Romans 11:21

Romans 11:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
• New International Version (NIV)For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

Context of Romans 11:21

19You might say, ‘God broke off the branches so that I could become part of the tree.’ 20That is true. God broke them off because they did not believe in Christ. God has accepted you as part of the tree because you do believe in Christ. So do not become proud. Instead, be afraid. God broke off the proper branches and he did not let them stay in the tree. So, if you no longer trust him, he will not let you stay either. 22So you should think about what God is like. He is kind, but he also punishes people. He has punished Israel's people, because they turned away from him. He has been kind to you. But you must continue to accept his kind gift. If you do not do that, he will break you off from his tree as well. 23God is able to accept Israel's people back again. If they come to believe in Christ, God will put them back as part of the tree. He is able to make them become branches of the tree again.

Romans 11:21 word by word

εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, μή πως οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·κατάkata · according toG2596
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• sparedφείδομαιpheidomai · to spareG5339
• notοὐou · noG3756
• theκλάδοςklados · branchG2798
• naturalφύσιςphusis · natureG5449
• lestμήπωςmēpōs mē pōs · so thatG3381
• alsoοὐδέoude · norG3761
• theeσύsu · youG4771

Cross-references for Romans 11:21

• Romans 11:17Israel's people are like an olive tree that a farmer has planted. But God has broken off some of that tree's branches. Then he has taken a branch from a wild olive tree. He has put that wild branch into the farmer's tree, to become part of that tree. You Gentiles are like the wild branch. Now you receive food from the root of the farmer's tree, to make you strong.
• Romans 8:32God did not even keep his own Son safe. Instead, he gave his Son to die on behalf of all of us. So certainly, God will continue to be kind to us. As well as his Son, he will give to us all things that we need.
• Jeremiah 25:29I have already begun to punish Jerusalem, the city that is my special home. So do not think that I will leave you other nations alone! I will certainly punish you too. I will send war against everyone who lives on the earth. That is what the Lord Almighty says will happen!”
• Jeremiah 49:12The Lord says, ‘I had to punish even those people who did not deserve my great punishment. So you will certainly not escape my punishment! You will have to drink my anger from the cup that I give to you.
• 1 Corinthians 10:1My Christian friends, remember what happened to our Israelite ancestors. Moses led them out of Egypt long ago. While they followed Moses, they all walked under the same cloud. All of them walked across the Red Sea.
• 2 Peter 2:4God even punished the angels who refused to obey him. He threw them down into the deep hole of hell. He tied them up and he kept them in that completely dark place. They will remain there until the day when God will judge them.
• Jude 1:5Remember that the Lord brought Israel's people out of Egypt where they had been slaves. But later he destroyed all those same people who did not trust him. I want you to remember these important things. You should already know all about them, but you must never forget them.

Commentaries on Romans 11:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21For if God spared not the natural branches - If He, in his infinite justice and holiness, could not tolerate sin in the people whom he foreknew, whom he had so long loved, cherished, miraculously preserved and blessed; take heed lest he also spare not thee. Be convinced that the same righteous principle in him will cause him to act towards you as he has acted towards them, if you sin after the similitude of their transgression; and to this…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21For if God … - If God did not refrain from rejecting the Jews who became unbelievers, assuredly he will not refrain from rejecting you in the same circumstances. It may be supposed that he will be quite as ready to reject the ingrafted branches, as to cast off those which belonged to the parent stock. The situation of the Gentiles is not such as to give them any security over the condition of the rejected Jew.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-21Verses 11-21 The gospel is the greatest riches of every place where it is. As therefore the righteous rejection of the unbelieving Jews, was the occasion of so large a multitude of the Gentiles being reconciled to God, and at peace with him; the future receiving of the Jews into the church would be such a change, as would resemble a general resurrection of the dead in sin to a life of righteousness. Abraham was as the root of the church. The Jews…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-24In Paul’s extended metaphor, God’s special olive tree represents the people of God. This image would have been familiar to his readers. The olive tree was the most common fruit tree in the Mediterranean region. It was also already used as a symbol for Israel in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 14:5–6). Paul describes non-Jewish (gentile) Christians as branches from a wild olive tree because they were not originally part of God's people.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2119-21. Thou wilt say then--as a plea for boasting. The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 11:21

• Boasting
• Branch
• Gentiles
• Grafting
• Olive
• Pride
• Salvation
• Self-Righteousness
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Cast
• Church
• Conclude
• Dark
• Depth
• Election
• Emulation
• Grace

Commentaries on Romans 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings