and the destruction of His worship. This leads the faithful prophet to believe he is the only one remaining, prompting his cry to God.
Romans 11 3 Bonus Section
The Hebrew text in 1 Kings 19:18 is structured to emphasize "seven thousand," indicating a significant, though still a minority, portion of the nation. This number is not meant to be hyper-literal but signifies a complete and sufficient number in God's sight, as opposed to "all" who had fallen away. Elijah’s complaint, while honest and understandable given the circumstances, was flawed by its absolute assertion of singularity. God's correction reveals that genuine faith, even in times of widespread rebellion, always exists. Paul is employing this Old Testament narrative to directly address his Jewish readers, reminding them that just as God had His faithful few in Elijah's day, so too He has a remnant within Israel in Paul's day who have embraced Jesus, and God has not cast away His people entirely.
Romans 11 3 Commentary
Paul uses Elijah's desperate lament to highlight God's sovereign grace. Even when things looked dire, with Elijah believing he was the only faithful one, God revealed that He had preserved a hidden remnant of seven thousand who had not bowed to the dominant idol. This demonstrates that God's purposes are never thwarted by human apostasy. He always keeps for Himself those who belong to Him, unseen by human eyes but known by divine sight. This principle applies to God's election of individuals within Israel and also finds fulfillment in Christ, who is the true seed of Abraham, and in the New Covenant church, comprised of both believing Jews and Gentiles who worship God in spirit and in truth. God’s faithfulness is paramount, and His preserved people will ultimately be saved.