Romans 11:18

Romans 11:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
• New International Version (NIV)do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Context of Romans 11:18

16If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches. 17Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!

Romans 11:18 word by word

μὴ κατακαυχῶ τῶν κλάδων· εἰ δὲ κατακαυχᾶσαι, οὐ σὺ τὴν ῥίζαν βαστάζεις ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ῥίζα σέ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Boastκατακαυχάομαιkatakauchaomai · to boastG2620
• notμήmē · notG3361
• against the branchesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• against the branchesκλάδοςklados · branchG2798
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• bearestβαστάζωbastazō · to carryG941
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the rootῥίζαrhiza · rootG4491
• butἀλλάalla · butG235

Cross-references for Romans 11:18

• Romans 11:20Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!
• Romans 3:27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded! By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith!
• 1 Kings 20:11The king of Israel replied, “Tell him the one who puts on his battle gear should not boast like one who is taking it off.”
• Proverbs 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
• Matthew 26:33Peter said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!”
• Luke 18:9Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.
• 1 Corinthians 10:12So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.
• Romans 4:16For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
• Zechariah 8:20The Lord who rules over all says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people – residents of many cities – will come.
• John 10:16I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd.
• Galatians 3:29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
• Ephesians 2:19So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

Commentaries on Romans 11:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Boast not against the branches - While you are ready to acknowledge that you were included in the covenant made with Abraham, and are now partakers of the same blessings with him, do not exult over, much less insult, the branches, his present descendants, whose place you now fill up, according to the election of grace: for remember, ye are not the root, nor do ye bear the root, but the root bears you. You have not been the means of deriving any blessing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Boast not … - The tendency of people is to triumph over one that is fallen and rejected. The danger of pride and boasting on account of privileges is not less in the church than elsewhere. Paul saw that some of the Gentiles might be in danger of exultation over the fallen Jews, and therefore cautions them against it. The ingrafted shoot, deriving all its vigor and fruitfulness from the stock of another tree, ought not to boast against the branches. But if…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. 18You do not support the root, but the root supports you: When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, most of its members were not Jewish. This was common in many early Christian communities. Because Gentiles had become the majority, some began to boast about their place in God’s people. Some also looked down on Jews and on Israel’s religious heritage. Paul corrects this attitude. He reminds Gentile believers that they share in God’s blessings only because they…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-1817-18. And if--rather, "But if"; that is, "If notwithstanding this consecration of Abraham's race to God. some of the branches--The mass of the unbelieving and rejected Israelites are here called "some," not, as before, to meet Jewish prejudice (see on Ro 3:3, and on "not all" in Ro 10:16), but with the opposite view of checking Gentile pride. and thou, being a wild olive, wert--"wast" grafted in among them--Though it is more usual to graft the superior…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 11:18

• Boasting
• Gentiles
• Grafting
• Humility
• Olive
• Pride
• Reprobacy
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Cast
• Church
• Conclude
• Dark
• Depth
• Election
• Emulation
• Grace
• Graft
• Judgment

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