Romans 11:32 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Romans 11:32 kjv

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Romans 11:32 nkjv

For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

Romans 11:32 niv

For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Romans 11:32 esv

For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

Romans 11:32 nlt

For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

Romans 11 32 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Rom 3:9-12	What then? Are we better off? No, not at all; for we have already ...	All are under sin.
Gal 3:22	But the Scripture has confined all things under sin, so that the promise	All are confined under sin for a purpose.
Rom 3:23	For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,	Universality of sin.
Rom 5:20	The Law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased...	Sin increased for grace to abound.
Eph 2:4-5	But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which...	God's mercy and grace.
Titus 3:4-5	But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind...	Salvation is by mercy, not works.
Rom 9:18	So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.	God's sovereign will in hardening and showing mercy.
Rom 10:12-13	For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord...	No distinction in salvation.
Isa 45:22	"Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; For I am God,...	Universal call to salvation/mercy.
Psa 145:9	The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.	God's universal goodness and mercy.
Hos 14:4	"I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger...	God's mercy despite Israel's disobedience.
Luke 19:10	For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."	Christ came to save the lost (universal application).
1 Tim 2:4	who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge...	God's desire for universal salvation.
2 Pet 3:9	The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness...	God's patience for all to repent.
Rom 1:18-32	For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness...	Gentiles' original disobedience.
Rom 2:17-29	But if you bear the name 'Jew' and rely upon the Law and boast...	Jews' hypocrisy and disobedience.
Rom 4:16	For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be by grace,...	Salvation is by faith, through grace.
Heb 4:6	Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly	Consequence of unbelief in OT.
Jude 1:6	And angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their...	God's judgment on disobedience.
Gen 12:3	And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.	Early promise of universal blessing.
Deut 32:20-21	Then He said, "I will hide My face from them, I will see what their...	Israel's provoked God's jealousy through disobedience.
Rom 11:25-26	For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed...	Israel's temporary hardening, future salvation.
Psa 51:1	Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness...	Appeal for God's mercy.
Phil 2:9-11	Therefore God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name...	Universal submission to Christ's Lordship.

Romans 11 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Romans 11 32 Meaning

Romans 11:32 presents a profound statement about God's sovereign plan for humanity. It means that God has strategically brought all people – both Jews and Gentiles – into a state of disobedience and spiritual blindness, not as an end in itself, but with the ultimate purpose of extending His divine mercy and grace universally to all. This universal inclusion in disobedience ensures that salvation is entirely a matter of God's unmerited favor, precluding any claim based on human merit or lineage.

Romans 11 32 Context

Romans 11:32 is the concluding statement of Paul's complex argument in Romans chapters 9-11 concerning God's faithfulness to Israel and His overarching plan of salvation. Prior to this verse, Paul grapples with Israel's rejection of Jesus as Messiah and the subsequent inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant. He explains that Israel's hardening is neither complete nor final but is part of God's design to provoke them to jealousy (Rom 11:11). God temporarily "cuts off" disobedient natural branches (Israel) and "grafts in" wild branches (Gentiles) to ultimately achieve a full redemption that includes "all Israel" (Rom 11:26). The verse serves as a theological summary and justification for God's seemingly paradoxical dealings with both Jews and Gentiles, where all humanity, having fallen short, becomes equally reliant on God's mercy alone. It sets the stage for the doxology in the following verses, praising the unsearchable wisdom of God.

Romans 11 32 Word analysis

For (γάρ - gar): This conjunction signals that the verse provides a reason or explanation for the preceding discussion, particularly concerning God's actions toward both Jews and Gentiles and the nature of their inclusion/exclusion. It explains the "why" behind God's strategy.
God (ὁ Θεός - ho Theos): Identifies the supreme and sovereign actor behind this cosmic plan. It emphasizes His intentionality, wisdom, and control over all events. God is the subject, indicating divine initiative.
has consigned (συνέκλεισεν - synekleisen): A crucial Greek word (aorist active indicative) meaning "to shut up together," "to enclose," or "to imprison." It implies a deliberate, completed act by God. It's not a passive state but an active, sovereign "placing under" or "confining." This term is also found in Gal 3:22, where Scripture has confined (συνέκλεισεν) all under sin, demonstrating God's instrumental use of even the Law to expose universal sinfulness. This consignment by God reveals human inadequacy and reliance on divine intervention.
all (τοὺς πάντας - tous pantas): This is a key emphasis on universality. It refers to both Jew and Gentile, as established in the preceding chapters (Rom 1:18-3:20). No one group is exempt from this universal consignment. This word counters any notion of exclusive privilege or partiality.
to disobedience (εἰς ἀπείθειαν - eis apeitheian): Refers to a state of unbelief and active rejection of God's will and truth. It's the condition or sphere into which humanity (all) has been placed or exposed by God's strategic action. It underscores that all humanity, through different paths (Gentiles by general revelation, Jews by special revelation), ultimately found themselves in this state. It levels the playing field of humanity's sinful condition.
that He might have mercy (ἵνα ... ἐλεήσῃ - hina ... eleēsē): Introduces the divine purpose or goal of God's previous action. The hina clause indicates teleological intent. The consignment to disobedience is not for condemnation but as a prelude to a greater demonstration of grace. Mercy (eleos) here refers to God's compassionate action in saving the undeserving.
on all (τοὺς πάντας - tous pantas): The repetition of "all" stresses the universal scope of God's mercy, corresponding directly to the universal scope of disobedience. Just as all were shut up in disobedience, so all (who believe) become recipients of God's mercy. This powerfully affirms God's all-encompassing grace for Jew and Gentile.

Romans 11 32 Bonus section

The profound statement of Romans 11:32 provides a critical theological link between God's justice and His mercy. It avoids presenting God as either merely a judge who condemns or merely a compassionate being who overlooks sin. Instead, God's justice is fully realized in the consignment of "all" to disobedience, confirming the truth of human depravity and the universality of sin. Yet, this very act simultaneously clears the path for an even greater demonstration of His mercy, establishing it not as a bypass of justice but as a redemptive power that addresses and overcomes humanity's deserved condemnation. This highlights the intricate wisdom of God, where even human sin and failure become elements within His larger redemptive plan, ultimately showcasing His character as both just and the justifier. This perspective anticipates the glorious doxology of Romans 11:33-36, which marvels at the depth of God's wisdom, knowledge, and judgments.

Romans 11 32 Commentary

Romans 11:32 serves as a pinnacle statement summarizing God's strategic dealings with humanity. It reveals a paradoxical divine wisdom: God, the just Judge, orchestrates a universal exposure of human failure—consignment to disobedience for both Jew and Gentile. This is not arbitrary judgment, but a deliberate act designed to dismantle all grounds for human boasting, merit, or perceived ethnic privilege. By equally condemning all under sin, God establishes a universal playing field where none can stand on their own. The glorious purpose of this consignment is revealed in the second part of the verse: "that He might have mercy on all." God's ultimate desire is not condemnation, but the radical display of His undeserved mercy, which now can be poured out lavishly upon a humanity equally lost and in desperate need of His grace. It elevates God's unsearchable wisdom (Rom 11:33) as He skillfully uses sin and disobedience to magnify His abounding mercy.