Romans 11:28-36

Context

11:28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 11:29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 11:30 Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 11:31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now¹ receive mercy. 11:32 For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.²

11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways!

11:34 For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?³

11:35 Or who has first given to God,⁴

that God⁵ needs to repay him?⁶

11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.

[11:31] ¹tc Some important Alexandrian and Western mss (א B D*^,c 1506 pc bo) read νῦν (nun, “now”) here. A few other mss (33 365 pc sa) have ὕστερον (Justeron, “finally”). mss that lack the word are Ì⁴⁶ A D² F G Ψ 1739 1881 Ï latt. External evidence slightly favors omission with good representatives from the major texttypes, and because of the alliance of Alexandrian and Byzantine mss (with the Byzantine going against its normal tendency to embrace the longer reading). Internally, scribes could have added νῦν here to give balance to the preceding clause (οὗτοι νῦν ἠπείθησαν…αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐλεηθῶσιν [|outoi nun hpeiqhsan…autoi nun elehqwsin; “they have now been disobedient…they may now receive mercy”]). However, it seems much more likely that they would have deleted it because of its seeming inappropriateness in this context. That some witnesses have ὕστερον presupposes the presence of νῦν in their ancestors. A decision is difficult, but νῦν is slightly preferred, since it is the more difficult reading and is adequately represented in the mss.

[11:32] ²tn Grk “to all”; “them” has been supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:34] ³sn A quotation from Isa 40:13.

[11:35] ⁴tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:35] ⁵tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:35] ⁶sn A quotation from Job 41:11.