The Jewish Annotated New Testament (254 page)

16
: Isa 53.1.
Obeyed
, lit., “listened [obediently].”

17
: Or “Therefore faithfulness [results] from [responding faithfully to] a report.”
Word of Christ
, “God” in some Mss.

18
: Ps 19.4 (LXX 18.5), a psalm that declares that apart from speech, the heavens declare the glory of God; in vv. 5–6, the sun is represented as a bridegroom coming out of its chamber to run its course, so that nothing is hidden. Verse 14 calls the Lord “rock and redeemer,” which may connect to Paul’s stumbling stone image.

19
: Deut 32.21, the Song of Moses.

20
: Isa 65.1.

21
: Isa 65.2.
Disobedient
, lit., “noncomplying.” In all of these citations, Paul is recontextualizing earlier verses that had a different meaning in their original historical context. Part of what Paul is doing is pesher-like: their “real” meaning is only fulfilled later, and perhaps even the original prophet did not understand their full meaning.

11.1
–16: The restoration of Israel and the inclusion of the nations.
Nonbelieving Jews are not rejected, but in God’s design they have not yet been persuaded. However inscrutable this design or its purpose might be, it will result in the restoration of all Israel. Gentiles who respond faithfully fulfill their own responsibility to the success of this design. Paul now discusses the state of divided Israel, continuing the allegory of heralds to the nations, some running successfully while others stumble. But the real thrust of the argument shows non-Jews how their anomalous inclusion in God’s plan for Israel’s restoration is proceeding. Paul hopes to provoke empathy for those Israelites suffering now. He creates an allegorical image of grafting a wild shoot onto an olive tree, some of whose branches have been broken (bent), to explain the precarious place of these non-Jews in God’s design. The broken branches are being protected by a callus until the wild shoot’s graft is made, and then all of the natural branches will be healed. The present alienation of some Israelites serves to bring about the inclusion of these non-Jews. Based on the promises of God to the fathers, even the stumbling Israelites are beloved and their restoration is assured.

1
: Diatribe style continues with a question whether Israel has been “pushed back,” which Paul denies (cf. Ps 94.14). The implication of Paul’s argument since 9.30 is that Israel has (i.e., some Israelites have) stumbled and not reached the goal to which Torah pointed, that of being heralds of the news of Christ. In effect, Paul argues, some in Israel are not carrying out their task before some non-Jews have become Christ-believers; therefore, rather than
rejected
(Gk “apōsato”), “pushed back,” is preferable, keeping the idea that though it may come later than God had planned, the Jewish people as a whole will be included in the coming kingdom (see vv. 11–12). Paul points to himself as proof that one cannot deny Israel’s inclusion, for he is an Israelite, a seed of Abraham (i.e., one who was a circumcised as a child), and even declares his tribe.

2
–5
: Cf. 1 Sam 12.22; Amos 3.2.

2
:
Foreknew
, here “knew from before,” not “knew in advance.”

3
: 1 Kings 19.10; note that Elijah does not plead against Israel, but for his own safety from certain unfaithful Israelites.

4
: 1 Kings 19.18.

5
: Cf. 9.29; 2 Kings 19.4; 1QS 8.6.

6
: The Israelites who are faithfully proclaiming the gospel, like Paul, were not chosen to do so because their deeds were better than those stumbling Israelites; this is the result of God’s choice for how things should unfold; cf. 9.16.
Grace
, a gift of benefaction.

7
: See 9.6.
Failed
, not in Gk.
Were hardened
, lit., “were being callused, or wounded.” See v. 25n.

8
: Loose citation of Deut 29.4 conflated with Isa 29.10. Deut 29.2–6 tells of Israel not yet recognizing the mysterious way that God used Pharaoh. “This day” signals the end of the lack of perception. Isa 29 expresses a similar theme about Judah’s prophets failing to perceive Judah’s initial deliverance from the nations (Isa 29.9–14), while deaf and blind Israelites understand (Isa 29.17–21), with a message of restoration of those who have erred or grumbled (Isa 29.22–24).

10
:
Forever
, or continually.

11
: The quotations of judgment in vv. 8–10 provoke the diatribe question of whether these Israelites (“the rest”) have stumbled (been unfaithful) and thus will not reach the goal of proclaiming God’s righteousness to the nations. This picture draws heavily on Isa 8; 28; see Rom 9.30–33.
To make Israel
, lit., “them”; “Israel” not in Gk.

11
–16
: Paul addresses the non-Jewish audience of the letter directly, not via diatribe, on the basis of his responsibility to them as members of the nations. He explains that he declares the glory of his ministry as a herald to the nations in the hope that he will provoke his fellow, currently stumbling, Israelites to be jealous of his ministry, so that they will want to emulate him by joining him in declaring this message of Christ to the nations. Note that it is neither the salvation of the non-Jews per se that he seeks to declare, nor is it jealousy of the non-Jews that Paul seeks to stir; rather, it is his own success among the non-Jews that he magnifies, and thus he seeks to provoke jealousy of his ministry among the nations. Note too, that Paul thinks of the fellow Israelites who are stumbling as his own flesh; how he knows himself is inseparable from his embodiment with them as Israel. Whether Paul calculated this or even realized the implications, the non-Jews might feel slighted by this statement, both because this expression (“my flesh”) keeps alive the idea that the Gentile followers are not a part of Israel or fellow-members with Paul; even his ministry among them is in the service of a goal beyond themselves, although certainly it is for them too. The verbs are subjunctive in v. 14, and follow a conditional conjunction: this is the outcome that Paul hopes will result from this strategy, but he is not certain of it.

12
:
Defeat
, or slow down.
Full inclusion
, or completion (of the course).

14
: Lit., “if somehow I might make my flesh (i.e., those sharing my ethnic descent) jealous.”

15
:
Rejection
, or present nonparticipation.
What will their acceptance be
, lit., “what [results from] gaining of them [back to participation].”

16
: These two comparisons—of the meal offering and of the root and branches—to the whole of Israel serve as a transition to the olive tree allegory. Paul has been working until this point with an image of heralds sent out to reach the nations, some having tripped along the way—so we have three comparisons at work in this ch. The first allegory is not developed after it is introduced. Lev 23.14 refers to the idea that offering the first of the dough makes the rest of the dough holy; Num 15.17–18 explains that when a cake made from the first of the dough is offered, then the rest of the cakes can be served to others who are profane, i.e., not priests. Paul uses it to say that holiness of the first part offered extends to the whole. This appears to imply that the whole (Israel) is made holy, i.e., set apart to God, by the dedicated first part, although he does not say who that is (e.g., the ancestors [cf. v. 28], or the remnant [cf. v. 5], or the presently stumbling [cf. v. 11]). The second allegory will be developed in the olive tree comparison that follows. The image seems to be more like a vine than a tree. Paul does not define the root or the branches, but simply makes the point that if the root is set apart to God, then so too are the branches that grow from it.

11.17
–24: The olive tree allegory.
This allegory is confronting any temptation of arrogance among the Christ-following non-Jewish audience toward the Israelites who are not Christ-proclaimers.

17
: The wild
shoot
is singular.
Were broken off
, lit., “were broken/bent.”
Were grafted in their place
, lit., “being grafted among them”; “in their place,” not in Gk.

18
:
Remember that
is not in Gk.

19
: In Isa 10.5–15 and 37.24–25,30–32, using tree metaphors, the king of Assyria expresses similar presumptuousness, which will be turned against him.
Broken off
, lit., “broken/bent.”

20
:
That is true
, lit., “Well” (i.e., “it is well”).
Broken off
, lit., “they were being broken to [represent] the unfaithful, but you were established to [represent] the faithful.”

21
:
Perhaps
, not in some manuscripts.

22
: The natural branches begin to be described as “cut off [“ekklaō”],” rather than merely “broken [“ekkoptō”].” This change highlights the severity of the fate of the wild shoot if it should be filled with presumptuous pride.

23
: Isa 59, in the midst of plant and tree metaphors, portrays God miraculously restoring Israel.
And even those
, lit., “but also they.”
Of Israel
not in Gk.
If they do not persist in unbelief
, lit., “if they would not continue to [represent] the unfaithfulness [of not proclaiming the message to Gentiles].”
Has the power
, lit., “is able.”

11.25
–36: Further reflections on the cryptic process by which God is accomplishing the restoration of Israel and salvation of the nations.

25
–26
: Paul changes to direct instruction to the Christ-believing non-Jews, urging them not to be arrogant but instead to recognize that the grace with which they have been blessed should be internalized and turned to regard the suffering others with a spirit of benefaction or grace.

25
:
Part of Israel
has been “callused” [“pōrōsis”], usually translated “hardened”; broken branches experience the protective and healing process of growing a callus from the sap (cf. v. 17, which implies the broken branches are still drawing from the root). The noun here is not a cognate of the verb used to refer to Pharaoh having a hardened (“sklērynō”) heart in 9.17–18, or in Exodus.
A hardening has come upon part of Israel
, or, a part of Israel has become callused, or, for a while a callus has developed for [to protect] Israel;
until the full number of the Gentiles has come in/commenced
, i.e., a part of Israel has become callused temporarily, until the fullness of the nations might commence.

26
–27
:
And so
, lit., “And in this way”; or And then.
Will be saved
, or will be restored/rescued from stumbling, healed, restored as messengers. Paul’s argument is based not on being in need of restoration to the covenant, but of being disciplined because they have not undertaken the covenant obligation of being entrusted with God’s oracles to the nations. Paul writes “out of/from Zion” instead of LXX “to Zion,” or MT “for the sake of Zion”; this may reflect the Diaspora situation in Rome.
He will banish
, lit., “he will turn away.”