Romans 11:14
in Romans 11in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them.
KJV
If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
⋯
This verse in Romans 11
Commentary
11 notes on this verseFor this is what Paul also was doing, by teaching and instructing the Gentiles, whose apostle he was; nourishing the weak with herbs, feeding the little ones with milk, offering to the strong the stronger food of the word; and travailing again in birth with a mother's affection over those who erred and wavered in the faith and were reduced as it were to something abortive, until Christ should be formed in them: and through all these things, by glorifying the ministry of his apostleship, he was leading his own flesh — that is, his kinsmen according to the flesh — into an emulation of faith and a zeal for good conduct; so that, if not all, he might yet save some of them.
This site's exposition
the apostle to the Gentiles
on Romans 11:13-16
Paul addresses the Gentiles directly and names a Jewish aim for his Gentile work, to provoke his own people and save some. Verse 15 answers verse 12: their acceptance is life from the dead.
This site's exposition
provoke my own people to jealousy
Paul's own people are his kinsmen by birth, the ones he grieved over at Romans 9:3. Henry says this jealousy harms no one, for the blessings grow no smaller when more people share them. Clarke takes save some as hope for any of them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusINTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS · Written before 458.
proposed
Paul evangelized the Gentiles of necessity, addressing himself to them and showing that the prophets had predicted this many centuries before. His aim was to make the Jews jealous and thus encourage some of them to come to salvation also.
"For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office; if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them." Again he endeavors much to get himself clear of untoward suspicion. And he seems to be blaming the Gentiles, and to be humbling their conceits, yet he gives a gentle provocation to the Jew also. And indeed he goes round about seeking to veil and allay this great ruin of theirs. But he finds no means of doing it, owing to the nature of the facts. For from what he had said, they deserved but the greater condemnation, when those who were far short of them had taken the good things prepared for them. This is why then he passes from the Jews to those of the Gentiles, and puts in between his discourse the part about them, as wishing to show that he is saying all these things in order to instruct them to be reasonable. For I praise you, he means, for these two reasons; one, because I am necessitated to do so as being your commissioned minister; the other, that through you I may save others. And he does not say, my brethren, my kinsmen; but, "my flesh." And next, when pointing out their disputatious spirit, he does not say, "if by any means I may" persuade, but, "provoke to jealousy and save;" and here again not all, but, "some of them." So hard were they! And even amid his rebuke he shows again the Gentiles honored, for they are causes of their salvation, and not in the same way. For they became purveyors of blessings to them through unbelief, but these to the Jews by faith. Hence the estate of the Gentiles seems to be at once equal and superior.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Hence he adds: if, by any means, I may provoke to emulation them who are my flesh, i.e., the Jews, who are my kinsmen according to the flesh (Rom 9:3): do not despise your own flesh (Isa 58:7). And that they may emulate by good …
Again consoling the Jews, he humbles the pride of the Gentiles, saying: I commend you for two reasons: first, because having been appointed as a teacher to you, I have need to glorify "my ministry," that is, you; and second, because I have in view …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
In this emulation there needs no suspicion, undermining or countermining; for the church has room enough, and the new covenant grace and comfort enough, for us all. The blessings are not lessened by the multitudes of the sharers.-- And might save some of them. See what was Paul's business, to save souls; and yet the utmost he promises himself is but to save some.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
If by any means I may provoke to emulation,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Might save some of them - And yet all these were among the reprobate, or rejected; however, the apostle supposed that none of them were irrecoverably shut out from the Divine favor; and that some of them, by his preaching, might be disposed to receive salvation by Christ Jesus.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
If by any means - If even by stating unpleasant truths, if by bringing out all the counsel of God, even what threatens their destruction, I may arrest their attention, and save them. I may provoke to emulation - I may awaken up to zeal, or to an earnest desire to obtain the like blessings. This was in accordance with the prediction of Moses, that the calling in of the Gentiles would excite their attention, and provoke them to deep feeling; Note, Rom 10:19. The apostle expected to do this by calling their attention to the ancient prophecies; by alarming their fears about their own danger; and by showing them the great privileges which Gentiles might enjoy under the gospel; thus appealing to them by every principle of benevolence, by all their regard for God and man, to excite them to seek the same blessings. My flesh - My countrymen. My kinsmen, Those belonging to the same family or nation; Rom 9:3; Gen 29:14; Jdg 9:2; 2Sa 5:1; Isa 58:7. And save some of them - This desire the apostle often expressed; (see Rom 9:2-3; Rom 10:1-2.) We may see here: (1) That it is the earnest wish of the ministry to save the souls of men. (2) That they should urge every argument and appeal with reference to this. (3) That even the most awful and humbling truths may have this tendency. No truth could be more likely to irritate and offend than that the Jews would be cast off; and yet the apostle used this so faithfully, and yet so tenderly, that he expected and desired it might be the means of saving the souls of his countrymen. Truth often irritates, enrages, and thus excites the attention. Thought or inquiry, however it may be excited, may result in conversion. And thus, even restlessness, and vexation, and anger, may be the means of leading a sinner to Jesus Christ. It should be no part of a minister’s object, however, to produce anger. […]
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| πως | pos | at all | G4458 → | 16 times |
| παραζηλώσω | parazeloso | I will provoke to jealousy | G3863 → | 4 times |
| μου | mou | of me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σάρκα | sarka | flesh | G4561 → | 146 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| σώσω | soso | will save | G4982 → | 105 times |
| τινὰς | tinas | some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἐξ | ex | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| αὐτῶν. | auton | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
πωςat all
posG4458 →16 times
παραζηλώσωI will provoke to jealousy
parazelosoG3863 →4 times
μουof me
mouG3165 →1936 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
σάρκαflesh
sarkaG4561 →146 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
σώσωwill save
sosoG4982 →105 times
τινὰςsome
tinasG5100 →528 times
ἐξof
exG1537 →911 times
αὐτῶν.them.
autonG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Titus 3:5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:8–9
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- 2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
- 1 Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
- 1 Peter 3:21
And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- Ephesians 2:8–9
Through
1 Timothy 4:16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
it leads to
- Titus 1:9
He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.
- Titus 2:7
In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,
- 2 John 1:8–9
Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded.
- Titus 1:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies22
On this verse
On this chapter
About Romans
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 19; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Theodoret of Cyrus, INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.