Romans 11:25
in Romans 11I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;
KJV
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
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This verse in Romans 11
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Ignorant of this mystery - The word “mystery” means properly what is “concealed, hidden, or unknown.” And it especially refers, in the New Testament, to the truths or doctrines which God had reserved to himself, or had not before communicated. It does not mean, as with us often, that there was anything unintelligible or inscrutible in the nature of the doctrine itself, for it was commonly perfectly plain when it was made known.
This site's exposition
A hardening in part has come to Israel
on Romans 11:25-27
The mystery has three clauses: a hardening in part, a full number of Gentiles coming in, and all Israel saved. Israel names the nation in both verses, and verse 26 quotes Isaiah 59:20, where the Deliverer is Christ.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
"For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, that you be not wise in your own conceit: that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in: and so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion he who shall deliver and shall turn away impieties from Jacob: and this is my covenant with them, when I shall have taken away their sins."
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusINTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS · Written before 458.
proposed
Paul insists that only a part of Israel has been hardened, for in fact many of them believe. He thus encourages them not to despair that others will be saved as well. After the Gentiles accepted the gospel, the Jews would believe, when the great …
But when the fulness of the Gentiles has come in, then all Israel shall thus be saved, here clearly speaking of the final consummation.
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise your own conceits." Meaning by mystery here, that which is unknown and unutterable, and hath much of wonder and much of what one should not expect about it. As in another passage too he says, "Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." What then is the mystery? "That blindness in part hath happened unto Israel." Here again he levels a blow at the Jew, while seeming to take down the Gentile. But his meaning is nearly this, and he had said it before, that the unbelief is not universal, but only "in part." As when he says, "But if any hath caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part": And so here too he says what he had said above, "God hath not cast off His people whom He foreknew": and again, "What then? Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid": This then he says here also; that it is not the whole people that is pulled up, but many have already believed, and more are likely to believe.
The Medieval Church1 voice
He calls a mystery here that which is unknown and hidden. What then does this mystery consist of? In that the Jews did not all disbelieve, but were hardened in part. Many of them believed, whom, as was said above, God foreknew, and many will …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 15 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The fact that the Jews will be converted is certain because of Isaiah and the Apostle who teaches authoritatively: "Though the number of the children of Israel are as the sands of the sea, the remnant shall be saved." And again: "A partial blindness only …
The Synagogue came first to the tomb, but did not enter, because although it received the commandments of the law and heard the prophecies concerning the incarnation and passion of the Lord, it refused to believe in the one who died. For John saw the linen cloths lying there, yet did not enter, because the Synagogue both recognized the mysteries of sacred Scripture and yet delayed entering through faith by believing in the Lord's passion. The one whom it had long prophesied from afar, it saw present and rejected; it despised him as a man and refused to believe that God had been made mortal in flesh. What does this mean, except that it both ran more quickly and yet stood empty before the tomb? But Simon Peter came following him and entered the tomb, because the Church of the Gentiles, coming after, both recognized the mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, dead in the flesh, and believed him to be the living God. ... Then therefore that disciple who had come first to the tomb also entered. After Peter entered, John also went in. He who had come first entered later. It should be noted, brothers, that at the end of the world Judea too will be gathered to faith in the Redeemer, as Paul testifies when he says: "Until the fullness of the Gentiles should enter, and so all Israel should be saved."
After leading the gentiles to a knowledge of the divine judgments, in which God's goodness and severity were manifested, the Apostle, acting as though they are still unable to consider these things, explains how they seem to him. First, he presents the fact; second, he …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Such had been the calling of the gentiles: such was now the conversion of the Jews. Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits - Puffed up with your present advantages; dreaming that ye are the only church; or that the church of Rome cannot fail. Hardness in part is happened to Israel, till - Israel therefore is neither totally nor finally rejected.
For I would not, brethren,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
In the one place the Psalmist longs to see the "salvation of Israel coming out of Zion" (Ps 14:7); in the other, the prophet announces that "the Redeemer (or, 'Deliverer') shall come to (or 'for') Zion" (Isa 59:20). But as all the glorious manifestations of Israel's God were regarded as issuing out of Zion, as the seat of His manifested glory (Ps 20:2;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I would not - that ye should be ignorant of this mystery - Mystery, μυστηριον, signifies any thing that is hidden or covered, or not fully made manifest. The Greek word seems to have been borrowed from the Hebrew מסתר mistar, from the root סתר sathar, to hide, conceal, etc.; though some derive it from μυεισθαι, to be initiated into sacred rites, from μυειν, to shut up. In the New Testament it signifies, generally, any thing or doctrine that has not, in former times, been fully known to men: or, something that has not been heard of, or which is so deep, profound, and difficult of comprehension, that it cannot be apprehended without special direction and instruction: here it signifies the doctrine of the future restoration of the Jews, not fully known in itself, and not at all known as to the time in which it will take place. In Rom 16:25 it means the Christian religion, not known till the advent of Christ. The apostle wished the Romans not to be ignorant of this mystery, viz. that such a thing was intended; and, in order to give them as much instruction as possible on this subject, he gives them some characteristic or sign of the times when it was to take place. Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits - It seems from this, and from other expressions in this epistle, that the converted Gentiles had not behaved toward the Jews with that decorum and propriety which the relation they bore to them required. […]
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Οὐ | ou | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| θέλω | thelo | I want | G2309 → | 208 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἀγνοεῖν, | agnoein | to be ignorant, | G50 → | 22 times |
| ἀδελφοί, | adelphoi | brothers, | G80 → | 343 times |
| τὸ | to | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μυστήριον | musterion | mystery | G3466 → | |
| τοῦτο, | touto | this, | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἦτε | ete | you may be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| παρ᾽ | par᾽ | beside | G3844 → | 192 times |
| ἑαυτοῖς | he'autois | yourselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| φρόνιμοι, | phronimoi | wise, | G5429 → | |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| πώρωσις | porosis | a hardening | G4457 → | |
| ἀπὸ | apo | in | G575 → | 640 times |
| μέρους | merous | part | G3313 → | 42 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰσραὴλ | israel | to Israel | G2474 → | 68 times |
| γέγονεν | gegonen | has happened | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἄχρι | achri | until | G891 → | 48 times |
| οὗ | hou | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλήρωμα | pleroma | fullness | G4138 → | 17 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐθνῶν | ethnon | Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| εἰσέλθῃ, | eiselthe | may come in, | G1525 → |
ΟὐNot
ouG3756 →1664 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
θέλωI want
theloG2309 →208 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
ἀγνοεῖν,to be ignorant,
agnoeinG50 →22 times
ἀδελφοί,brothers,
adelphoiG80 →343 times
τὸof the
toG3588 →19766 times
μυστήριονmystery
musterionG3466 →
τοῦτο,this,
toutoG3778 →1381 times
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἦτεyou may be
eteG1510 →2333 times
παρ᾽beside
par᾽G3844 →192 times
ἑαυτοῖςyourselves
he'autoisG1438 →322 times
φρόνιμοι,wise,
phronimoiG5429 →
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
πώρωσιςa hardening
porosisG4457 →
ἀπὸin
apoG575 →640 times
μέρουςpart
merousG3313 →42 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
Ἰσραὴλto Israel
israelG2474 →68 times
γέγονενhas happened
gegonenG1096 →667 times
ἄχριuntil
achriG891 →48 times
οὗthat
houG3739 →1405 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πλήρωμαfullness
pleromaG4138 →17 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἐθνῶνGentiles
ethnonG1484 →161 times
εἰσέλθῃ,may come in,
eiseltheG1525 →
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
Romans 12:16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
- Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
- James 3:13–17
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- Philippians 2:2–3
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.
- Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- 1 Peter 3:8
Through
Luke 21:24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
it leads to
- Revelation 11:2
But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.
- Isaiah 63:18
For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary.
- Revelation 11:2
Through
Romans 16:25Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:7
No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.
- 1 Corinthians 2:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
About Romans

This page draws on 15 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); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 15; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 5; Frederic Godet, Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 22; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 19; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Robert Haldane, Exposition of 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.
