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Romans 11:33

in Romans 11

O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

KJV

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

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This verse in Romans 11

Commentary

4 notes on this verse
O the depth ... - This passage should have been translated “O the depth of the riches, and of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God.” The apostle has three subjects of admiration. Our translation, by the word “both” introduced here, confines it to two. The apostle wishes to express his admiration of the riches and the wisdom, and the knowledge of God. So the Syriac, Arabic, etc. Our translation has followed the Latin Vulgate. The word “depth” is applied in the Scriptures to anything vast and incomprehensible.

This site's exposition

the depth of the riches

on Romans 11:33-36

Eleven chapters of argument end in worship over the riches of God's wisdom and knowledge. His judgments are unsearchable and His ways untraceable, and the two questions come from Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11. God is source, channel and end of all things.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

The depth of the riches is described, ver. 35; the depth of wisdom, ver. 34; the depth of knowledge, in the latter part of this verse. Wisdom directs all things to the best end; knowledge sees that end. How unsearchable are his judgments - With regard to unbelievers.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The "knowledge," then, points probably to the vast sweep of divine comprehension herein displayed; the "wisdom" to that fitness to accomplish the ends intended, which is stamped on all this procedure.

The words behind it

18 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ecclesiastes 3:11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.46 worksJob 11:7–9Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?34 worksJob 5:9the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.33 worksPsalms 92:5How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!26 worksColossians 2:2–3that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,20 worksPhilippians 4:19And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.20 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Psalms 145:3Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.19 worksRomans 2:4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?18 worksPsalms 139:6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.18 worksJob 37:23The Almighty is beyond our reach; He is exalted in power! In His justice and great righteousness He does not oppress.15 worksEcclesiastes 11:5As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.15 worksJob 9:10He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.15 worksEphesians 1:7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace13 worksEphesians 3:10His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,13 worksPsalms 36:6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.12 worksRomans 9:23What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—11 worksJob 26:14Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”11 worksEphesians 2:7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.11 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Psalms 92:5

    How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!

    it leads to

    • Psalms 40:5

      Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us— none can compare to You— if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Romans 11:33–34

      O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

    • Isaiah 55:8–9

      “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

    • Psalms 139:17

      How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!

    • Psalms 145:3–4

      Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

  • Through

    Romans 2:4

    Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

    it leads to

    • 2 Peter 3:9

      The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

    • Isaiah 30:18

      Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.

    • Exodus 34:6

      Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,

Where this verse is studied

About Romans

The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
Romans: the study guide →Read Romans 11 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Romans 11 →