Romans 11:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Notice again the Apostle's wisdom. He seems to speak in favor of the Jews and to devise consolation for them. Yet he imperceptibly strikes them, and by the words "root" and "firstfruits" (Rom 11:16) shows that they have no excuse.

Indeed, consider the worthlessness of the branches when, having a sweet root, they do not resemble it. Consider the worthlessness of the lump when it is not changed by the firstfruits.

"But if some of the branches were broken off." The greater part of the branches was broken off. But the Apostle, as I said, wishes to console the Jews, and therefore brings forward not his own words but theirs.

By this he imperceptibly wounds them, proving that they have departed from kinship with Abraham. This is precisely what the Apostle was trying to say: the Jews have nothing in common with Abraham.

If the root is holy and they are not holy, then they are far from the root. Then, while seeming to console the Jew, he again strikes him by his accusation of the Gentiles.

After saying, "if some of the branches were broken off," he adds: "and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them."

The more inferior the Gentile was, the more the Jew grieves on seeing him enjoy his inheritance. For the Gentile, the shame of his inferiority is not as great as the honor of his transformation.

Notice the Apostle's wisdom. He did not say, you were planted, but, "you were grafted in." By this he again wounds the Jew and shows that the Gentile has taken the Jew's place on the tree, while the Jew lies on the ground.

Therefore he does not stop there. Having said, "you were grafted in," he does not end the discourse, though with this he had already said everything.

He continues to describe the Gentile's prosperity and enlarges upon the honor, saying: "and became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree."

The Apostle seems to have placed the Gentile in the position of a kind of addition. Yet he shows that the Gentile suffers no harm from this, but has everything proper to a branch that comes from the root.

So that you, hearing, "you were grafted in," may not think the Gentile is lowered in comparison with the natural branch, see how the Apostle makes him equal.

He says: "and became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree." That is, you received the same nobility and the same nature.

"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you," the Gentile, "being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches" (Rom 11:17-18).

Developing this comparison in detail, the Apostle exhorts the Gentile to take care for himself. For as the Hebrews were broken off from the tree of Christ's Church because of unbelief, so he too can be cut off for the same unbelief.

Conversely, the Hebrews, as natural branches of the good olive tree, can again be grafted into it through faith (Rom 11:19-24).

Therefore he does not repeat this now. Instead, agreeing with the objectors concerning the Jews, he turns his gaze to them themselves. He disposes them to pay more attention to themselves than to the Jews, speaking as though he said: let some have been broken off. Do not fix your eyes on this. Look rather to yourself. They were broken off, but you were grafted in. Leave those who were broken off. God will order them according to His good pleasure. Direct all your attention to what this grafting obliges you to do. Consider how you must conduct yourself, lest you too be broken off like them. Having given this turn to the thought, the Apostle then teaches the Gentile believers at length humility and caution. But while setting forth this lesson, he introduces expressions which, while humbling the Gentiles, could not fail to touch the unbelieving Jews also. Therefore one must suppose that he also had them in mind, to see whether by this speech too he might provoke someone and thereby draw him to faith. You, O Gentile, are a wild olive tree, whose sap was bad and whose fruits were unfit for use. You have now been grafted onto a good olive tree that bears good fruit. You did not grow from within it, but were attached from without. It is as though he wishes to say: you have been glued on and do not sit firmly. You were grafted in and became a partaker of the root and of the good sap of the olive tree. The good sap of an olive tree foreign to you entered into you. It drove out your bad sap and made you fit to bear good fruit. You have nothing of your own. Everything is another's. One interpreter observes that usually a graft ennobles the sap of the tree. But, as ancient and modern travelers note, with olive trees it is otherwise. When a wild olive is grafted to the root, it receives the good sap into itself. In this way old olive trees are renewed. All this is humbling instruction for the Gentile. From it came this conclusion: it is indeed praiseworthy that you were grafted in, but you have nothing here of which to boast in yourself. Yet how many admonitions are contained in these words that could strongly touch the Jew! Saint Chrysostom chiefly explains this side: "Notice the Apostle's wisdom. He seems to speak in favor of the Jews and to devise consolation for them, but in a hidden way he strikes them. Through the words 'root' and 'firstfruits' he presents them as having no excuse. Imagine the worthlessness of branches which, having a sweet root, do not become like it. Imagine the worthlessness of the mixture of dough when it is not changed, does not rise, and does not ferment from the firstfruits. 'But if some of the branches were broken off.' The greater part of the branches was broken off, but the Apostle wishes to console the Jews by implying that there are few such. Meanwhile, however, he wounds them by proving, through the words 'were broken off,' that they have fallen away from kinship with Abraham. For this is exactly what the Apostle strove to say: the unbelieving Jews have nothing in common with Abraham. If the root is holy and they are not holy, then they are far from the root. Then, while seemingly consoling the Jew, he strikes him again by the very accusation and disparagement of the Gentiles. For after saying, 'If some of the branches were broken off,' he adds, 'and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them.' The less valued the Gentile is, the more the Jew grieves when he sees him enjoying his inheritance. For the Gentile, his low value brings not so much shame as the change brings honor. Notice the wisdom in the Apostle's words. He did not say, 'you were planted,' but 'you were grafted in.' By this he again wounds the Jew and shows that the Gentile has come onto the tree in place of the Jew, while the Jew lies on the ground. Therefore he did not stop there. After saying, 'you were grafted in,' he did not end the speech, though he had already said everything. On the contrary, he continues to describe the Gentile's prosperity and expands upon the image of his honor, saying, 'and became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.' Although he seems to place the Gentile in the rank of something added, thereby humbling him, he nevertheless shows that the Gentile suffers no harm from this. He possesses everything proper to a branch that has sprung from the root. Lest from the words 'you were grafted in' one conclude that the Gentile is humbled before the natural branch, see how the Apostle makes him equal. He says, 'and became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.' That is, you attained the same nobility and received the same nature. By this he strikes the Jew. Then, when he instructs and says, 'Do not boast against the branches,' he seems to console the Jew. In reality, he shows the Jew's low value and greater dishonor. Therefore he did not say, 'Do not boast,' but, 'Do not boast against the branches.' Do not exalt yourself over them as over those who have been broken off. You have been placed in their position and enjoy what belonged to them. Do you see how he seems to reproach the Gentiles, but in reality wounds the Jews?"