Romans 11:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After your deliverance from Egypt, you worshiped the calf and sacrificed your sons to Baal-peor. You defiled the temple and plunged into every kind of vice.

You forgot nature itself. You filled mountains, thickets, hills, springs, rivers, and gardens with abominable sacrifices. You killed the prophets and overthrew the altars.

You advanced to the highest degree in vice and impiety. Yet God delivered you to the Babylonians for seventy years, and again brought you out into your former freedom.

He restored to you both the temple and your fatherland, and the ancient form of prophecy. Again you had prophets and the grace of the Spirit.

Rather, even during the captivity itself you were not abandoned. There too you had Daniel and Ezekiel. In Egypt you had Jeremiah, and in the wilderness Moses.

After this you again turned to your former vices. You gave yourself to licentiousness and, under the impious Antiochus, established a Greek manner of life.

Yet even then, after being subject to Antiochus for three years or a little more, through the Maccabees you again raised up renowned trophies of victory for yourselves.

But now you have nothing of the kind. Everything has gone otherwise.

And what is especially astonishing is that the former vices have ceased, while the punishment has increased. There is no hope at all of any change in your condition.

Not seventy, not one hundred, and not two hundred years have passed, but three hundred and much more. Yet not even a shadow of such hope can be found.

And this is so when you do not serve idols and do none of the things you once dared to do. What is the reason for this?

It is that the type has been replaced by the truth, and the law has been excluded by grace.

Foretelling this from of old, the prophet said: "Bow down their back always."

Do you see the accuracy of the prophecy? It foretold unbelief, showed stubbornness, revealed the judgment that followed, and indicated the endlessness of the punishment.

Many of the more senseless people did not believe the future and wanted to judge what was to come by what was present.

Therefore Christ proved His power in this case in two ways. He exalted the believing Gentiles above heaven, and He brought the unbelieving Jews into extreme poverty and delivered them to unavoidable calamities.

Thus, after strongly striking them with the depiction of their unbelief and of their past and future calamities, the Apostle again consoles them with the following words:

They were "rejected" in verse 15 and "broken off" in verse 17. Through this, the Gentiles received "salvation" in verse 11, "riches" in verse 12, and "reconciliation" in verse 15.

They were "grafted in" and became "partakers of the root and fatness of the olive tree" in verse 17.

By this the Apostle makes it clear enough that this reconciliation and enrichment are not final. For he adds this exhortation to the Christian from the Gentiles: "Do not be arrogant," but "fear.

Behold the goodness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but goodness toward you, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off" (vv. 20-22).

Therefore, although initial reconciliation with God is given by faith alone in the merits of Christ, who suffered for us, final reconciliation and justification are given to the one who follows in His steps.

It is given to the one who, in the words of the Apostle Paul in Rom 12:1, presents his body "as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God." In short, he shows faith by works.

Of course, our life is so sinful that we never hope to be justified by our own works. We continually implore God not to enter into judgment with us.

But this does not mean that we are not obliged to care for works, or that they are not required of us.

He speaks as if saying: "There are three thousand with me, five thousand, and a great multitude of Israelites foreknown by God."

Indeed, referring to the example of the prophet Elijah, the Apostle goes on to say: "Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel, saying: Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars.

I alone am left, and they seek my life" (3 Kgs 19:14). "But what does the divine answer say to him? I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal" (Rom 11:2-4).

"Even so then, at this present time," the Apostle adds, "there is a remnant according to the election of grace" (Rom 11:5). That is, some of the Jews received justification by faith in Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile the rest were hardened and did not receive salvation, as the prophets had foretold (Rom 11:6-10).

Concerning the Apostle's example from Elijah the prophet, St. Chrysostom observes: "If the Apostle had wanted to prove only that few make up the people properly belonging to God, he would merely have said that seven thousand remained in Elijah's time.

But lest the Jews say, 'We killed Christ as a deceiver and persecute the Apostles as seducers,' the Apostle brings forward the whole testimony.

It says: 'Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars.' This meant that, just as then they killed not false but true prophets, so now they killed not a false but the true Savior.

And they persecute not seducers, but true preachers."

The deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery is the final type of our deliverance from slavery to sin and the devil.

But then, according to the testimony of the prophet Moses, the Lord did not give the Hebrews a heart to understand, eyes to see, and ears to hear, even to that day.

So also now, seeing the multitude of saving works and divine miracles of Jesus Christ, the Hebrews related to them as men struck with blindness.

They were like those in a state of stupor, or sweetly intoxicated by their own unbelief. In the Apostle's expression, they were in a spirit of compunction.

Concerning this last expression, St. John Chrysostom says: "By compunction the Apostle here means a habit of soul toward the worse that is incurable.

As one who is moved to compunction in piety does not quickly depart from that state, so one moved to compunction in evil can change only with difficulty."

As for the words, "God gave," he observes: "The Apostle accuses nothing else but their stubborn will.

They had eyes to see miracles and received ears to hear wondrous teaching. Yet they did not use either as they ought.

Therefore by the word 'gave' understand here not action, but permission."

Pausing further over the fulfillment of the punishments foretold by the prophet David for those who do not believe in the Savior, St. John Chrysostom says: "When were the Jews ever so easily captured and overcome?

When were they subjected to such slavery? Most important of all, these calamities will have no end, as the prophet noted.

For he did not simply say, 'Bow down their back,' but added, 'always.' If you, Jew, claim that the calamities will end, then judge the present by the past.

Now everything has gone differently with you. What is especially astonishing is that the former vices are not visible, yet the punishment increases, and there is no hope of any change in your condition.

All this has overtaken you when you do not serve idols and do none of the things you once dared to do. What is the reason?

It is that the type has been replaced by the truth, and the law has been excluded by grace."

They could have handled the Lord in all this and cried out like the Apostle Thomas: "My Lord and my God!"; cf. Jn 20:28. But they did not see, because they did not want to see. Therefore the Lord darkened their eyes, that they might not see. "And bow down their back always," that is, they will forever remain under the yoke of bondage. They were already subject to a foreign power, yet they still retained some measure of self-government. But when they delivered the Lord to death, they soon lost everything: the city, the sanctuary, and were scattered everywhere as slaves. To this day they remain under foreign powers. They will always remain under them, as the prophetic word shows: "bow down always," that is, always keep them bent under the yoke. To confirm his thought by prophecy, Saint Paul could have cited only the words: "Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see." That is, their eyes shall be darkened. But he also cited what stands before this in the Prophet, and what follows after. Why did he do this? Perhaps so that his speech would not be scanty, but fuller and more rounded. More certainly, he did it to show that this darkening, according to the prophecy, is recompense for them. It is the punishment and chastisement of God, as is said beforehand. It is only the entryway to stumbling, a snare, and a trap. Its end will be final enslavement. When the Apostle cited these words, the darkening was already at work in the Jews, but the bowing of the back had not yet taken place. They still held their heads proudly and nourished vain hopes of their own exaltation. By citing the prophetic indication of this, he directed their thought to what awaited them soon. Thus he hoped to dispose those who had not yet received the Gospel to receive it. He also hoped to confirm in faith those who had already received it. Saint Chrysostom wrote his Homilies after this punishment foretold by Saint David had been fulfilled, the bowing of the neck. Therefore he dwells especially upon it, both to prove the truth of the prophecies and to show the ruinousness of unbelief. He says: "Is any interpretation needed here? Is this not clear even to the least intelligent? Even before our words, actual experience has testified to what the Prophet said. When have the Jews ever been so easily taken captive and overcome? When have they ever been subjected to such slavery? Most important of all, there will be no end to these calamities, as the Prophet observed. For he did not simply say, 'Bow down their back,' but added, 'always.' If you, O Jew, affirm that the calamities will end, judge the present by the past. You were transplanted into Egypt, but two hundred years passed, and despite all your impiety, God immediately freed you from that bondage. After your deliverance from Egypt, you worshiped the calf and offered your sons in sacrifice to Baal-Peor; see Num 25:3. You defiled the temple and plunged into every kind of vice. You filled mountains, thickets, hills, springs, rivers, and gardens with abominable sacrifices. You killed the Prophets, overthrew the altars, and fully advanced in malice and impiety. Yet God, after delivering you to the Babylonians for seventy years, again brought you into your former freedom. He restored to you the temple, the homeland, and the former manner of prophecy. Even during the captivity itself, you were not abandoned. There too you had Daniel and Ezekiel. After this you again turned to your former vices, gave yourself to licentiousness, and under the impious Antiochus accepted Hellenic ways of life. Yet even then, after being subject to Antiochus for three years or a little more, through the Maccabees you raised up new and famous monuments of victory for yourselves. But now you have nothing like this. On the contrary, everything has taken a different course. What is especially astonishing is that the former vices are not visible, yet the punishment increases, and there is no hope of any change in your condition. Not seventy, not one hundred, and not two hundred years have passed, but three hundred, and now eighteen hundred and much more. Yet not even the shadow of such a hope is seen. All this has come upon you when you are not serving idols and are doing nothing like what you dared to do before. What, then, is the cause? It is that the type has been replaced by the truth, and the law has been superseded by grace. Foretelling this of old, the Prophet said: 'Bow down their back always.' Do you see the precision of the prophecy? In it unbelief is foretold, obstinacy is exposed, the judgment that follows is announced. And the endlessness of the punishment is indicated." Having explained that the rejection of the Jews and the reception of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of Christ accords with the promises given, Saint Paul now indicates the cause in the faith of some and the unbelief of others. He now brings this event into the plans of the divine providence concerning the human race. In this way he finally quiets minds and cuts off every perplexity on this matter. But in doing this, he also gives a strong admonition to the Gentile believers not to neglect the mercy shown to them. He also consoles those tormented by pity for the Jews by foretelling that blindness has befallen Israel only for a time. Afterward, all Israel will turn and be saved. "The Apostle acts thus so that he might not, by casting the Jews into despair, close the way to faith for them. He also does this so that he might not give the Gentile believers occasion for haughtiness, lest through pride they suffer harm in the faith. We must not simply listen to what is said, but must penetrate the thought and intention of the speaker. If we receive each word with such reflection, we shall find difficulty in none of them. In the present case, the Apostle's aim is to destroy haughtiness in the Gentile believers. He also aims to suggest to the Jews that they have not wholly fallen. For as the Gentiles, having learned modesty, will remain more safely in the faith, so the Jews, being delivered from despair, will more readily approach grace. Therefore, keeping this aim of the Apostle in view, let us hear everything he says in the present passage"; Saint Chrysostom.