SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:12
Y si la caída de ellos es la riqueza del mundo, y el menoscabo de ellos, la riqueza de los gentiles, ¿cunto ms lo ser la plenitud de ellos?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 11:12
Verse 12. Now if the fall of them] The English reader may imagine that, because fall is used in both these verses, the original word is the same. But their fall, and the fall of them, is paraptwma, the same word which we render offense, Romans v. 15, 17, 18, and might be rendered lapse. Whereas that they should fall (ver. 11) is, ina peswsi. Now, piptw, to fall, is used in a sense so very emphatical as to signify being slain. So Homer, Il. viii., ver. 475. hmati tw, ot an oi men epi prumnhsi macwntai, steinei en ainotatw, peri patrokloio pesontov? wv gar qesfaton esti.
And for Patroclus slain, the crowded hosts, In narrow space, shall at the ships contend.
Such the divine decree.
And again, Il. xi., ver. 84.
ofra men hwv hn kai aexeto ieron hmar, tofra mal amfoterwn bele hpteto, pipte de laov.
While morning lasted, and the light of day Increased, so long the weapons on both sides Flew in thick vollies; and the people fell. COWPER.
It is well known, that to fall in battle means to be killed. It is in such a sense as this that St. Paul used the word fall, when he says, Have they stumbled that they should FALL? He means a fall quite destructive and ruinous; whereas by their fall, and the fall of them, he means no more than such a lapse as was recoverable; as in the case of Adam's offense. See Dr. Taylor.
The riches of the world] If, in consequence of their unbelief, the riches of God's grace and goodness be poured out on the whole Gentile world, how much more shall that dispensation of grace and mercy enrich and aggrandize the Gentiles, which shall bring the whole body of the Jews to the faith of the Gospel! Here the apostle supposes, or rather predicts, that such a dispensation shall take place; and that, therefore, the Jews have not so stumbled as to be finally irrecoverable.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world , etc..] By the world, as is clear from the next clause, is meant the Gentiles; who were frequently called so by the Jews, who reckoned themselves to be the church, and all the nations round about them, the world; which observation may serve to illustrate other passages of Scripture; (see John 3:16 2 Corinthians 5:19 1 John 2:2); now the fall of the Jews, which was a lessening of them, was the riches of the Gentiles; and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles ; the number of the true believers in Christ among them were very few, the generality of them received him not, but stumbled at him, and fell through unbelief; but the few that did believe were the means of carrying and spreading the Gospel, which is, the unsearchable riches of Christ, ( Ephesians 3:8), in the Gentile world: thus at first a persecution being raised against the church at Jerusalem, the ministers of the Gospel were scattered abroad, and went everywhere preaching the word; and afterwards the Jews behaving in a very indecent manner towards the apostles of Christ, they turned in a manner wholly to the Gentiles; and thus by the means of a few, a diminutive company, of which the Apostle Paul was one, the Gospel, the pearl of great price, treasure hid in a field, and put into earthen vessels, was carried into the Heathen world, and by it they were enriched. This handful of men that went out of Judea, were the means of converting vast numbers, large multitudes of souls among the Gentiles, which may be also designed by riches: this word sometimes signifying plenty, see ( Romans 2:4); and also of enriching them with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, and of directing them to Christ, who has durable riches, treasures of wisdom and knowledge, riches of grace, and riches of glory. Now the apostle argues, that if such a small number of the Jews who embraced Christ, were of so much advantage to the Gentiles, how much more their fulness ? when converts to Christ among them will be as the sand of the sea, a nation of them shall be born again at once, and all Israel be saved. This will be a great accession to the Gentile church, bring much glory to it, contribute greatly to its welfare, and be a means of establishing their faith, and of putting fresh life and vigour into them, and of inspiring them with more zeal for Christ, and for his honour and glory.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-21 - The gospel is the greatest riches of every place where it is. A therefore the righteous rejection of the unbelieving Jews, was the occasion of so large a multitude of the Gentiles being reconciled to God, and at peace with him; the future receiving of the Jews into the church would be such a change, as would resemble a general resurrectio of the dead in sin to a life of righteousness. Abraham was as the roo of the church. The Jews continued branches of this tree till, as nation, they rejected the Messiah; after that, their relation to Abraham and to God was, as it were, cut off. The Gentiles were grafte into this tree in their room; being admitted into the church of God Multitudes were made heirs of Abraham's faith, holiness an blessedness. It is the natural state of every one of us, to be wild by nature. Conversion is as the grafting in of wild branches into the goo olive. The wild olive was often ingrafted into the fruitful one when it began to decay, and this not only brought forth fruit, but caused the decaying olive to revive and flourish. The Gentiles, of free grace, ha been grafted in to share advantages. They ought therefore to beware of self-confidence, and every kind of pride or ambition; lest, having onl a dead faith, and an empty profession, they should turn from God, an forfeit their privileges. If we stand at all, it is by faith; we ar guilty and helpless in ourselves, and are to be humble, watchful afraid of self-deception, or of being overcome by temptation. Not onl are we at first justified by faith, but kept to the end in tha justified state by faith only; yet, by a faith which is not alone, but which worketh by love to God and man.
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 COND δε 1161 CONJ το 3588 T-NSN παραπτωμα 3900 N-NSN αυτων 846 P-GPM πλουτος 4149 N-NSN κοσμου 2889 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ το 3588 T-NSN ηττημα 2275 N-NSN αυτων 846 P-GPM πλουτος 4149 N-NSN εθνων 1484 N-GPN ποσω 4214 Q-DSN μαλλον 3123 ADV το 3588 T-NSN πληρωμα 4138 N-NSN αυτων 846 P-GPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Diminishing (htthma). The literal translation. Rev. renders loss. Referring apparently to the diminution in numbers of the Jewish people. Other explanations are defeat, impoverishment, injury, minority. Fullness (plhrwma). See on John i. 16. The word may mean that with which anything is filled (1 Cor. x. 26, 28; Matt. ix. 16; Mark vi. 43); that which is filled (Eph. i. 23); possibly the act of filling (Rom. xiii. 10), though this is doubtful. 57 Here in the first sense: the fullness of their number contrasted with the diminution. They will belong as an integral whole to the people of God.
