Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 11:26
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
26. And so all Israel shall be saved ] Several interpretations of these words are in themselves legitimate. They may refer (A) to the natural Israel, the Jews; or (B) to the “Israel of God,” the true Church of Christ. Again, if the reference (A) is adopted, the prophecy may mean ( a) that then all the elect of Israel shall at length be gathered in the long process shall at length be complete; or ( b) that every individual of the then generation of Jews shall be brought to Messiah’s grace; or ( c) that “all” bears a less exact reference here, as so often in Scripture, and means “in general;” “Israel in general, the Jews of that day as a great aggregate, on a scale unknown before, shall be saved.”
Of these various possibilities we prefer on the whole (A. c,) as the most in accord with the context, and with the analogy of Scripture. The explanation (B) is in itself entirely true: the final glory and triumph of the Gospel will surely be, not specially the salvation of the Jews, but that of the Universal Church the immortal Bride of the King Eternal. And it is extremely important to remember the full recognition in Scripture of all its true members as the “ seed of Abraham ” (Gal 3:29). But this is not the truth exactly in point here, where St Paul is dealing with the special prospect of a time when “blindness in part” will no longer characterize Jews as Jews. And the “Israel” of Rom 11:25 is probably the Israel of Rom 11:26, as no distinction is suggested in the interval. Again, the reference marked (A. a), though perfectly true in itself, is less likely here because in Rom 11:15; Rom 11:25, we have had already a prediction of a restoration of Jews, en masse, to grace; whereas the process of gathering in the elect of all ages is continuous, and thus, on the whole, gradual. Again, the reference marked (A. b), though the Divine Plan may, of course, intend no less, is far from analogous to the main teaching of Scripture as to the developements (even the largest) of grace in this world. On the whole, then, we adopt the interpretation which explains the sentence as predicting the conversion of some generation or generations of Jews, a conversion so real and so vastly extensive that unbelief shall be the small exception at the most, and that Jews as such shall everywhere be recognized as true Christians, lights in the world, and salt on the earth.
There shall come out of Sion, &c.] In the following quotation St Paul more or less combines, as often, (see e.g. Rom 3:10-18,) several O. T. prophecies; with this for the main purport, that one ultimate result of the coming of Messiah should be the gift of grace to the Jews. In Isa 59:20-21, we have in the Heb., “And there shall come a Redeemer for Zion, and for them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord: As for me, this is my covenant with them.” In Isa 27:9; “This is all the fruit [of God’s dealings, namely] to take away his [Jacob’s] sin.” In Psa 14:7 (LXX. Rom 13:7); “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!” In Isa 59:20 the LXX. has, “There shall come for Sion’s sake the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” In Isa 27:9 it has, “This is his blessing, when I shall take away his sin.”
St Paul seems to have woven into one Isa 59:20 and Psa 14:7, and to have completed the sentence from Isa 27:9. In the last clause of Rom 11:26 here he adopts the LXX., because, though it represents the Heb. inexactly, the substantial meaning is untouched: the Redeemer’s coming shall be “for,” “for the benefit of,” those who turn from sin, by being the cause of their so doing; He shall thus turn sin from them, in the sense of removing its guilt and breaking its power.
shall come out of Sion ] Here probably the reference is to the First Advent. Q. d., “It stands foretold that the Appearance of Messiah, of the seed of David, shall result in the subdual of the unbelief and rebellion of Jacob, and the bringing in of a covenant for him of final pardon and peace. Now Messiah has appeared; therefore, how slow soever the fulfilment be as yet, the remainder of this great promise must be drawing on: Israel shall yet be saved.” The words have been often explained to foretel a future Coming of the Redeemer, whether literal or figurative, to work the conversion of Israel on a great scale. But the explanation above is fully sufficient for the argument, and (to say the least) more in accord with St Paul’s general teaching as to the future Coming of the Lord.
the Deliverer ] the Rescuer; same word as 1Th 1:10, “who rescueth us from the wrath to come.” Heb. “ Goel; ” the Avenger of a Kinsman; hence generally the strong friend who rescues the weak.
ungodliness ] Lit. impieties. Perhaps omit the “and” before “shall turn away.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And so – That is, in this manner; or when the great abundance of the Gentiles shall be converted, then all Israel shall be saved.
All Israel – All the Jews. It was a maxim among the Jews that every Israelite should have part in the future age. (Grotius.) The apostle applies that maxim to his own purpose; and declares the sense in which it would be true. He does not mean to say that every Jew of every age would be saved; for he had proved that a large portion of them would be, in his time, rejected and lost. But the time would come when, as a people, they would be recovered; when the nation would turn to God; and when it could be said of them that, as a nation, they were restored to the divine favor. It is not clear that he means that even then every individual of them would be saved, but the body of them; the great mass of the nation would be. Nor is it said when this would be. This is one of the things which the Father hath put in his own power; Act 1:7. He has given us the assurance that it shall be done to encourage us in our efforts to save them; and he has concealed the time when it shall be, lest we should relax our efforts, or feel that no exertions were needed to accomplish what must take place at a fixed time.
Shall be saved – Shall be recovered from their rejection; be restored to the divine favor; become followers of the Messiah, and thus be saved as all other Christians are.
As it is written – Isa 59:20. The quotation is not literally made, but the sense of the passage is preserved. The Hebrew is, There shall come to Zion a Redeemer, and for those who turn from ungodliness in Jacob. There can be no doubt that Isaiah refers here to the times of the gospel.
Out of Zion – Zion was one of the bills of Jerusalem. On this was built the city of David. It came thus to denote, in general, the church, or people of God. And when it is said that the Redeemer should come out of Zion, it means that he should arise among that people, be descended from themselves, or should not be a foreigner. The Septuagint, however render it, the Redeemer shall come on account of Zion. So the Chaldee paraphrase, and the Latin Vulgate.
And shall turn away … – The Hebrew is, to those forsaking un godliness in Jacob. The Septuagint has rendered it in the same manner as the apostle.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. And so all Israel shall be saved] Shall be brought into the way of salvation, by acknowledging the Messiah; for the word certainly does not mean eternal glory; for no man can conceive that a time will ever come in which every Jew then living, shall be taken to the kingdom of glory. The term saved, as applied to the Israelites in different parts of the Scripture, signifies no more than their being gathered out of the nations of the world, separated to God, and possessed of the high privilege of being his peculiar people. And we know that this is the meaning of the term, by finding it applied to the body of the Israelites when this alone was the sum of their state. See the Preface, page viii, c.
As it is written] The apostle supports what he advances on this head by a quotation from Scripture, which, in the main, is taken from Isa 59:20: The Deliverer shall come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Now this cannot be understood of the manifestation of Christ among the Jews or of the multitudes which were converted before, at, and for some time after, the day of pentecost; for these times were all past when the apostle wrote this epistle, which was probably about the 57th or 58th year of our Lord; and, as no remarkable conversion of that people has since taken place, therefore the fulfilment of this prophecy is yet to take place. In what manner Christ is to come out of Zion, and in what way or by what means he is to turn away transgression from Jacob, we cannot tell; and to attempt to conjecture, when the time, occasion, means, &c., are all in mystery, would be more than reprehensible.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Here is a third and chief part of the aforementioned mystery, that in the end,
all Israel shall be saved. By Israel is not meant the whole church of God, consisting of Jews and Gentiles; so that word is used, Gal 6:16, and elsewhere; for then, what he spake would have been no mystery at all: but by Israel here (as in the precedent verse) you must understand, the nation and people of the Jews. And by
all Israel is not meant every individual Israelite, but many, or (it may be) the greatest part of them. So all is to be taken in Scripture: see Joh 6:45; 1Ti 2:6, and elsewhere. Look, as when he speaks of the conversion of the Gentiles, and the coming in of their fulness, there are many (too many of them) still unconverted; so, notwithstanding the general calling of the Jews, a great many of them may remain uncalled.
As it is written; the apostle had this by revelation, but he proves it also by Scripture. All are not agreed from whence these testimonies are taken; the former is found (with some little variation) in Isa 59:20; as for the latter, some think it is taken from Jer 31:33. Others think, that he joineth two places in Isaiah together, (as he did before, Rom 11:8), and the last words are taken out of Isa 27:9. The Seventy have the very words used by the apostle. These prophecies and promises, though they were in part fulfilled when Christ came in the flesh, {see Act 3:26} yet there will be a more full and complete accomplishment thereof upon the Jewish nation and people towards the end of the world.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26, 27. And so all Israel shall besavedTo understand this great statement, as some still do,merely of such a gradual inbringing of individual Jews, thatthere shall at length remain none in unbelief, is to do manifestviolence both to it and to the whole context. It can only mean theultimate ingathering of Israel as a nation, in contrast withthe present “remnant.” (So THOLUCK,MEYER, DEWETTE, PHILIPPI,ALFORD, HODGE).Three confirmations of this now follow: two from the prophets, and athird from the Abrahamic covenant itself. First, as it iswritten, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and
shallor, according towhat seems the true reading, without the “and””Heshall”
turn away ungodliness fromJacobThe apostle, having drawn his illustrations of man’ssinfulness chiefly from Psa 14:1-7;Isa 59:1-21, now seems tocombine the language of the same two places regarding Israel’ssalvation from it [BENGEL].In the one place the Psalmist longs to see the “salvation ofIsrael coming out of Zion” (Ps14:7); in the other, the prophet announces that “theRedeemer (or, ‘Deliverer’) shall come to (or ‘for‘)Zion” (Isa 59:20). But asall the glorious manifestations of Israel’s God were regarded asissuing out of Zion, as the seat of His manifested glory (Psa 20:2;Psa 110:2; Isa 31:9),the turn which the apostle gives to the words merely adds to themthat familiar idea. And whereas the prophet announces that He “shallcome to (or, ‘for‘) them that turn from transgressionin Jacob,” while the apostle makes Him say that He shall come”to turn away ungodliness from Jacob,” this is takenfrom the Septuagint version, and seems to indicate a differentreading of the original text. The sense, however, is substantiallythe same in both. Second,
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And so all Israel shall be saved,…. Meaning not the mystical spiritual Israel of God, consisting both of Jews and Gentiles, who shall appear to be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation, when all God’s elect among the latter are gathered in, which is the sense many give into; but the people of the Jews, the generality of them, the body of that nation, called “the fulness” of them, Ro 11:12, and relates to the latter day, when a nation of them shall be born again at once; when, their number being as the sand of the sea, they shall come up out of the lands where they are dispersed, and appoint them one head, Christ, and great shall be the day of Jezreel; when they as a body, even the far greater part of them that shall be in being, shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their King; shall acknowledge Jesus to be the true Messiah, and shall look to him, believe on him, and be saved by him from wrath to come. There is a common saying among them c, , “all Israel shall have a part”, or “portion in the world to come”; and in support of this they usually produce the passage in Isa 60:21: “thy people also shall be all righteous”: yea, they even go so far as to say d,
“that hell fire will have no power over the transgressors of Israel;”
fancying, that every individual person of their nation will be saved; though they sometimes except such who deny the resurrection of the dead, and that the law is from heaven, or is an epicure, and he that reads foreign books, or is an enchanter, or pronounces the ineffable name: but the apostle is not to be understood with such a latitude; he refers to the last times, and to a very general conversion of them to the Messiah:
as it is written, Isa 59:20:
there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer: the words of the prophet are, “and the Redeemer shall come to Zion”: by the Redeemer, or Deliverer, words of the same signification, is meant the Messiah, as the Jews e themselves own, and apply this passage to him; who is the “Goel”, or near kinsman of his people, to whom the right of their redemption belongs as man; and who as God was able to effect it, and, as God-man and Mediator, was every way qualified for it, and has obtained it for them: and whereas, in the prophet Isaiah, he is said to “come to”, and by the apostle, “out of Zion”, this may be reconciled by observing, that the servile letter sometimes signifies “from”, as well as to, when it is put in the room of ; of which instances may be given, as Ex 16:1 compared with
2Ch 11:4. Besides, the Messiah was to come out of Zion, as well as to come to it, according to Ps 14:7; so that the apostle fitly expresses the faith and expectation of the old Jewish church in this citation:
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; in the prophet it is, “and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob”, Isa 59:20. The apostle follows the translation of the Septuagint, and which is favoured by the Chaldee paraphrase, which runs thus; “the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to turn the rebellious ones of the house of Jacob to the law”; so that the Jew f has no reason to charge the apostle with a perversion of the prophet’s words, when they are cited so agreeably to their own Targumist: and the sense of them relates not to what Christ did on the cross, when the iniquities of his people were laid on him, and he bore them, and removed them all in one day from them; but to what he will do to the Jews in the latter day, in consequence thereof; he will convince them of their ungodliness, give them repentance for it and remission of it.
c Misn. Sanhedrin c. 11. sect. 1. d T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 19. 1. & Chagiga, fol. 27. 1. e Aben Ezra in loc. T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 1. f R. Isaac, Chizzuk Emuna, par. 2. c. 81.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And so ( ). By the complement of the Gentiles stirring up the complement of the Jews (verses 11f.).
All Israel ( ). What does Paul mean? The immediate context (use of in contrast with , here in contrast with in verse 12) argues for the Jewish people “as a whole.” But the spiritual Israel (both Jews and Gentiles) may be his idea in accord with 9:6 (Ga 6:16) as the climax of the argument. At any rate we should strive for and pray for the conversion of Jews as a whole. Paul here quotes from Isa 59:20; Isa 27:9.
The Deliverer ( ). Present middle articular participle of , to rescue, to deliver. See on 1Thess 1:10; 2Cor 1:10. The Hebrew Goel, the Avenger, the Messiah, the Redeemer (Deut 25:5-10; Job 19:25; Ruth 3:12). Paul interprets it of Jesus as Messiah.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The deliverer [ ] . The Hebrew is goel redeemer, avenger. The nearest relative of a murdered person, on whom devolved the duty of avenger, was called goel haddam avenger of blood. So the goel was the nearest kinsman of a childless widow, and was required to marry her (Deu 25:5 – 10). It is the word used by Job in the celebrated passage Job 19:25. See, also, Rut 3:12, 13; Rut 4:1 – 10. 5 9
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1 ) “And so all Israel shall be saved,” (kai houtos pas Israel sothesetai) “And thus all Israel will be saved;” Ultimately, in God’s own purpose and time “all Israel” that is Israel, as a nation, not just individual Jews, shall be saved, or delivered from their state of national abandonment under the judgment of God.
2) “As it is written,” (kathos gegraptai) “Just as it has been written,” once again, though inspired in his writings he gave documented statements of formerly given inspired truth, as supporting evidence of God’s dealing with Israel, as follows:
3) “There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,” (heksei ek Sion ho hruomenos) “There will come (of his own accord) out of Sion the delivering one,” the one delivering, liberating, or setting free. He came once, but his own (as a nation) did not receive him, but cried, “let him be crucified,” and he was, Joh 1:11-12; Mat 27:20-25; Luk 23:13; Luk 23:18-23; He is coming again to deliver from the presence as well as power of sin, Psa 14:7.
4) “And shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob,” (apostrepsei asebeias apo lakob) “He will’ turn away ungodliness (impiety) from Jacob;” Psa 53:6; Isa 59:20-21; “yet a little while,” and he that shall come will come, Heb 10:37; Israel received and transmitted the scriptures, then brought forth and rejected the Redeemer, Deu 4:5-8; Rom 3:1-2; Joh 1:11-12; Mat 23:37-39. Her greatest glory, as a restored and regathered and repentant nation, awaits her in the return of Christ and the establishment of the Davidic Covenant in the millennial age, 2Sa 7:8-17; Zec 12:8; Luk 1:32-33; 1Co 15:24.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
26. And so all Israel, etc. Many understand this of the Jewish people, as though Paul had said, that religion would again be restored among them as before: but I extend the word Israel to all the people of God, according to this meaning, — “When the Gentiles shall come in, the Jews also shall return from their defection to the obedience of faith; and thus shall be completed the salvation of the whole Israel of God, which must be gathered from both; and yet in such a way that the Jews shall obtain the first place, being as it were the first-born in God’s family.” This interpretation seems to me the most suitable, because Paul intended here to set forth the completion of the kingdom of Christ, which is by no means to be confined to the Jews, but is to include the whole world. The same manner of speaking we find in Gal 6:16. The Israel of God is what he calls the Church, gathered alike from Jews and Gentiles; and he sets the people, thus collected from their dispersion, in opposition to the carnal children of Abraham, who had departed from his faith.
As it is written, etc. He does not confirm the whole passage by this testimony of Isaiah, (Isa 59:20,) but only one clause, — that the children of Abraham shall be partakers of redemption. But if one takes this view, — that Christ had been promised and offered to them, but that as they rejected him, they were deprived of his grace; yet the Prophet’s words express more, even this, — that there will be some remnant, who, having repented, shall enjoy the favor of deliverance.
Paul, however, does not quote what we read in Isaiah, word for word;
“
come,” he says, “shall a Redeemer to Sion, and to those who shall repent of iniquity in Jacob, saith the Lord.” (Isa 59:20.)
But on this point we need not be very curious; only this is to be regarded, that the Apostles suitably apply to their purpose whatever proofs they adduce from the Old Testament; for their object was to point but passages, as it were by the finger, that readers might be directed to the fountain itself.
But though in this prophecy deliverance to the spiritual people of God is promised, among whom even Gentiles are included; yet as the Jews are the first-born, what the Prophet declares must be fulfilled, especially in them: for that Scripture calls all the people of God Israelites, is to be ascribed to the pre-eminence of that nation, whom God had preferred to all other nations. And then, from a regard to the ancient covenant, he says expressly, that a Redeemer shall come to Sion; and he adds, that he will redeem those in Jacob who shall return from their transgression. (364) By these words God distinctly claims for himself a certain seed, so that his redemption may be effectual in his elect and peculiar nation. And though fitter for his purpose would have been the expression used by the Prophet, “shall come to Sion;” yet Paul made no scruple to follow the commonly received translation, which reads, “The Redeemer shall come forth from Mount Sion.” And similar is the case as to the second part, “He shall turn away iniquities from Jacob:” for Paul thought it enough to regard this point only, — that as it is Christ’s peculiar office to reconcile to God an apostate and faithless people, some change was surely to be looked for, lest they should all perish together.
(364) There is more discrepancy in this reference than any we have met with. The Apostle follows not literally either the Hebrew or the Septuagint, though the latter more than the former. In the Hebrew, it is, “to Sion,” לציון, and in the Septuagint, “for the sake of Sion,” ἕνεκεν Σιών. Then the following clause is given verbatim from the Septuagint, and differs materially from the Hebrew, at least as translated in our version. The Syriac and Chaldee give the verb a causative meaning, so as to make the sense the same as here. But it may be regarded as an infinitive with a pargogic י, and in a transitive sense, which it sometimes has. See 1Kg 2:16; Psa 132:10. If so, the verse will agree with the Apostle’s words, and may be thus rendered, —
Come to Sion shall a deliverer, And to turn away the ungodliness that is in Jacob.
He shall come to Sion, and shall come “to turn away,” etc.; or the ו may be rendered even, “Even to turn away,” etc. This rendering corresponds more than that of our version with the substance of the verse which follows. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) When this ingathering of the Gentiles is complete, then the turn of Israel will come round again, and the prophecies of their conversion will be fulfilled.
There shall come . . .This prophecy is peculiarly appropriate, as it refers to the exiles who had apostatised in Babylon. Then, as now, a part of the nation had remained true, and those who had not would come back to their obedience.
Out of Sion.There is a curious variation here from the original, which is rather, to Sion. The LXX. has for Sioni.e., in the cause of Sion. The Apostle appears to be quoting from memory, and is influenced by a reminiscence of other passages. Zion is the centre and capital of the theocracy, but the Messiah must first take up His abode there before He can issue from it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. All Israel The apostle is speaking of the Israel existing at the time of the blessed plenitude of the Gentiles.
Saved With a present and prospective salvation.
Written Paul evidently begins in his quotation with Isa 59:20, but the rest of his quotation is a blending of different passages as from a mingled memory. From Zion is to Zion in the Hebrew. But the various clauses all taken together suit and authorize his purpose. A deliverer both to Zion and from Zion is to be the Saviour of Jacob.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And in this way all Israel will be saved.’
He had made clear in Rom 11:6 that the elect of Israel had, from God’s point of view, been guaranteed salvation. Now he indicates that once the number of the Gentile elect have been made up, it completes the make up of the true Israel. Thus all Israel will have been saved, including the elect Jews of Rom 11:5, and the elect Gentiles of Rom 11:16-24. Together with the elect Jews, the elect Gentiles will form the true Israel, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16; compare 1Pe 2:9). It is this Israel which is following the Messiah, and which is now seen as true Israel in God’s eyes. The unbelievers are cut off from Israel (even though for convenience sake having the term Israel applied to them by men). It is noteworthy that in the context of chapter 11 the idea of salvation has previously been specifically applied to the Gentiles (Rom 11:11), with an added hope that some Jews will be saved (Rom 11:14). In Rom 10:10 whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. When the idea of salvation is applied to the Jews it is only a remnant who will be saved (Rom 9:27; Rom 11:14). This would serve to confirm that in mind here are a large number of Gentiles combined with a sizeable remnant of the Jews.
The fact that all Israel being saved occurs at the point at which the full number of the Gentiles have ‘come in’, that is, have entered into the olive tree and have thus been saved (Rom 11:11), in itself makes us recognise that this event of the conversion of the last Gentile must be included in the reference to ‘all Israel’. It is difficult to see how the salvation of large numbers of Jews can be seen as following the salvation of the final Gentile. And if they, were how could they be ‘life from the dead’ to the Gentiles (Rom 11:15)? The resurrection surely follows almost immediately on the conversion of the last Gentile. On the other hand, if ‘all Israel’ includes the believing Gentiles then everything fits perfectly. And we would expect this to be so precisely because believing Gentiles have, by believing, become a part of Israel. They have been engrafted into the olive tree.
Thus as we see from our discussion above this sentence signifies that all the redeemed of both Jews and Gentiles, that is all who truly believe in the Messiah, will at this point, at the final consummation, have been saved and will form what is Israel in God’s eyes. God’s work of grace will have been completed. The full number of the elect will have been made up. All that will now remain is the rapture of the saints, the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment (1Th 4:14-18; 1Co 15:52).
It makes little difference from this point of view whether we translate the opening houtos as ‘and then’ or ‘and so’ or ‘and in consequence of this process’ or ‘and in this manner’. All would result in the same conclusion. ‘In this manner’ is the most likely for grammatical reasons, and Rom 11:25-26 would then be seen as indicating, ‘the fullness of the Gentiles will come in, and in this manner all Israel will be saved’ which confirms what is said above, that the coming in of the fullness of the Gentiles results in all Israel having finally been saved. But we would not want to labour this translation
Romans 11 :26 –27 ‘Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer (Redeemer). He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant to them, when I shall take away their sins.”
‘Even as it is written.’ Paul now cites Scripture to support his case. The first question here is as to whether this citation is intended by Paul simply to refer to ‘all Israel will be saved’, or whether he sees it as referring to, ‘until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and in this manner all Israel will be saved’, thus patently including the believing Gentiles. It seems most probable that he intends to cover by the quotation the totality of what has gone before, otherwise why does he not give a citation supporting the fullness of the Gentiles coming in, something which he has always done previously (Rom 9:25-26; Rom 10:18; Rom 10:20)? Had the verses not been divided up as they have been, this would be more obvious to the casual reader.
The quotation is taken from a slightly altered Isa 59:20-21 a LXX supplemented by Isa 27:9 LXX. Isa 59:20-21 a LXX reads, ‘And the deliverer will come for Sion’s sake (MT ‘to Zion’: Paul ‘out of Zion’), and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and this will be my covenant with them —’ (Isa 59:20-21 a LXX). Note the replacement of ‘for Zion’s sake’ by ‘out of’. We do not know where Paul obtained ‘out of’ from (unless it was Psa 14:7), but if he is applying the verse to the Gentiles we can see the reason for the change. The Redeemer has to come ‘out of’ Jerusalem in order to reach the Gentiles. Isa 27:9 LXX reads ‘Therefore will the iniquity of Jacob be taken away; and this is his blessing, when I shall have taken away his sin (Isa 27:9 LXX). It will be noted that it is the last part that is cited by Paul, but that the first part mainly parallels the idea in Isa 59:20, ‘and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob’, thus being apposite.
The point is that as a result of God’s covenant the Deliverer will come ‘out of Zion’ (He being related to Zion in one way or another in all the texts), and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, forgiving their sins. Thus as a consequence ‘Jacob’ will be saved. But as we have seen in Rom 11:17-24, and will see in the excursus, ‘Jacob’ includes both believing Jews and believing Gentiles, for the believing Gentiles have been engrafted into Israel/Jacob (Rom 11:17-24). Thus God’s covenant with Israel holds good, and it is finally fulfilled for all of the true Israel as recognised by God, who, whether Jew or Gentile, have responded to their Redeemer, the Messiah (Rom 3:24). This interpretation is confirmed by the verses that follow where the final intention is claimed to be that God ‘will have mercy on all’, both Jews and Gentiles (Rom 11:30-32).
The advantage of the interpretation that we have given is that it takes the ‘all’ in Rom 11:26 as literally meaning ‘all. But is this what Paul is saying? This question will be dealt with in an Excursus.
EXCURSUS. Who Does The ‘All Israel’ Represent In 11:26?
Interpretation of Rom 11:25-26 initially raises the question as to what ‘all Israel’ means. There are four possibilities:
1) That it means all the elect of Israel, including co-joined elect Gentiles who are ingrafted, as explained above.
2) That it means all the elect of Israel as interpreted by the principle in Rom 11:5, that is, the elect from among the Jews. This would include Gentiles who had been circumcised and had submitted to the Law, thus becoming proselyte Jews, who were part of the elect.
3) That it means literally all Jews alive at the time. Some scholars benevolently go for this option, usually because they believe in universal salvation, but it hardly ties in with the remainder of Scripture. There is no precedent anywhere in Scripture for such an ‘all without exception’ when dealing with large numbers. Nor, in our view, can we seriously contemplate every Jew in every part of the world, without exception, responding to the Messiah over a short period. It would go contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture. And that is so even if we leave it to God to determine who should be called a Jew. Indeed even the optimistic Jews do not see ‘all Israel’ in a context like this as literally meaning ‘all Israel’. Thus the Mishnah tractate SanhedrinRom 10:1 says ‘all Israel has a portion in the age to come’ and then goes on to list Israelites who are excluded.
4) That it means simply a large number of the Jews alive at the time, who would then become part of the elect. This possibility arises because pas does not always mean ‘all’. It can rather mean ‘a good many’ especially when applied to a noun signifying people. Consider the use of pas (‘all, a good many’) in Mat 2:3; Mat 3:5; Mat 21:10; Mar 1:5; Mar 11:18; Luk 21:38; Luk 24:19; Joh 8:2; Act 3:11; Act 5:34; Act 19:27; Act 21:27; etc. where in each case it clearly means simply ‘a good number of’. The hope taken from this interpretation is that it would signify a worldwide revival. It would be nice if it was true, but we must not base our interpretation on wishful thinking.
As will be noted the first three interpretations take pas to literally mean ‘all’, which it often does. The last takes an equally valid translation of pas as signifying ‘a good number’. So the question is, which of the four possibilities are in mind in Paul’s statement that ‘in this way (manner) all Israel will be saved’. Again we must list the possibilities, and then expand on them. They will be dealt with in reverse order.
It is considered possible:
1) That he means all of ‘the Israel within Israel’ of Rom 9:6 plus a large proportion of Israel who are alive in the end times, as a consequence of a spiritual revival which brings them to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the latter then, of course, becoming a part of the ‘Israel within Israel’. In other words it means the vast majority of the Jews alive at the time.
It is argued that strongly in favour of this interpretation is the mention of Israel in Rom 11:25 where it is clear that the whole of Israel is in mind, a part of which is already hardened. It has even been said that ‘it is impossible to entertain an exegesis which takes Israel in Rom 11:26 in a different sense from Israel in Rom 11:25 ’. But is this correct? For such a statement ignores the fact that Paul has already distinguished two Israels in Rom 9:6, which indicates that when speaking theologically we can distinguish between elect Israel and physical Israel, and while Rom 11:25 is possibly referring to physical Israel there can be little doubt that Rom 11:26 is referring to Israel as seen theologically in terms of salvation (as in Rom 9:6). That being so the comment can be seen as invalidated. Paul had no problem with such a distinction in Rom 9:6. Why should he have one here? It is precisely the situation where such a distinction would be maintained.
Besides the Israel in Rom 11:25 is the whole of Israel without exception, whilst few scholars would actually claim that every single Israelite is seen as being saved in Rom 11:26. Indeed, even the Rabbis did not believe that. There were some Jews whom even they could not see as being included. Thus whatever view we take the two Israel are not the same. They would only be the same if Paul was indicating that literally every acknowledged Israelite would be saved, and that would be to go contrary to all that we know of God’s revealed ways. The only ones who would accept this are universalists, those who believe that all men will be saved, something which is contrary to the teaching of Scripture.
But if it is true that we can differentiate ‘Israel’ when used simply to denote the nation historically, from Israel when it is used theologically of those who are acceptable to God, as Rom 9:6 demonstrates, then there is no reason why Paul should not do so when speaking in a context of salvation, a context in which the reader would expect the distinction to be made. It must therefore be considered likely that when speaking of the final number of the saved the reader would immediately expect such a distinction. He would have remembered that, ‘They are not all Israel who are of Israel.’ The former is the whole of Israel, the latter is the true Israel of God. And in the end it is only the true Israel of God who can be saved. Thus ‘all Israel being saved’ would immediately alert the Christian reader to the distinction (he would know that it did not include unbelievers). But we have only to translate as ‘a large number’ to remove the problem altogether.
Furthermore, another reason why Rom 11:26 cannot mean that all, or even the vast majority of physical Israel, would be saved, is because the idea that all Israel would be saved, signifying physical Israel, would go contrary to what Paul has said earlier. It is contrary to the impression given in Rom 9:27-28 where ‘it is the remnant that will be saved’; to that in Rom 9:29 where it says, ‘except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed’; and to that in Rom 10:21 where it says, ‘all the day long did I spread out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people’, which gives the impression of a situation which will continue. For it will be noted that Paul never seeks to modify the picture given by saying, ‘but don’t worry, all will change at the end’. Rather he is explaining why it is that by only a remnant being saved God’s purpose and promises as contained in Scripture are fulfilled.
It is true that the case for this interpretation might be seen as strengthened if we see the statement in Rom 11:28 that, ‘as touching the Gospel they are enemies for your sakes, but as touching the election they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes, for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance’, in the way that some scholars do. It can then be argued that the ‘they’, in each case, refers to unbelieving Israel, and that those hardened as enemies of the Gospel most naturally refers back to the quotation in Rom 11:26-27. The quotation in Rom 11:26-27 is supporting the fact that there would be a widespread spiritual response to the Deliverer, and a widespread turning away from ‘ungodliness’, (a term which must include rejection of the Messiah). These verses would then support the idea of a good many of Israel being saved. But they would not support the idea that every Israelite would be saved.
However, it should be noted that there is no connecting word connecting Rom 11:28 with what has gone before (something more important in Greek than in English). Thus it is more likely that Rom 11:28 refers back to the Israel in Rom 11:25 where all Israel is literally included, an Israel which includes both believing and unbelieving (hardened) Israel. The first part of Rom 11:28 could then be seen as referring to ‘the hardened’ and the second part to ‘the elect’, with it making no claim about salvation for the whole of Israel. And besides, the favour spoken of in Rom 11:28 is not necessarily seen as resulting in salvation. It merely indicates God’s continued interest in them. So Rom 11:28 does not really give the support that is looked for.
But in view of Paul’s clear view of Israel as including both believing Jews and believing Gentiles there are really no ground for excluding believing Gentiles from the ‘many of Israel’ who would be saved. The only grounds for such an exclusion would be the contrast between Rom 11:25 b and 26a. But closer examination reveals that that is not a contrast but a declaration that the full number of Gentiles would have come in, resulting in ‘a large part of Israel’ (or even ‘all Israel’ if we see it as referring to the elect) being saved. Thus we can translate, ‘until the full number of Gentiles has come in, in this way a large number of Israel will be saved.’
2) That he means all of ‘the Israel within Israel’ (Rom 9:6), in other words all of the elect of Israel. This would certainly, on the face of it, tie in with the whole of chapters 9-11. It would also be supported by the fact that in Rom 9:6 the term Israel is used theologically (meaning ‘in God’s eyes’) in order to denote the elect of Israel, while its use in Rom 11:26 is also theological (meaning ‘in God’s eyes’), and needing to be defined, unlike all the other references to Israel. In other words the idea would be that ‘all Israel’ theologically, i.e. as seen in God’s eyes, has in mind the elect of Israel. And this can further be supported by Rom 9:27 where it is clearly stated from Scripture that only the remnant of Israel will be saved. (How can we have only a remnant saved and yet all Israel literally be saved?) This would then mean that the ‘all Israel’ who will be saved is the remnant who are the true Israel, the elect. But this would be to ignore the fact that the believing Gentiles have become a part of Israel.
3) That he means all the elect of God both Jew and Gentile, because all are branches of the olive tree. This case can be seen as supported by a number of arguments. Firstly on the grounds already stated that we must distinguish Israel as theologically stated as ‘the Israel within Israel’ from the use of ‘Israel’ simply as the best way of referring back to the Israel of the past. Most of the references to Israel are in the latter category, and it is difficult to see what other term Paul could have used in order to get over his point (in view of Rom 2:28-29 the use of ‘the Jews’ would have been uncertain). But in both Rom 9:6 and Rom 11:26 the essence of Israel is in mind theologically, with the latter being expanded in terms of the fact that believing Gentiles have been incorporated into Israel in accordance with Rom 11:17-24.
Secondly by the statement in Rom 9:27 that ‘only the remnant will be saved’, signifying that the ‘all Israel’ of Rom 11:26, if it simply means Jews, includes only the remnant of Israel.
Thirdly because Paul tells us in Galatians that ‘if you are Christ’s then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise’ (Gal 3:29). Being of the seed of Abraham and belonging to the Messiah surely signifies being members of the true Israel. Thus this verse indicates that all believing Gentiles are members of the true Israel. Furthermore Paul says in Romans that ‘the promise is sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, a father of many nations have I made you’ (Rom 4:16). This is the promise of salvation which is made to all men who believe whether Jew or Gentile, and their being ‘of the faith of Abraham’ indicates that they are a part of the true Israel.
Fourthly because in the context Paul emphasises that the elect of Israel having been saved (Rom 11:7), the Gentiles also need to be gathered in, so as to make one olive tree, that is, one Israel. In other words the reason why the fullness of the Gentiles needs to ‘come in’, is so that all Israel, both Jew and Gentile, might be saved together (Rom 11:12). Indeed this salvation of the Gentiles by being joined with Israel (the olive tree) is the main theme of the passage (see commentary on Rom 11:11), which means that we would expect the two together to be the climax.
We would expect from this emphasis that the climax of the age would therefore centre, not on physical Israel all being saved (as distinct from the Gentiles), or even on elect Israel being saved, but on both the elect Jews and the elect Gentiles being saved together. However, the only way that this can be read out of Rom 11:26 is if ‘all Israel’ being saved includes the Gentiles. It was because of this that the Gentiles were not to become conceited, but must continue their efforts to win over even more of the Jews. They must do it because God intended them all to be grafted into the one tree so that ‘all Israel (both Jew and proselyte) might be saved’.
Fifthly because in accordance with the illustration of the olive tree the fullness of the Gentiles, along with the elect of Israel, ARE Israel. This is the consistent message of the New Testament (Gal 6:16; Eph 2:11-22; 1Pe 1:1 ; 1Pe 2:9; Jas 1:1; etc). All believing Gentiles are incorporated into Israel and become Israel (they do not replace Israel). For more detail on this see the excursus at the end of the chapter.
Sixthly, because the hardness of a part of Israel is to last until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, at which point ‘all Israel will be saved’. Can we really see Paul as saying that once the last Gentile has been converted a work will begin that will result in huge numbers of Jews being converted, without any more Gentiles being converted? But if the conversion of the last Gentile makes up the total number of ‘all Israel as he/she is engrafted into the olive tree then the whole makes sense..
Seventhly, because it is difficult to see Paul as deliberately distinguishing in the worldwide church between ‘the fullness of the Gentiles’ on the one hand, and ‘all Israel’ (signifying all believing Jews) on the other. This would appear to be holding the two elements of the early church in tension and therefore as going totally contrary to Gal 3:28; Col 3:10-11 where Paul emphatically declares that there is no longer ‘Jew and/or Greek’ as far as believers are concerned. Can we really believe, in view of this, that Paul does make precisely that distinction here in the context of final salvation, demonstrating that the church is divided into two? All other comparisons in Romans between Jew and Greek have in mind their position before they became Christians (Rom 1:16; Rom 9:24; Rom 10:12). They are Jew and Greek before they are converted, at which point they become ‘Christians’ or ‘believers’, i.e. the true Israel, with no distinction being made. So for Paul to suggest a scenario which splits the church into two like this might be thought to be totally inconsistent. It would go against all that he believed. We could surely only hold such an opinion if there were absolutely incontrovertible reasons for doing so, and that is not the case here. This in our view rules out both 1). and 2).
It is no argument against this that Paul differentiates the Gentile part of the Roman church from the Jewish part, for that arises out of the failure of some to recognise that all are one in Christ Jesus. It is the failing of the church that causes it not Paul’s theology. And it is something which Paul strives to put right. Bit it would be quite another matter to say that God makes such distinctions, when Paul has elsewhere made clear that He does not.
Eighthly on the grounds that to Paul, as to the early church, ‘Israel’ very much included the whole church. For we should recognise that the only reason why we exclude the believing Gentiles from the term Israel is because in our day the church is so clearly distinct from what we see as Israel.
It is, of course, true that unbelieving Israel would not have recognised the believing Gentiles as being a part of Israel, even though they did in general accept Gentile proselytes as part of Israel, and would have recognised any Gentile joining Israel in the ‘orthodox manner’ at that time as part of Israel. So the reason for the rejection was not that the believing Gentiles were Gentiles, but that the believing Gentiles had not come into Israel in the approved manner, through circumcision and instruction in the Law. And we moderns inaccurately take the same view as them, because we see Israel as separate from the church (as using modern terminology it mainly is).
But that was not so when these words were written. When the Apostles initially went out to proclaim the Gospel they were seeking to bring Israel to recognise its Messiah. Their concern was the establishment of the true Israel on the basis of faith in the Messiah. Paul continued that emphasis. He too went first to the Jews. He too was seeking to establish the true Israel. And in both cases Gentile believers were incorporated because God demonstrated that it was His will. But we should recognise that the incorporation of believing Gentiles was not in itself something new. It had always been a policy of Israel.
In the same way the Jewish church also saw itself as very much part of Israel, indeed as the elect part of Israel, the true Israel, in the midst of a wider Israel. And there can be no doubt, as we note from Gal 3:29; Gal 6:16; Eph 2:11-22, that Paul would have included believing Gentiles in with them as part of Israel for the reasons that he has just explained in Rom 11:16-24, as indeed would most Jewish Christians. After all elsewhere Paul could describe them as ‘the Israel of God’ (Gal 6:16). Indeed it was because the early church saw Gentile believers as becoming part of Israel that the question of circumcision arose. That was why there was such a storm about whether Gentiles being converted should be circumcised. The question was, could they become a part of Israel without being circumcised. Paul replies, ‘yes, because circumcision has been replaced by the circumcision of Christ’ (being crucified with Christ). But if the converted Gentiles were seen by Paul as having become part of Israel, that means that Israel in Rom 11:25 is also made up of Jews and believing Gentiles. This would then favour Rom 11:26 as having the same meaning to the early church.
Thus any supposed distinction arises because of the situation raised by our minds looking from our modern view point. That, however, is irrelevant to what Paul is saying. What matters is how Paul saw it. We totally distinguish Christians from Jews, although we accept that there are Jewish Christians. Christian Jews in the early church on the other hand would have seen themselves as ‘Israel’, and as including believing Gentiles who had been incorporated into Israel, just as they saw themselves as part of Israel. It would have been second nature to them. That being so ‘Israel’ spoken of in a salvation context would have been seen as automatically including all believers in the Messiah, whether former-Jew or former-Gentile.
In our view then ‘all Israel’ is inclusive of both believing ex-Jews and believing ex-Gentiles, the former being branches of the olive tree by its very nature, the latter being engrafted into the olive tree in order to become a part of it. And it is this body which IS the true Israel. It is a triumphant declaration that God’s purposes for His elect have been fulfilled (compare Rom 9:24). As a consequence unbelieving Israel are then not Israel in God’s eyes, however men see them. Paul had merely spoken of them as Israel previously because he has no other term that he could use to indicate their identification with the Israel of the Old Testament. So he uses ‘Israel’ in two senses. Firstly to indicate the elect (Rom 9:6), and secondly in order to indicate historical Israel. If this argument is accepted then it is clear that ‘all Israel’ includes ‘the full number of believing Gentiles’ as well as the elect of Israel, both together forming the true Israel (the true Vine; see excursus at the end of the chapter). This is not to deny that there are various indications elsewhere that there will be an increase in Jewish conversions to the Messiah in the end days by their becoming part of the Israel within Israel through faith in the Messiah, although it is regularly depicted as a remnant. It is only to deny that it is specifically in mind here.
End of Excursus.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Rom 11:26-27. And so That is, by that means: so the word signifies, Joh 8:59. The reference in this and the next verse to the Old Testament, is commonly supposed to point at Isa 59:20. But whether the Apostle directs to any particular prophesy, or to the current sense of all the prophets, is uncertain; though the latter opinion seems most probable. The restoration of the Jewish commonwealth, in a higher degree than seems to be yet accomplished, is, as we have before observed, frequently spoken of in the prophetic writings. See Locke and Whitby.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Rom 11:26 f. ] And so , namely, after the shall have come in. The modal character of the therefore lies in the succession of time conditioning the emergence of the fact (comp. 1Co 11:28 ), as it also in the classics, in the sense of so then , embraces what has been previously said. See Schweighuser, Lex. Herod . II. p. 167; Thucyd. iii. 96. 2; Xen. Anab . iii. 5. 6; Dem. 644. 18, 802. 20. Theodoret rightly says: , and that, according to Rom 11:11 , under the impulse of powerful emulation. We may add that this great final result is brought into more important prominence, if we take . . . independently, than if we make it form part of the statement dependent on (Lachmann, Tischendorf, Fritzsche, Ewald, Hofmann, and others).
] This notion, so definitely expressed, of the totality of the people is in no way to be limited; the whole of those are intended, who, at the time that the fulness of the Gentiles shall have come in, will compose Israel. All Israelites who up to that time shall be still unconverted, will then be converted to salvation, so that at that term entire Israel will obtain the saving deliverance; but comp., as to the quite unlimited expression, the remark on Rom 11:25 . Limitations from other interests than that of exegesis have been suggested: such as that the spiritual Israel, Gal 6:6 , is meant (Augustine, Theodoret, Luther, Calvin, Grotius, and others, including Krummacher); or only the select portion of the Jews (Calovius, Bengel, and several others, including Olshausen: “all those members of the Israelitish people who from the beginning belonged to the true ”); or that is to be taken comparatively only of the greater number, of the bulk (Oecumenius, Wetstein, Rckert, Fritzsche, Tholuck). To this comes in substance also Hofmann’s explanation: “that the people, as a people , will be converted;” but is, in fact, not “ Israel as a whole ,” but rather the entire Israel , as is also meant in 2Ch 12:1 and in all O. T. passages, in contrast to , Rom 11:25 . Comp. ., Act 2:36 , ., and the like. This also against Weiss, bibl. Theol . p. 404.
] will be saved , unto Messianic salvation, by their conversion to Christ.
.] For . . Paul finds a Scripture warrant , not merely a substratum for his own ideas (Tholuck), in Isa 59:20-21 (not quite closely after the LXX., and, from onwards, with a bringing in of Isa 27:9 ; see Surenhus. . p. 503 f.); to the prophetic sense of this passage the future salvation of all Israel corresponds as result .
] for from God will the deliverer come; the theocratic central-point and dwelling-place of the divine kingdom is the holy mount of Zion . Comp. Psa 14:7 ; Psa 53:6 , et al . See also Rom 9:33 . The LXX. have, following the original, ( , i.e. for Zion). Our is a variation of memory, occasioned by the reminiscence of other passages (comp. Psa 14:7 ; Psa 53:6 ; Psa 110:2 ); for . would have been quite as suitable to the apostle’s purpose (in opposition to Reiche, Fritzsche, van Hengel); hence to discover intentional reasons for this deviation (Philippi: in order to bring into stronger relief the claim of the people as contrasted with the Gentiles) is groundless. Nor was this deviation more convenient (Hofmann) for the apostle, namely, in order to designate Christ’s place of manifestation; but it involuntarily on his part found its way into the citation freely handled.
] i.e. not God (Grotius, van Hengel), who first emerges in Rom 11:27 , but the Messiah . In the Heb. we find , a deliverer, without the article, by which, however, no other is intended. The future coming of the deliverer which is here predicted is, in the sense of the fulfilment of this prophecy, necessarily that whereby the will be effected; consequently not the Parousia , because the conversion of all Israel must be antecedent to this, but rather that specially efficacious self-revelation of Christ in the preaching of His gospel (comp. Eph 2:17 ), to be expected by the future, whereby He will bring about that final sacred-historical epoch of the people, the conversion of its totality. Erroneously, however, Augustine, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Beda have supposed it predicted that Elijah or Enoch would appear before the end of the world as converter of the Jews.
. . .] He will turn away, i.e. (comp. Bar 3:7 ; 1Ma 4:58 ) remove, do away with impieties from Jacob . By this, in the sense of the apostle, is meant the atoning, reconciling work of the Messiah (comp. Joh 1:29 : . .), which He will accomplish in Israel by its conversion. Hence there follows, as the correlative to this in Rom 11:27 , the forgiveness of sins on the part of God , procured through Him, and that as the actually saving essence of the covenant , which the people possesses from God. Compare the original text, which, however, instead of . . . has , and for those turning from apostasy in Jacob . Paul, however, because following generally in this quotation the LXX., retains also its deviation from the original text, but not as if this could have been more welcome to him for his object, for in that respect he might have just as well made use of the words of the original.
] points to the following (comp. 1Jn 5:2 ), so that the sense of Rom 11:27 is: “ And when I shall have forgiven their sins, this , this remission of sins conferred by me, will be my covenant to them, i.e. they will therein have from me the execution of my covenant.” Both in the original and in the LXX. points to the following, in which the words of the covenant ( . . . . ) are adduced; but instead of them, Paul, for the object which he has in view, puts . . . from Isa 27:9 , where likewise a preceding demonstrative ( ) points forward to . Hence we may not, with others (including Kllner and Hofmann), refer to the preceding , in which case . . is supposed to point to the moral conversion , and . . . . to the forgiveness , on the ground of which that conversion takes place (see Hofmann). According to this view, the essence of the covenant would lie in sanctification , not in reconciliation , which would be conceived rather as antecedent to the covenant, a view which runs counter to the N. T. doctrine (Mat 26:26 ; Heb 9:15 ff; Heb 10:29 ; Heb 12:24 ; Heb 13:20 ).
] The covenant which proceeded from me , which was made on my part. See Bernhardy, p. 255 f.; Fritzsche, ad Marc . p. 182 f.; van Hengel, in loc .
REMARK.
The conversion of entire Israel promised by Paul as a revealed to him, has not yet taken place; for the opinion, that the promise had been fulfilled already in the apostolic age through the conversion of a great part of the people (comp. Euseb. H. E. iii. 35; Judaizantes in Jerome; Grotius, Limborch, Wetstein), is set aside, notwithstanding Act 21:20 , by the literal meaning of and of . The fulfilment is to be regarded as still future, as the last step in the universal extension of Christianity upon earth . In respect of time no more special definition can be given, than that the conversion of the totality of the Gentiles must precede it; whence only this is certain, that it is still a time very distant . Paul has certainly viewed the matter as near , seeing that he conceived the Parousia itself to be near (not merely, perhaps, its possible , but its actual emergence in opposition to Philippi), a conception which was shared by him with the whole apostolical church, although it remained without the verification of the event, as this was conceived of. But the promise of the conversion of the people of Israel is not on that account itself to be regarded as one, the fulfilment of which is no longer to be hoped for, as though, with the non-verified conception of the time of the event, the event itself should fall to the ground (Ammon, Reiche, Kllner, Fritzsche); for it is the fact in itself, and not the epoch of it, which is disclosed by the apostle as part of the which was revealed to him; and therefore this disclosure rested on the received, not on individual opinion and expectation. The duration of time until the Parousia was not subject-matter of revelation, Act 1:7 , and the conception of it belongs, therefore, not to that in the apostolic teaching which has the guarantee of divine certainty, but to the domain of subjective hope and expectation, which associated themselves with what was revealed, a distinction which even Philippi does not reject. The latter, however, endeavours to remove from the category of error the apostolic expectation of the nearness of the Parousia , because it was not cherished with that divine certainty; but cannot thereby prevent it, where it is presupposed so definitely, as e.g. Rom 13:11 , or is expressed so unconditionally, as e.g. 1Co 15:51-52 , from being characterized by an unprejudiced mind as a human error, which did not, however, exclude occasionally other moods, as in 2Co 5:8 , Phi 1:23 . Of such human mistakes and vacillations, which lie outside the range of revealed truth, that truth is independent (against Hoelemann, neue Bibelstud . p. 232 ff., and others).
We may further notice that our passage directly controverts the Ebionitish view, now renewed in various quarters (Chr. A. Crusius, Delitzsch, Baumgarten, Ebrard, Auberlen, and others; expositors of the Apocalypse), of an actual restoration of Israel to the theocratic kingdom in Canaan, as to be expected on the ground of prophetic predictions (Hos 2:2 ; Hos 2:16 ff., Hos 3:4-5 ; Isa 11:11 ; Isa 24:16 , chap. 60; Jer 34:3 , et al .). Israel does not take in the church, but the church takes in Israel; and whenever this occurs, Israel has in the true sense again its kingdom and its Canaan. Comp. Tholuck on Rom 11:25 ; Kahnis, Dogm . I. p. 576 f.; Hengstenberg, Christol . I. p. 256; and see especially Bertheau, in the Jahrb. f. Deutsche Theol . 1859, p. 353 ff.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Ver. 26. Shall turn away ungodliness ] That is, He shall pardon their sin. The prophet Isaiah hath it, Unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, &c. They whose persons are justified, have their lusts mortified.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
26. ] And thus (when this condition shall have been fulfilled) all Israel shall be saved ( Israel as a nation , see above: not individuals, nor is there the slightest ground for the notion of the ).
This prophecy has been very variously regarded. Origen, understanding by the ‘omnis Israel qui salvus fiet,’ the ‘reliqui qu elect sunt,’ yet afterwards appears to find in the passage his notion of the final purification of all men, of the believing, by the word and doctrine: of the unbelieving, by purgatorial fire. Chrysostom gives no explanation: but on our Lord’s words in Mat 17:11 , he says, . , , . , and shortly after calls him . Similarly Theodoret and Gregory of Nyssa (in Thol.); so also Augustine, de Civ. Dei xx. 29, vol. vii. p. 704, ‘ultimo tempore ante judicium (per Eliam, exposita sibi lege) Judos in Christum verum esse credituros, celeberrimum est in sermonibus cordibusve fidelium.’ Similarly most of the fathers (Estius), and schoolmen (Thol.); Jerome, however, on Isa 11:11 , vol. iv. p. 162, says, ‘Nequaquam juxta nostros Judaizantes, in fine mundi quum intraverit plenitudo gentium, tunc omnis Israel salvus fiet: sed hc omnia de primo intelligamus adventu.’ Grotius and Wetst. believe it to have been fulfilled after the destruction of Jerusalem, when became believers in Christ (Eus [110] H. E. iii. 35). But Thol. has shewn that neither could the number of Gentiles received into the Church before that time have answered to the . , nor those Jews to , which expression accordingly Grotius endeavours to explain by a Rabbinical formula, that “all Israel have a part in the Messiah;” which saying he supposes the Apostle to have used in a spiritual sense, meaning the Israel of God, as Gal 6:16 . The Reformers for the most part, in their zeal to impugn the millenarian superstitions then current, denied the future general conversion of the Jews, and would not recognize it even in this passage: Luther did so [recognize it], at one time, but towards the end of his life spoke most characteristically and strongly of what he conceived to be the impossibility of such national conversion (see extract in Tholuck’s note, p. 616): Calvin says: ‘Multi accipiunt de populo Judaico, ac si Paulus diceret instaurandum adhuc in religionem ut prius: sed ego Israelis nomen ad totum Dei populum extendo, hoc sensu, Quum Gentes ingress fuerint, simul et Judi ex defectione se ad fidei obedientiam recipient. Atque ita complebitur salus totius Israelis Dei, quem ex utrisque colligi oportet: sic tamen ut priorem locum Judi obtineant, ceu in familia Dei primogeniti.’ Calovius, Bengel, and Olshausen, interpret . of the elect believers of Israel : Beza, Estius, Koppe, Reiche, Kllner, Meyer, Tholuck, De Wette, al., hold that the words refer, as I have explained them above, to a national restoration of Israel to God’s favour.
[110] Eusebius, Bp. of Csarea, 315 320
I have not mixed with the consideration of this prophecy the question of the restoration of the Jews to Palestine , as being clearly irrelevant to it: the matter here treated being, their reception into the Church of God .
.] This quotation appears to have for its object to shew that the Redeemer was to come for the behoof of God’s own chosen people .
For , the LXX have ( ), the E. V. ‘ to Zion .’ The Apostle frequently varies from the LXX, and a sufficient reason can generally be assigned for the variation: here, though this reason is not apparent, we cannot doubt that such existed, for the LXX would surely have suited his purpose even better than , had there been no objection to it. It may be that the whole citation is intended to express the sense of prophecy rather than the wording of any particular passage, and that the Apostle has, in , summed up the prophecies which declare that the Redeemer should spring out of Israel .
. is in the Heb. ‘a deliverer’ the Apostle adopts the LXX, probably as appropriating the expression to Christ.
. . . .] Heb. and E. V. ‘ and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob .’
. from another place in Isa.(ref.), hardly from Jer 31 (LXX, 38.) 34, as Stuart; and also containing a general reference to the character of God’s new covenant with them, rather than a strict reproduction of the original meaning of any particular words of the prophet. “How came the Apostle, if he wished only to express the general thought, that the Messiah was come for Israel, to choose just this citation, consisting of two combined passages, when the same is expressed more directly in other passages of the Old Testament? I believe that the gave occasion for the quotation: if he did not refer this directly to the second coming of the Messiah, yet it allowed of being indirectly applied to it.” Tholuck.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Rom 11:26 . = and thus; not merely temporal, but = under the influence of the jealousy so excited under the impression produced on the Jews by the sight of the Gentiles in their fulness peopling the kingdom all Israel shall be saved. This is an independent sentence. For see 1Ki 12:1 , 2Ch 12:1 . It means Israel as a whole. Paul is thinking of the historical people, as the contrast with Gentiles shows, but he is not thinking of them one by one. Israel a Christian nation, Israel as a nation a part of the Messianic kingdom, is the content of his thought. To make refer to a “spiritual” Israel, or to the elect, is to miss the mark: it foretells a “conversion of the Jews so universal that the separation into an ‘ elect remnant ’ and ‘ the rest who were hardened ’ shall disappear” (Gifford). Isa 59:20 f., but the last words . . . from Isa 27:9 . The prophet says Paul’s is probably a lapse of memory, due to the impression of passages like Psa 14:7 , 53:7, Isa 2:3 , though Philippi thinks it intentional the object being to emphasise the title of the Jews, as against the Gentiles, to a share in the kingdom. It is then as if he said: Salvation is of the Jews, and surely therefore for them. It is impossible to say that refers to the first or to the second advent: the distinction is not present to Paul’s mind as he writes; all he is concerned with is the fact that in prophetic scripture language is used which implies that Israel as a people is to inherit the Messianic salvation. , Hebrew is the Messiah. . Cf. Bar 3:7 , 1Ma 4:58 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Sion. App-68.
ungodliness. App-128.
from. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
26.] And thus (when this condition shall have been fulfilled) all Israel shall be saved (Israel as a nation, see above: not individuals,-nor is there the slightest ground for the notion of the ).
This prophecy has been very variously regarded. Origen, understanding by the omnis Israel qui salvus fiet, the reliqui qu elect sunt, yet afterwards appears to find in the passage his notion of the final purification of all men,-of the believing, by the word and doctrine: of the unbelieving, by purgatorial fire. Chrysostom gives no explanation: but on our Lords words in Mat 17:11, he says, . , , . ,-and shortly after calls him . Similarly Theodoret and Gregory of Nyssa (in Thol.); so also Augustine, de Civ. Dei xx. 29, vol. vii. p. 704,-ultimo tempore ante judicium (per Eliam, exposita sibi lege) Judos in Christum verum esse credituros, celeberrimum est in sermonibus cordibusve fidelium. Similarly most of the fathers (Estius), and schoolmen (Thol.);-Jerome, however, on Isa 11:11, vol. iv. p. 162, says, Nequaquam juxta nostros Judaizantes, in fine mundi quum intraverit plenitudo gentium, tunc omnis Israel salvus fiet: sed hc omnia de primo intelligamus adventu. Grotius and Wetst. believe it to have been fulfilled after the destruction of Jerusalem, when became believers in Christ (Eus[110] H. E. iii. 35). But Thol. has shewn that neither could the number of Gentiles received into the Church before that time have answered to the . , nor those Jews to , which expression accordingly Grotius endeavours to explain by a Rabbinical formula, that all Israel have a part in the Messiah; which saying he supposes the Apostle to have used in a spiritual sense, meaning the Israel of God, as Gal 6:16. The Reformers for the most part, in their zeal to impugn the millenarian superstitions then current, denied the future general conversion of the Jews, and would not recognize it even in this passage:-Luther did so [recognize it], at one time, but towards the end of his life spoke most characteristically and strongly of what he conceived to be the impossibility of such national conversion (see extract in Tholucks note, p. 616):-Calvin says: Multi accipiunt de populo Judaico, ac si Paulus diceret instaurandum adhuc in religionem ut prius: sed ego Israelis nomen ad totum Dei populum extendo, hoc sensu, Quum Gentes ingress fuerint, simul et Judi ex defectione se ad fidei obedientiam recipient. Atque ita complebitur salus totius Israelis Dei, quem ex utrisque colligi oportet: sic tamen ut priorem locum Judi obtineant, ceu in familia Dei primogeniti. Calovius, Bengel, and Olshausen, interpret . of the elect believers of Israel:-Beza, Estius, Koppe, Reiche, Kllner, Meyer, Tholuck, De Wette, al., hold that the words refer, as I have explained them above, to a national restoration of Israel to Gods favour.
[110] Eusebius, Bp. of Csarea, 315-320
I have not mixed with the consideration of this prophecy the question of the restoration of the Jews to Palestine, as being clearly irrelevant to it: the matter here treated being, their reception into the Church of God.
.] This quotation appears to have for its object to shew that the Redeemer was to come for the behoof of Gods own chosen people.
For , the LXX have (), the E. V. to Zion. The Apostle frequently varies from the LXX, and a sufficient reason can generally be assigned for the variation: here, though this reason is not apparent, we cannot doubt that such existed, for the LXX would surely have suited his purpose even better than , had there been no objection to it. It may be that the whole citation is intended to express the sense of prophecy rather than the wording of any particular passage, and that the Apostle has, in , summed up the prophecies which declare that the Redeemer should spring out of Israel.
. is in the Heb. a deliverer-the Apostle adopts the LXX, probably as appropriating the expression to Christ.
. …] Heb. and E. V. and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob.
. from another place in Isa.(ref.),-hardly from Jeremiah 31 (LXX, 38.) 34, as Stuart;-and also containing a general reference to the character of Gods new covenant with them, rather than a strict reproduction of the original meaning of any particular words of the prophet. How came the Apostle, if he wished only to express the general thought, that the Messiah was come for Israel, to choose just this citation, consisting of two combined passages, when the same is expressed more directly in other passages of the Old Testament? I believe that the gave occasion for the quotation: if he did not refer this directly to the second coming of the Messiah, yet it allowed of being indirectly applied to it. Tholuck.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Rom 11:26. , and so) he does not say and then, but with greater force, and so, in which very expression the then is included; to wit, the blindness of Israel will be terminated by the very coming in of the Gentiles.- , all Israel) Israel contradistinguished from the Gentiles, of which Rom 11:25 treats. The words, , a remnant, and , deliverance, are used in respect of those that perished; but the Remnant itself, numerous in itself, will be wholly converted, Mic 2:12.-) shall be saved: The Latin Vulgate has expressed this by, salvus fieret; and not inappropriately.[124] It contains this sentiment, the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in and so all Israel shall be made safe; but , until, has changed the former verb [Indic.] into [Subj.], the second verb, , remaining [Indicative].-See similar instances noticed at Mar 3:27. The Latin Vulg. has expressed the meaning.- -, ) shall come out of Zion-the covenant, when I shall take away their sins. Isa 59:20-21, LXX., -, , …, and shall come for the sake of Zion-the covenant, saith the Lord, etc. Isa 27:9, LXX., , , …, and this is His blessing, when I shall take away his sin. Heb. , and there shall come to Zion (and for its benefit) the Redeemer, and to those turning from transgression in Jacob. Paul, ch. 3, in describing sin had quoted Psalms 14, and chiefly ch. 59 of Isaiah: now in describing salvation, he joins together the same texts. He says, , out of Sion, as the LXX., Psa 14:7. The Deliverer or Redeemer comes () out of Sion and (, ) for good to Sion. His coming has been already accomplished, and the fruit will arrive at perfection at the proper time. Sion is a whole, in a good sense, Jacob here is a whole, in a less favourable sense; those returning are a part.
[124] Thus the Vulg. makes depend on , donec, until the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and until all Israel shall thus be saved.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 11:26
Rom 11:26
and so all Israel shall be saved:-It cannot be true that all Israel here means the whole Jewish people. Israel seems here in the conclusion of the argument to be used in the restricted sense-to apply to those who believe in Jesus and walk in the footsteps of Abraham-for he had already said: For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: neither, because they are Abrahams seed, are they all children (Rom 9:6-7). For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Rom 2:28-29). Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. (Gal 3:7). So all Israel here means all who believe in Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews, as a nation, were taken out of the way to open the way for the Gentiles to come in among the faithful branches of the Israelites; and so all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, which constitute the true Israel of God, will be saved. The unbelievers ceased to be counted as Israel.
even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer ; he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:-Jacob cannot here mean the fleshly house of Israel, but the true Israel of God that believe in Christ. From these Jesus Christ, the deliverer, will turn away ungodliness.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Jacob
Summary: Israel, so named from the grandson of Abraham, was chosen for a fourfold mission:
(1) To witness to the unity of God in the midst of universal idolatry Deu 6:4; Isa 43:10; Isa 43:12
(2) to illustrate to the nations the blessedness of serving the true God Deu 33:26-29; 1Ch 17:20; 1Ch 17:21; Psa 144:15.
(3) to receive, preserve, and transmit the Scripture Deu 4:5-8; Rom 3:1; Rom 3:2.
(4) to produce, as to His humanity, the Messiah Gen 3:15; Gen 12:3; Gen 22:18; Gen 28:10-14; Gen 49:10; 2Sa 7:12-16; Isa 7:14; Isa 9:6; Mat 1:1; Rom 1:3. According to the prophets, Israel, regathered from all nations, restored to her own land and converted, is yet to have her greatest earthly exaltation and glory. See “Kingdom (O.T.)”; Gen 1:26; Zec 12:8.
(See Scofield “Zec 12:8”) N.T. Luk 1:31-33; 1Co 15:24.
“Davidic Covenant” (See Scofield “2Sa 7:16”).
For Another Point of View: See Topic 301242
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
all: Isa 11:11-16, Isa 45:17, Isa 54:6-10, Jer 3:17-23, Jer 30:17-22, Jer 31:31-37, Jer 32:37-41, Jer 33:24-26, Eze 34:22-31, Eze 37:21-28, Eze 39:25-29, Eze 40:1 – Eze 48:35, Hos 3:5, Joe 3:16-21, Amo 9:14, Amo 9:15, Mic 7:15-20, Zep 3:12-20, Zec 10:6-12
There: Psa 14:7, Psa 106:47, Isa 59:20
and shall: Mat 1:21, Act 3:26, Tit 2:14
Reciprocal: Lev 26:44 – I will Deu 30:3 – then the Deu 30:6 – will circumcise Deu 30:8 – General Psa 25:14 – he will Psa 134:3 – bless thee Isa 1:27 – redeemed Isa 11:9 – for the Isa 17:6 – General Isa 30:19 – dwell Isa 33:5 – he hath Isa 49:21 – am desolate Jer 23:6 – Judah Jer 30:7 – but Jer 31:1 – of Jer 31:34 – for I Jer 31:37 – I Jer 33:16 – shall Judah Jer 50:20 – I will pardon Eze 36:24 – General Eze 36:29 – save Eze 37:11 – whole house Dan 8:14 – then Dan 9:27 – for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate Dan 12:1 – thy people Hos 1:11 – the children of Judah Hos 2:14 – and speak Joe 2:32 – for Mic 4:1 – and people Mic 7:20 – General Zep 3:18 – gather Zec 14:16 – that every Luk 24:47 – beginning Act 5:31 – to give Act 13:23 – raised Rom 5:6 – ungodly Heb 12:22 – ye are come
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
:26
Verse 26. All Israel shall be saved. This cannot mean that every individual Jew will be saved, for that is not true of the Gentiles, and it was never true of any nation as such. It means that the Jews as a nation will give up its stand against Christ and acknowledge him to be the Messiah of the Scriptures. That will open the way for individual Jews to have ungodliness turned away from them, by themselves “turning from transgression” (Isa 59:20). This is the only unfulfilled prophecy between now and the second coming of Christ.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rom 11:26. And thus; in this manner and after this event. This is connected with Rom 11:25, and is the third and crowning fact of the mystery.
All Israel shall be saved. This statement has been narrowed in many ways (see Lange, Romans, p. 370), and on the other hand the obvious sense has been loaded down with notions to which Paul does not allude, here or elsewhere. The view now generally adopted is: that the ancient people of God (so marvellously preserved in their distinctive life, as if in earnest of this) shall be restored, as a nation, to Gods favor. As in Rom 11:25, it is not implied that every individual Jew will be converted; but probably the proportion will be greater than in the case of the Gentiles, since all is more definite. We must also place in connection with this statement, the argument of Rom 11:12; Rom 11:15. But respecting the details of this restoration of the Jews as a body little has been revealed. The picture is everywhere drawn, only in broad outline. The attempt to fill it out has always produced a reaction, which has opposed even the obvious literal sense of the clause. Luther, Calvin, and others of the reformers denied the reference to the Jewish nation, mainly on dogmatic grounds. Whether Paul expected this to occur sooner or later does not affect the points revealed; chronological and prophetical nearness are not necessarily identical. The lengthening term of Israels unbelief presents cumulative evidence that Israels preservation is to the end that all Israel shall be saved.
As it is written. There has been much discussion as to the passage or passages here cited, since similar expressions are not infrequent in the Old Testament. The simplest explanation is that the Apostle freely cites from Isa 59:20-21, appending a clause from Isa 27:9 (when I shall take away their sins). The variations are not greater than in many other citations. The view that the Apostle merely gives the general sense of many predictions is very objectionable.
The prophecies are introduced to confirm the last statement: and thus all Israel shall be saved. But that prediction is made by the Apostle himself, who here presents a warrant for it, not its ground (so Tholuck and others).
There shall come out of Zion. The Hebrew reads: And (or, then) shall come for Zion a Redeemer, and for those turning from apostacy in Jacob. The LXX. has on account of Zion, which the Apostle changes into out of Zion. The reason for this change is not obvious, but it seems to express more fully the thought so common in Isaiah, that the Redeemer should spring out of Israel. The Redeemer is evidently the Messiah. And, which occurs in the LXX., is omitted here by the best authorities. The second clause refers to the work of the Redeemer, which results in the conversion of Israel.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
and so [that is, in this way; namely, by abiding till this determinate time] all Israel [the national totality, the portion hardened; a round-number expression, allowing liberty to any small remnant which may possibly still persist in unbelief] shall be saved [Shall be Christianized by overcoming their unbelief. And this revelation, fully detailed by Paul, had already been adumbrated or partially published in the prophets, as follows]: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob [Isa 59:20]:
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
26. So all Israel shall be saved. The fulfillment of this mournful prophecy is to be with the faithful remnant. The remnant will be gathered back mainly unconverted (Ezekiel 57). Zachariah tells us two parts shall be cut off, i. e., two-thirds slain in the Tribulation. Finally the surviving third, passing through the fires of a terrible persecution, shall come out triumphant, hailing their glorious descending King with shouts of welcome: Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord. Thus all Israel shall be saved and come to the front of the world, where they stood before Nebuchadnezzar conquered the world and brought the Gentiles to the front. Thus the remnant of grace, all saved, shall come to the front of the world to lead all nations during the glorious oncoming Millennial Theocracy. Jerusalem, built out over all the interior highlands of Palestine, located at the juncture of Asia, Africa and Europe, and through the Mediterranean accessible to America, will become the capital of all nations and the joy of the whole earth. In a wonderful and mysterious way the Jews in all lands are now providentially being prepared for the metropolitanship of the world, when the nations shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks and learn war no more. If the difficulties of the late Spanish war had been submitted to a committee of sanctified men, both Spanish and American, thoroughly cultured in the laws, institutions and finances of both nations, in a short time they would have settled all the differences, raised a shout and sent terms of peaceful reconciliation to brother nations. The Jews now stand at the head of the finances, learning and jurisprudence in all nations, really by their money power today ruling the kings of the earth, thus getting ready to come to the front of the world. A Leader shall come out of Zion, and shall turn ungodliness from Jacob. When Christ ascended into heaven He was crowned King in Zion. David, His brightest type, was first crowned King of Judah at Hebron; seven and a half years subsequently he was crowned king of all the tribes of Israel at Jerusalem. So, when Christ ascended from His first advent, He was crowned King of saints at Gods right hand, and when He comes the second time He will be crowned King of kings in all the earth. Doubtless about the time He shall appear to take up His Bride He will in some way reveal Himself to His people, the Jews, giving an impetus to their speedy conversion.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 26
And so; and then.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
"The first clause of Rom 11:26 is the storm center in the interpretation of Romans 9-11 and of NT teaching about the Jews and their future." [Note: Moo, p. 719. See H. Wayne House, "The Future of National Israel," Bibliotheca Sacra 166:664 (October-December 2009):643-81, for a discussion of the major views.]
"It is impossible to entertain an exegesis which understands ’Israel’ here in a different sense from ’Israel’ in Rom 11:25 ([that is, it is impossible to understand "Israel" in Rom 11:26 as meaning] ’a hardening has come upon part of Israel’)." [Note: Bruce, p. 209.]
"All Israel" means Israel as a whole in contrast to the relatively small believing remnant of Jews. The context makes this clear. This conclusion does not require that every individual Israelite living will be saved. It only requires the salvation of the bulk of the nation (cf. Zechariah 12-13). [Note: Ibid. Cf. Mickelsen, p. 1218.] Whenever the name "Israel" appears in the New Testament it refers either to the whole nation of Jacob’s racial descendants (ethnic Jews) or to the believing remnant within that group. It is not another name for the church. John Calvin believed Israel meant the church, and covenant theologians have followed in his train. [Note: See John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Romans and to the Thessalonians, p. 255.] "All Israel" does not refer to all Jews who have been believers throughout history either. [Note: For defense of this view, see Ben L. Merkle, "Romans 11 and the Future of Ethnic Israel," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43:4 (December 2000):709-21.] If that were what Paul meant, this statement would be irrelevant to his argument. [Note: Murray, 2:96-98.]
"Thus" or "so" means "when that has happened" (NEB) or "then after this" (JB). It may also mean "in this manner," namely, the way that Paul described in Rom 11:11-24. [Note: Cranfield, 2:576.]
The quotation from Isa 59:20-21 not only confirmed Paul’s assertion but also hinted at the time this revival will take place. It will happen when Messiah will come out of the heavenly Jerusalem (Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22). This will be at His second coming (Zec 12:10). [Note: See Toussaint and Quine, pp. 146-47.]
"Israel . . . was chosen for a fourfold mission: (1) to witness to the unity of God in the midst of universal idolatry (cp. Deu 6:4 with Isa 43:10-12); (2) to illustrate to the nations the blessedness of serving the true God (Deu 33:26-29; 1Ch 17:20-21; Psa 144:15); (3) to receive, preserve, and transmit the Scriptures (Deu 4:5-8; Rom 3:1-2); and (4) to be the human channel for the Messiah (Gen 3:15; Gen 12:3; Gen 22:18; Gen 28:10-14; Gen 49:10; 2Sa 7:12-16; Isa 7:14; Isa 9:6; Mat 1:1; Rom 1:3)." [Note: The New Scofield . . ., p. 1226.]