SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:1
¶ Digo pues: ¿Ha desechado Dios a su pueblo? En ninguna manera. Porque tambin yo soy Israelita, de la simiente de Abraham, de la tribu de Benjamín.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 11:1
Verse 1. I say then, hath God cast away his people?] Has he utterly and finally rejected them? for this is necessarily the apostle's meaning, and is the import of the Greek word apwsato, which signifies to thrust or drive away, from apo, from, and wqew, to thrust or drive; has he thrust them off, and driven them eternally from him? God forbid-by no means. This rejection is neither universal nor final. For I also am an Israelite-I am a regular descendant from Abraham, through Israel or Jacob, and by his son Benjamin. And I stand in the Church of God, and in the peculiar covenant; for the rejection is only of the obstinate and disobedient; for those who believe on Christ, as I have done, are continued in the Church.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. I say then, hath God cast away his people ? etc..] The Alexandrian, copy adds here, whom he foreknew, as in ( Romans 11:2): upon the citation of the above passages out of Moses and Isaiah, relating to the calling of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jews, the apostle saw an objection would arise, which he here takes up from the mouth of an adversary, and proposes it; in which is suggested, that God has cast away all his people the Jews, according to this count; and if so, where is his covenant with Abraham? what is become of his promises? and how is his faithfulness to be accounted for? and what hope can any Israelite have of ever obtaining salvation? than which, nothing can be thought more injurious to God, and absurd in itself. This was an old prejudice of the Jewish nation, and still continues, that God never would, nor has he cast them away, even in their present condition; it is one of the articles of their creed, received by the Karaites f206 , a sect among them, that the blessed God twlgh ynal sam al , hath not cast away the men of the captivity, though they are under the chastisements of God; but it is fit that they should every day obtain salvation by the hands of Messiah, the Son of David. Now to this objection the apostle makes answer; first, in his usual way, God forbid , when anything was objected which was displeasing to him, abhorred by him, which was not agreeable to the perfections of God, to the truth of his word, and promises, and could by no means be admitted of; and next by observing his own case, which was a standing instance to the contrary; for God had chosen him unto eternal salvation, Christ had redeemed him by his blood, and he was effectually called by grace; and as to his eternal state, he had no doubt or scruple about it; and besides, the Lord had made him a minister of the Gospel, had greatly qualified him for that work, had raised him to the high office of an apostle, and had made him very useful to the souls of many, both Jews and Gentiles; and yet he was one of the nation of the Jews, and therefore God had not cast them all away, as the objection insinuates: for I also am an Israelite ; according to the flesh, by lineal descent from Jacob or Israel; (see 2 Corinthians 11:22 Philippians 3:5); as well as in a spiritual sense: of the seed of Abraham ; the grandfather of Israel; the head of the Jewish nation he was, both of his natural and of his spiritual seed, who is the father of us all: of the tribe of Benjamin ; a very little tribe, which in the time of the Judges was near being destroyed, and, upon the return from the captivity of Babylon, was very small, as it was at this time; and yet God had not cast away this, much less all the tribes of Israel.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - There was a chosen remnant of believing Jews, who had righteousness an life by faith in Jesus Christ. These were kept according to the election of grace. If then this election was of grace, it could not be of works, either performed or foreseen. Every truly good disposition in a fallen creature must be the effect, therefore it cannot be the cause of the grace of God bestowed on him. Salvation from the first to the last must be either of grace or of debt. These things are so directl contrary to each other that they cannot be blended together. God glorifies his grace by changing the hearts and tempers of the rebellious. How then should they wonder and praise him! The Jewis nation were as in a deep sleep, without knowledge of their danger, or concern about it; having no sense of their need of the Saviour, or of their being upon the borders of eternal ruin. David, having by the Spirit foretold the sufferings of Christ from his own people, the Jews foretells the dreadful judgments of God upon them for it, Ps 69. Thi teaches us how to understand other prayers of David against his enemies; they are prophecies of the judgments of God, not expression of his own anger. Divine curses will work long; and we have our eye darkened, if we are bowed down in worldly-mindedness.
Greek Textus Receptus
λεγω 3004 5719 V-PAI-1S ουν 3767 CONJ μη 3361 PRT-N απωσατο 683 5662 V-ADI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM θεος 2316 N-NSM τον 3588 T-ASM λαον 2992 N-ASM αυτου 846 P-GSM μη 3361 PRT-N γενοιτο 1096 5636 V-2ADO-3S και 2532 CONJ γαρ 1063 CONJ εγω 1473 P-1NS ισραηλιτης 2475 N-NSM ειμι 1510 5748 V-PXI-1S εκ 1537 PREP σπερματος 4690 N-GSN αβρααμ 11 N-PRI φυλης 5443 N-GSF βενιαμιν 958 N-PRI
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. I say then (legw oun). Then introduces the question as an inference from the whole previous discussion, especially vers. 19-21.Hath God cast away (mh apwsato o Qeov). A negative answer required. "Surely God has not, has He?" The aorist tense points to a definite act. Hence Rev., better, did God cast off. The verb means literally to thrust or shove. Thus Homer, of Sisyphus pushing his stone before him ("Odyssey," xi., 596). Oedipus says: "I charge you that no one shelter or speak to that murderer, but that all thrust him (wqein) from their homes" ("Oedipus Tyrannus," 241).
People (laon). See on 1 Pet. ii. 9; Acts xiii. 17.
An Israelite, etc. See on Philip. iii. 5. Paul adduces his own case first, to show that God has not rejected His people en masse. An Israelite of pure descent, he is, nevertheless a true believer.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
11:1 {I say qen} (legw oun). As in verse #11. oun looks back to #9:16-33 and #10:19-21. {Did God cast off?} (me apwsato ho qeos?). An indignant negative answer is called for by me and emphasized by m genoito (God forbid). Paul refers to the promise in the O.T. made three times: #1Sa 12:22; Ps 94:14 (#Ps 93:14 LXX); #Ps 94:4. First aorist middle indicative (without augment) of apwqew, to push away, to repel, middle, to push away from one as in #Ac 7:27. {For I also} (kai gar eg"). Proof that not all the Jews have rejected Christ. See #Php 3:5 for more of Paul's pedigree.
