For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Parallel translations
- WEB For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
- BSB Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,
- NKJV For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,
- NASB For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
- NLT Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead.
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
Gentiles, once disobedient, have now received mercy because of Israel's disobedience.
Overview
Paul traces the interplay of disobedience and mercy: Gentiles, formerly disobedient to God, obtained mercy through the occasion created by Israel's unbelief. This sets up a parallel in the next verse about Israel receiving mercy in turn. It underscores that all salvation is a matter of unmerited mercy, never deserved standing.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Col 3:7In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
- Eph 2:1–2And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
- 1 Cor 7:25Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
- 2 Cor 4:1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
- Titus 3:3–7For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
- 1 Cor 6:9–11Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
- Rom 11:31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
- 1 Pet 2:10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
- Eph 2:19–21Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
- Eph 2:12–13That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
- 1 Tim 1:18This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 11:30 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.