Bible Commentaries

Ro 11:1-36.

SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED AND CONCLUDED--THE ULTIMATE INBRINGING OF ALL ISRAEL, TO BE, WITH THE GENTILES, ONE KINGDOM OF GOD ON THE EARTH.

1. I say then, Hath--"Did"

God cast away his people? God forbid--Our Lord did indeed announce that "the kingdom of God should be taken from Israel"

(Mt 21:41);

and when asked by the Eleven, after His resurrection, if He would at that time "restore the kingdom to Israel," His reply is a virtual admission that Israel was in some sense already out of covenant

(Ac 1:9).

Yet here the apostle teaches that, in two respects, Israel was not "cast away"; First, Not totally; Second, Not finally. FIRST, Israel is not wholly cast away.

for I also am an Israelite--See

Php 3:5,

and so a living witness to the contrary.

of the seed of Abraham--of pure descent from the father of the faithful.

of the tribe of Benjamin--

(Php 3:5),

that tribe which, on the revolt of the ten tribes, constituted, with Judah, the one faithful kingdom of God

(1Ki 12:21),

and after the captivity was, along with Judah, the kernel of the Jewish nation

(Ezr 4:1; 10:9).

2-4. 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).

3. and I am left alone--"I only am left."

4. seven thousand, that have not bowed the knee to Baal--not "the image of Baal," according to the supplement of our version.

5. Even so at this present time--"in this present season"; this period of Israel's rejection. (See

Ac 1:7,

Greek).

there is--"there obtains," or "hath remained"

a remnant according to the election of grace--"As in Elijah's time the apostasy of Israel was not so universal as it seemed to be, and as he in his despondency concluded it to be, so now, the rejection of Christ by Israel is not so appalling in extent as one would be apt to think: There is now, as there was then, a faithful remnant; not however of persons naturally better than the unbelieving mass, but of persons graciously chosen to salvation." (See

1Co 4:7; 2Th 2:13).

This establishes our view of the argument on Election in

Ro 9:1-29,

as not being an election of Gentiles in the place of Jews, and merely to religious advantages, but a sovereign choice of some of Israel itself, from among others, to believe and be saved. (See on

Ro 9:6.)

6. And, &c.--better, "Now if it (the election) be by grace, it is no more of works; for [then] grace becomes no more grace: but if it be of works," &c. (The authority of ancient manuscripts against this latter clause, as superfluous and not originally in the text, though strong, is not sufficient, we think, to justify its exclusion. Such seeming redundancies are not unusual with our apostle). The general position here laid down is of vital importance: That there are but two possible sources of salvation--men's works, and God's grace; and that these are so essentially distinct and opposite, that salvation cannot be of any combination or mixture of both, but must be wholly either of the one or of the other. (See on

Ro 4:3,

Note 3.)

7-10. What then?--How stands the fact?

Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for--better, "What Israel is in search of (that is, Justification, or acceptance with God--see on

Ro 9:31);

this he found not; but the election (the elect remnant of Israel) found it, and the rest were hardened," or judicially given over to the "hardness of their own hearts."

8. as it is written--

(Isa 29:10; De 29:4).

God hath given--"gave"

them the spirit of slumber--"stupor"

unto this day--"this present day."