ROM 11:21 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT For if God did not spare of the natural branches, neither will he spare of you.

UST You should fear God because he did not show pity to the faithless Jewish people, who are like natural branches. So, he will not show pity to you non-Jewish people if you stop trusting in Jesus!

BSB For if God {did} not spare the natural branches, {He will} certainly not[fn] spare you [either].

11:21 Or He will perhaps not; SBL, NE, and WH He will not

BLB For if God did not at all spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.

AICNT for if God did not spare the natural branches, [perhaps][fn] he will not spare you either.

11:21, perhaps: 𝔓46 D(05) NA28[] BYZ TR ‖ Absent from some manuscripts. ℵ(01) A(02) B(03) C(04) SBLGNT THGNT

OEB For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

WEBBE for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.

LSV for if God did not spare the natural branches—lest perhaps He also will not spare you.

FBV because if God didn't spare the original branches, he won't spare you either.

TCNT For if God did not spare the natural branches, [fn]perhaps he will not spare yoʋ either.

11:21 perhaps he will not spare yoʋ either ¦ neither will he spare yoʋ SBL TH WH

T4T Since God did not spare the unbelieving Jews [MET] who were like a tree’s natural branches, he will not spare any of you if you do not keep trusting in him!

LEB For if God did not spare the _⌊natural_⌋[fn] branches, neither will he spare you.[fn]

11:21 Literally “according to nature”

11:21 Some manuscripts have “perhaps he will not spare you either”

BBE For, if God did not have mercy on the natural branches, he will not have mercy on you.

Moff For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Wymth Do not be puffed up with pride. Tremble rather—for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.

ASV for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee.

DRA For if God hath not spared the natural branches, fear lest perhaps he also spare not thee.

YLT for if God the natural branches did not spare — lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee.

Drby if [fn]God indeed has not spared the natural branches; lest it might be he spare not thee either.

11.21 Elohim

RV for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee.
(for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee/you. )

SLT For if God spared not the young shoots according to nature, how will he either spare thee.

Wbstr For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

KJB-1769 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
(For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee/you. )

KJB-1611 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heede least hee also spare not thee.
(For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed least he also spare not thee/you.)

Bshps For seyng that God spared not the naturall braunches take heede lest it come to passe, that he spare not thee.
(For seeing that God spared not the natural branches take heed lest it come to pass, that he spare not thee/you.)

Gnva For if God spared not the naturall branches, take heede, least he also spare not thee.
(For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed, least he also spare not thee/you. )

Cvdl Be not thou hye mynded, but feare, seynge God hath not spared the naturall braunches, lest he also spare not the.
(Be not thou/you high minded, but fear, seeing God hath/has not spared the natural branches, lest he also spare not them.)

TNT seynge that God spared not the naturall braunches lest haply he also spare not the.
(seeing that God spared not the natural branches lest happily he also spare not them. )

Wycl but drede thou, for if God sparide not the kyndli braunchis, lest perauenture he spare not thee.
(but dread thou/you, for if God spared not the kyndli branches, lest peradventure/perhaps he spare not thee/you.)

Luth Hat GOtt der natürlichen Zweige nicht verschonet, daß er vielleicht dein auch nicht verschone.
(Hat God the/of_the natural branches(n) not spared, that he perhaps your(s) also not verschone.)

ClVg Si enim Deus naturalibus ramis non pepercit: ne forte nec tibi parcat.
(When/But_if because God naturalibus branches not/no pepercit: not perhaps but_not to_you spare. )

UGNT εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται.
(ei gar ho Theos tōn kata fusin kladōn ouk efeisato, oude sou feisetai.)

SBL-GNT εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ⸀οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται.
(ei gar ho theos tōn kata fusin kladōn ouk efeisato, ⸀oude sou feisetai.)

RP-GNT εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, μήπως οὐδέ σου φείσεται.
(ei gar ho theos tōn kata fusin kladōn ouk efeisato, maʸpōs oude sou feisetai.)

TC-GNT εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, [fn]μήπως οὐδὲ σοῦ [fn]φείσεται.
(ei gar ho Theos tōn kata fusin kladōn ouk efeisato, maʸpōs oude sou feisetai. )

11:21 μηπως ¦ — SBL TH WH

11:21 φεισεται ¦ φεισηται TR

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Jews and Gentiles

One of the key themes of the New Testament is that God has incorporated Gentiles into the people of God while remaining faithful to his promises to Israel. In Romans 11:11-32, Paul describes God’s plan to save all nations in four distinct stages:

1. The Good News is proclaimed to the Jews, who respond (mostly) with unbelief. Using the metaphor of an olive tree, Paul says that “some of these branches from Abraham’s tree . . . have been broken off” (11:17). This stage was already a matter of history and personal experience for Paul—although he shared the Good News with Jews in synagogues all over the eastern Mediterranean basin, many Jews rejected the message (see Acts 13:42-49; 18:4-6; 28:23-28).

2. Many Gentiles respond to the message with faith. As the natural branches were broken off, “branches from a wild olive tree have been grafted in” (Rom 11:17). After being resisted in the synagogues, Paul and the other apostles offered salvation to the Gentiles, and many responded affirmatively (see Acts 13:48-49; 26:15-18). By the time Paul wrote Romans, the church in Rome was largely a Gentile community.

3. Many Jews respond to the Good News with faith. The natural branches are able to be “grafted in again” (Rom 11:23). Paul argues that the Jews are not “beyond recovery” and are capable of turning to Christ (11:11). Paul’s hope is that, as Gentiles enjoy the blessings of salvation, Jews would become jealous and respond to the Good News (11:11-15).

4. God pours out great blessing on the world, including the resurrection from the dead. Paul indicates that when the Jews turn to the Lord in greater numbers, it will be a tremendous blessing for the world (11:12, 15). Those who accept God’s offer of salvation—both Jew and Gentile—experience new life (see 11:15) and in the future will experience the resurrection from the dead (see 1 Cor 15:20-26). The end of history will see a great community of both Jews and Gentiles praising God for his mercy. Then all people will see and understand the great wisdom and love of God (Rom 11:33-36).

Passages for Further Study

Deut 7:7-8; 32:19-21; Isa 9:1-3; 49:6; Matt 4:15-16; 8:10-12; 15:21-28; Luke 21:20-24; Acts 2:38-39; 10:45-46; 11:12-18; 13:42-49; 18:4-6; 26:15-18; 28:23-28; Rom 1:5-6, 16-17; 2:9-10, 24-27; 3:9, 29-30; 9:25-33; 10:11-13; 11:11-36; 15:7-13, 27; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 2:8-21; 3:8-9, 26-29; Eph 2:11-22; 3:6; Col 3:11

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 11:11–24: Do not be arrogant toward Jews who do not believe in Jesus

In this section, Paul asked his readers if God has rejected the Jews forever. He answered his own question, indicating that God has not. At that time many Jews rejected Jesus as the Christ/Messiah. As a result, God made the message about Jesus known to people who were not Jews. But God will one day include the Jews and save them through Jesus too.

Paul then spoke directly to the believers who were not Jews. He said that he boasted about his ministry to the non-Jews so as to make the Jews jealous of the results of his ministry among the Gentiles. Then maybe some would be curious and begin believing in Jesus. When God accepts their faith in Jesus, it will be like they rose from the dead.

Paul then used some metaphors to illustrate his point that God has not rejected forever the Jews who, at that time, did not believe in Jesus as the Christ. He showed that if some Jews were holy, then all were, in the same way that a part of a batch of dough represents the whole batch. And the branches of a tree that is holy are themselves holy, even if they have been broken off to allow branches from a different tree to be joined into the trunk. He used the picture of the branches of that different tree to represent the believers who were not Jews.

He reminded the believers who were not Jews of God’s kindness toward them. He told them to always be mindful of that kindness rather than being proud of themselves. He warned them that God is able to do to them as he did to the Jews who do not believe in Jesus, if they became proud of themselves.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

Do not look down on Jews who have not accepted Jesus as the Christ

Many Gentiles believing in Jesus will make the Jews want that blessing too

11:21a

For if God did not spare the natural branches,

For if God did not protect the original/first branches,
because God removed some of the branches belonging to the tree,

For: This word introduces a reason that a believer should fear.

if: Here the word if introduces a situation that is true. If this first part is true, that supports the second part (God will not spare the readers if they no longer believe in Jesus (11:20b)) to also be true.

In some languages, translating literally here would have a different meaning. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:

if it is true that God did not spare the natural branches

God did not spare the natural branches, so he will not spare you, if you stop believing in him

spare: The word spare refers to preventing harm or trouble coming to someone. Here this phrase indicates that God did not protect the Jews who did not believe in Jesus from the consequences of that unbelief. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

did not hold back from harm

did not protect

See how you translated this word in 8:32.

the natural branches: This refers to the same branches as in 11:19. These branches are natural because they belonged to the tree. They grew from the tree. They are not the grafted-in branches. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

the original branches (NLT)

the true branches

the branches belonging to the tree

11:21b

He will certainly not spare you either.

in the same way he will not protect you^(sing).
so similarly he will remove you^(plur), if you stop believing in Christ.

He will certainly not spare you: This clause implies the same condition as the natural branches. If the readers of this letter become unbelieving like some Jews were, God will not spare these readers either. In some languages all or some of that information needs to be explicit to make the translation clear. For example:

if you do not believe in Christ he will part from youOtomi Back Translation on TW.

he certainly will break you off too if you abandon (lit. drop) your belief-in/obeying-of himTagbanwa Back Translation on TW.

either: Here this word means “similarly not.” In the same way that God did not spare the Jews who did not believe, he will also not spare Gentile believers if they stop believing.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ὁ Θεός τῶν κατά φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο οὐδέ σοῦ φείσεται)

For indicates that what follows this word explains what came before it. Here, For introduces the reason why Paul wants his Gentile Christian readers to “fear,” as stated in the previous verse. Use a natural way in your language for indicating a reason. Alternate translation: [You must fear because]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ

See how you translated if in [11:12](../11/12.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων

˱from˲_the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ὁ Θεός τῶν κατά φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο οὐδέ σοῦ φείσεται)

Here,natural branches refers to the Jewish people who rejected Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: [of the unbelieving Jews]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Γάρ ὁ Θεός τῶν κατά φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο οὐδέ σοῦ φείσεται)

Paul implies that God will not spare anyone who stops trusting in Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [neither will he spare you if you do not keep trusting in Jesus]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / youcrowd

σοῦ

˱from˲_you

See how you translated you in [11:17–20](../11/17.md).

Parallel ROM 11:21

Section 11:11–24: Do not be arrogant toward Jews who do not believe in Jesus

11:21a

11:21b