Romans 11 · Verse 21

Romans 11:21

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Romans 11:21, King James Version

Romans 11:21 in other translations

BSBFor if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.
WEBfor if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
ASVfor if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee.
YLTfor if God the natural branches did not spare--lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee.
DARBYif God indeed has not spared the natural branches; lest it might be he spare not thee either.
BBEFor, if God did not have mercy on the natural branches, he will not have mercy on you.
WebsterFor if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

What does Romans 11:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 11:19-21

19-21. Thou wilt say then--as a plea for boasting. The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

Read the full comment on Romans 11:19-21 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. For if God, etc. If God did not refrain from rejecting the Jews Who became unbelievers, assuredly he will not refrain from rejecting you in the same circumstances. It may be supposed that he will be quite as ready to reject the ingrafted branches, as to east off those which belonged to the parent stock. The situation of the Gentiles is not such as to give them any security over the condition of the rejected Jew.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 For if God spared not the natural branches - If He, in his infinite justice and holiness, could not tolerate sin in the people whom he foreknew, whom he had so long loved, cherished, miraculously preserved and blessed; take heed lest he also spare not thee. Be convinced that the same righteous principle in him will cause him to act towards you as he has acted towards them, if you sin after the similitude of their transgression; and to this, self-sufficiency and self-confidence will soon lead you. Remember, therefore, the rock whence you were hewn, and the hole of the pit whence ye were digged. Depend incessantly on God's free grace, that ye may abide in his favor.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 11:11-21

The gospel is the greatest riches of every place where it is. As therefore the righteous rejection of the unbelieving Jews, was the occasion of so large a multitude of the Gentiles being reconciled to God, and at peace with him; the future receiving of the Jews into the church would be such a change, as would resemble a general resurrection of the dead in sin to a life of righteousness. Abraham was as the root of…

Read the full comment on Romans 11:11-21 →

Romans 11:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἰeiIfG1487
γὰρgarforG1063
ὁho<the>G3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
τῶνtōntheG3588
κατὰkataaccording toG2596
φύσινphusinnatureG5449
κλάδωνkladōnbranchesG2798
οὐκouknotG3756
ἐφείσατο,epheisatospared,G5339
μήmēsurelyG3361
πωςpōsperhapsG4458
οὐδὲoudeneitherG3761
σοῦsouyouG4771
φείσεται.¶pheisetaiwill He spare.G5339

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 11:21

  • Jeremiah 49:12

    For thus saith the Lord; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

  • 2 Peter 2:4-9

    For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: …

  • Jeremiah 25:29

    For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Romans 8:32

    He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

  • Jude 1:5

    I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

  • Romans 11:19

    Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:1-12

    Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. …

  • Romans 11:17

    And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
if God.
17,19; 8:32; Jer 25:29; 49:12; 1Co 10:1-12; 2Pe 2:4-9; Jude 1:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 11:20

    Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

  • Romans 11:21

    For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

  • Romans 11:22

    Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Read all of Romans 11

Romans 11:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Que si Dios no perdonó á las ramas naturales, á ti tampoco no perdone.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		(si en effet Dieu n’a pas épargné les branches qui sont telles selon la nature), qu’il ne t’épargne pas non plus.
German
Elberfelder 1871		denn wenn Gott der natürlichen Zweige nicht geschont hat, daß er auch deiner etwa nicht schonen werde.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si enim Deus naturalibus ramis non pepercit: ne forte nec tibi parcat.