Romans 11:11

Romans 11:11

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

a. NLT: Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.

b. NIV: Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

c. YLT: I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation is to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: So I ask, Have they stumbled so as to fall [to their utter spiritual ruin, irretrievably]? By no means! But through their false step and transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel [to see and feel what they forfeited] and so to make them jealous.

e. Worrell Translation: I say, then, did they stumble, that they might fall? It could not be! But by their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles to provoke them to rivalry.

f. Wuest Translation: I say then, Surely, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? Away with the thought. But through the instrumentality of their fall salvation has come to the gentiles with a view to provoking them [Israel] to jealously

1.  “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall...”

a. I say [Strong: 3004 lego leg'-o a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas 2036 and 5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while 4483 is properly to break silence merely, and 2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:--ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]

b. then [Strong: 3767 oun oon apparently a primary word; (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly:--and (so, truly), but, now (then), so (likewise then), then, therefore, verily, wherefore.]

c. [Strong: 3361 me may a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

d. Have they stumbled [Strong: 4417 ptaio ptah'-yo a form of 4098; to trip, i.e. (figuratively) to err, sin, fail (of salvation):--fall, offend, stumble.]

e. that [Strong: 2443 hina hin'-ah probably from the same as the former part of 1438 (through the demonstrative idea; compare 3588); in order that (denoting the purpose or the result):--albeit, because, to the intent (that), lest, so as, (so) that, (for) to.]

f. they should fall [Strong: 4098 pipto pip'-to, a reduplicated and contracted form of peto pet'-o; (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses); probably akin to 4072 through the idea of alighting; to fall (literally or figuratively):--fail, fall (down), light on.] [Thayer: to descend from a higher place to a lower, to fall (either from or upon), to be thrust down, metaph. to fall under judgment, came under condemnation, to fall out, fall from i.e. shall perish or be lost, to fail of participating in, miss a share in, to perish, i.e come to an end, disappear, cease.]

2. “…God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles…”

a. God forbid [Strong: 3361 me may a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

b. [StrongL 1096 ginomai ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

c. but [Strong: 235 alla al-lah' neuter plural of 243; properly, other things, i.e. (adverbially) contrariwise (in many relations):--and, but (even), howbeit, indeed, nay, nevertheless, no, notwithstanding, save, therefore, yea, yet.]

d. [rather] through their [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

e. fall [Strong: 3900 paraptoma par-ap'-to-mah from 3895; a side-slip (lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression:--fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass.] [Thayer:  to fall beside or near something, a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness, a sin, misdeed.]

f. salvation [Strong: 4991 soteria so-tay-ree'-ah feminine of a derivative of 4990 as (properly, abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally):--deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.]

g. [is come] unto [Strong: 3588  ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

h. the Gentiles [Strong: 1484 ethnos eth'-nos probably from 1486; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan):--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

3. “…for to provoke them to jealousy.”

a. for to [Strong: 1519 eis ice a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

b. provoke…to jealously [Strong: 3863 parazeloo par-ad-zay-lo'-o from 3844 and 2206; to stimulate alongside, i.e. excite to rivalry:--provoke to emulation (jealousy).]

c. them [Strong: 846  846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

1). This was first mentioned in Deuteronomy by God speaking concerning Israel’s idolatry. At first glimpse it appears that Moses is doing the talking but Moses was writing what God was giving him to write. In this verse the Apostle Paul is quoting Deuteronomy.

a). Deuteronomy 32:21 They have moved me to jealously with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealously with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

2). Deuteronomy 32:21 is fascinating because God himself is saying he will do this to Israel. He will provoke them to jealousy and anger. The context shows that what God uses to provoke Israel with is the gospel. The “foolish nation” who are “no people” that God uses to provoke Israel with is the Gentiles, i.e., non Jews. We can see this in a number of places within the Book of Acts.

a). Acts 13:44-50 And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many were ordained to eternal life believed.

13:49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout the region.

13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.”

(1) envy [Strong: 2205 zelos dzay'-los from 2204; properly, heat, i.e. (figuratively) "zeal" (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband (figuratively, of God), or an enemy, malice):--emulation, envy(-ing), fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal.] [Zodhiates: To be hot, fervent. Used in a good sense but more often used in an evil sense.] [Vines: “…is always translated “jealously” in the R.V.”]

(2) Acts 13:45 New Revised Standard Version  “But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealously; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul.”

(3) We can see this prophecy of the Lords becoming reality in the following passages: Acts 17:5-9; Acts 17:12-13; and Acts 28:17-29.

3). This prophetic event was spoken of in the Law and in the Prophets: See Jeremiah 16:19-21.

a). Jeremiah 16:19-21  O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.

16:20 Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?

16:21 Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.