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That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
Romans 11:20 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;
  • KJV Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
  • ESV That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
  • NKJV Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
  • NASB Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
  • NLT Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

True, but they fell through unbelief and you stand by faith; so do not be proud, but fear.

Overview

Paul concedes the point only to redirect it: the natural branches were removed because of unbelief, and Gentiles stand solely 'by faith,' not by merit. Faith therefore excludes pride and calls instead for reverent fear and humility. The verse teaches that continued standing in grace is no ground for boasting but for watchful dependence on God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 39

  • Rom 12:16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
  • 2 Cor 1:24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.
  • 1 Cor 10:12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.
  • 1 Pet 1:17Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.
  • Phil 2:12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
  • Rom 5:1–2Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
  • Col 2:7rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
  • Hab 2:4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—
  • Heb 3:12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.
  • Rom 11:18do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
  • 1 Tim 6:17Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.
  • Prov 28:14Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
  • 2 Cor 10:5We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
  • Isa 66:2Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
  • 2 Tim 3:3–5unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,
  • Isa 2:11The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
  • 1 Pet 5:9Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.
  • Heb 3:19So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.
  • 1 Pet 5:12Through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.
  • 2 Th 2:4He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
  • Zeph 3:11On that day you will not be put to shame for any of the deeds by which you have transgressed against Me. For then I will remove from among you those who rejoice in their pride, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.
  • 1 Pet 5:5–6Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
  • Luke 18:14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
  • Acts 13:46–47Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
  • Heb 4:6Since, then, it remains for some to enter His rest, and since those who formerly heard the good news did not enter because of their disobedience,
  • John 4:17–18“I have no husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband.
  • Isa 2:17So the pride of man will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
  • Isa 7:9The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.’”
  • Rev 18:7As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’
  • Acts 18:6But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
  • Ps 138:6Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.
  • 1 Cor 16:13Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
  • Jas 4:6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
  • Rom 3:3What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?
  • Rev 3:17You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
  • Heb 4:11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.
  • Prov 28:26He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.
  • 2 Chr 20:20Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
  • Jas 2:19You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (10)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Romans videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Romans 11:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RomansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.

How Romans 11:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.