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

16And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. 17But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. 19“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.

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 11:20Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.
• Romans 3:27Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.
• 1 Kings 20:11The king of Israel sent back this answer: “A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.”
• Proverbs 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
• Matthew 26:33Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
• Luke 18:9Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:
• 1 Corinthians 10:12If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.
• Romans 4:16So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.
• Zechariah 8:20“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.
• John 10:16I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
• Galatians 3:29And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.
• Ephesians 2:19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.

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