New Living Translation
Romans 11:22
22Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.
Romans 11:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
- New International Version (NIV)Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
Context of Romans 11:22
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. 21For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
Read all of Romans 11Romans 11:22 word by word
Ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν θεοῦ· ἐπὶ μὲν τοὺς πεσόντας ἀποτομία, ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ χρηστότης θεοῦ, ἐὰν ἐπιμένῃς τῇ χρηστότητι· ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ ἐκκοπήσῃ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
- Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- the goodnessχρηστότηςchrēstotēs · kindnessG5544
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- severityἀποτομίαapotomia · severityG663
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- them which fellπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
- butδέde · thenG1161
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- thou continueἐπιμένωepimenō · to remain/keep onG1961
- otherwiseἐπείepei · sinceG1893
- shalt be cut offἐκκόπτωekkoptō · to preventG1581
Cross-references for Romans 11:22
- Romans 2:4Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
- Romans 9:22In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.
- Numbers 14:18‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’
- Deuteronomy 32:39Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!
- Joshua 23:15But as surely as the Lord your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you.
- Psalms 58:10The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
- Psalms 78:49He loosed on them his fierce anger— all his fury, rage, and hostility. He dispatched against them a band of destroying angels.
- Psalms 136:15but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.
- Isaiah 66:14When you see these things, your heart will rejoice. You will flourish like the grass! Everyone will see the Lord’s hand of blessing on his servants— and his anger against his enemies.
- Romans 2:7He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.
- Luke 8:15And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
- John 8:31Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.
- John 15:4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
- Acts 11:23When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.
- Acts 14:22where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.
- 1 Corinthians 15:2It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
Commentaries on Romans 11:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Behold therefore the goodness - The exclamation, Behold the goodness of God! is frequent among the Jewish writers, when they wish to call the attention of men to particular displays of God's mercy, especially towards those who are singularly unworthy. See several instances in Schoettgen. And severity of God - As , goodness, signifies the essential quality of the Divine nature, the fountain of all good to men and angels, so , severity, as it is here…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Behold, therefore - Regard, or contemplate, for purposes of your own improvement and benefit, the dealings of God. We should look on all his dispensations of judgment or of mercy, and derive lessons from all to promote our own steadfast adherence to the faith of the gospel. The goodness - The benevolence or mercy of God toward you in admitting you to his favor. This calls for gratitude, love, confidence. It demands expressions of thanksgiving. It should…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-32Verses 22-32 Of all judgments, spiritual judgments are the sorest; of these the apostle is here speaking. The restoration of the Jews is, in the course of things, far less improbable than the call of the Gentiles to be the children of Abraham; and though others now possess these privileges, it will not hinder their being admitted again. By rejecting the gospel, and by their indignation at its being preached to the Gentiles, the Jews were become enemies to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off: Scripture often teaches that those who remain faithful to the end will be saved. Paul’s warning here has led to different views about what he means. Some understand Paul to be saying that true believers can stop trusting God and therefore fail to be saved in the end. Others think Paul is using the image as a warning and should not be understood in a strict or literal way. From this view…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them that fell, severity--in rejecting the chosen seed. but toward thee, goodness--"God's goodness" is the true reading, that is, His sovereign goodness in admitting thee to a covenant standing who before wert a "stranger to the covenants of promise" (Ep 2:12-20). if thou continue in his goodness--in believing dependence on that pure goodness which made thee what thou art.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 11:22
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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