English Standard Version
Romans 11:3
3"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
Romans 11:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
- New International Version (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”?
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?
- New Living Translation (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.”
Context of Romans 11:3
1I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." 4But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
Read all of Romans 11Romans 11:3 word by word
κύριε, τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν, τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν, κἀγὼ ὑπελείφθην μόνος, καὶ ζητοῦσιν τὴν ψυχήν μου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- they have killedἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- prophetsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- digged downκατασκάπτωkataskaptō · to ruinG2679
- altarsθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379
- and Iκἀγώkagō kamoi kame · and IG2504
- am leftὑπολείπωhupoleipō · to leaveG5275
- aloneμόνοςmonos · aloneG3441
- they seekζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- lifeψυχήpsuchē · soul: lifeG5590
Cross-references for Romans 11:3
- 1 Kings 18:4and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)
- 1 Kings 19:10He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away."
- Nehemiah 9:26"Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
- Jeremiah 2:30In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction; your own sword devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.
- 1 Kings 18:30Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down.
Commentaries on Romans 11:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Lord, they have killed thy prophets - They will not permit any person to speak unto them in thy name; and they murder those who are faithful to the commission which they have received from thee. Digged down thine altars - They are profligate and profane beyond example, and retain not the slightest form of religion. I am left alone - There is no prophet besides myself left, and they seek to destroy me.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Lord, they have killed - This is taken from 1 Kings 19:10. The quotation is not literally made, but the sense is preserved. This was a charge which Elijah brought against the whole nation; and the act of killing the prophets he regarded as expressive of the character of the people, or that they were universally given to wickedness. The fact was true that they had killed the prophets, etc.; 1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 18:13; but the inference which Elijah…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-32n this section, Paul addresses a serious question. Many Jews did not believe in Jesus. If God had promised salvation to Israel, how could Jesus truly fulfill God’s plan when so few Jews believed (9:1–5)? In response, Paul uses the Old Testament to show that God always planned to save only a remnant, that is, a smaller group within Israel (9:6–29). Paul also explains that many Jews did not accept Christ because they refused to trust in him (9:30–10:21)…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-42-4. God hath--"did" not cast away his people--that is, wholly which he foreknew--On the word "foreknew," see on Ro 8:29. Wot--that is, "Know" ye not that the scripture saith of--literally, "in," that is, in the section which relates to Elias? how he maketh intercession--"pleadeth" against Israel--(The word "saying," which follows, as also the particle "and" before "digged down," should be omitted, as without manuscript authority).Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 11:3
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries