Romans 11:28 · Bible study
Romans 11:28 Commentary: Enemies Yet Beloved
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul calls the Jews enemies for the gospel's sake yet beloved for the patriarchs' sake. This paradox reveals God's faithful covenant plan for Israel.
Research Summary
- Meaning: In God’s plan, unbelieving Jews are currently enemies for the gospel’s sake (so Gentiles may receive salvation), yet they remain beloved because of God’s covenant choice of their patriarchs.
- Key words: Echthroi (enemies, hostile), agapētoi (beloved, dear), eklogē (election, God’s choosing), pateras (fathers, patriarchs).
- Main debate: Whether “the election” refers to the elect remnant of believing Jews or to the national election of Israel as a people.
- Theological theme: God’s faithful covenant endures even through judgment, and his purposes are larger than any present rebellion.
- Best use: A key text for understanding Israel’s place in God’s plan and for teaching God’s character of covenantal faithfulness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
KJV King James Version 1769
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
As touching the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
As regards, indeed, the good tidings, they are enemies on your account; and as regards the choice--beloved on account of the fathers;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
As regards the glad tidings, [they are] enemies on your account; but as regards election, beloved on account of the fathers.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Así que, cuanto al evangelio, son enemigos por causa de vosotros: mas cuanto á la elección, son muy amados por causa de los padres.
Assim, quanto ao Evangelho, eles são inimigos, para benefício vosso; mas quanto à escolha divina , são amados, por causa dos patriarcas.
En ce qui concerne l’ Évangile, ils sont ennemis à cause de vous; mais en ce qui concerne l’ élection, ils sont aimés à cause de leurs pères.
Nach dem Evangelium sind sie zwar Feinde um euretwillen; aber nach der Wahl sind sie Geliebte um der Väter willen.
Zo zijn zij wel vijanden aangaande het Evangelie, om uwentwil, maar aangaande de verkiezing zijn zij beminden, om der vaderen wil;
Per quanto concerne l’Evangelo, essi sono nemici per via di voi; ma per quanto concerne l’elezione, sono amati per via dei loro padri;
A tak według Ewangielii nieprzyjaciółmi są dla was; lecz według wybrania są miłymi dla ojców.
В отношении к благовестию, они враги ради вас; а в отношении к избранию, возлюбленные Божии ради отцов.
就著 福音說，他們為你們的 緣故 是仇敵； 就著 揀選說，他們為列祖的 緣故 是蒙愛的。
As far as the good news is in question, they are cut off from God on account of you, but as far as the selection is in question, they are loved on account of the fathers.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 11:28
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse holds together a tension that is central to Romans 9, 11. On one side, unbelieving Jews stand as “enemies” with respect to the gospel, not merely Paul’s opponents, but people whose rejection of the Messiah placed them in opposition to God (Barnes, Calvin, Gill). The word echthroi carries the full weight of hostile enmity toward God (Thayer defines it as “hostile, hating, and opposing another”). Yet on the other side, the same people are “beloved” with respect to the election, God’s ancient choice of Israel as a people. The Greek structure (kata men … kata de) drives home the double perspective: “as regards” one thing, X; “as regards” another, Y. Both are true at once. Adam Clarke and Calvin note that God’s covenant faithfulness to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, remains intact even when Israel is in rebellion. The verse does not say that individual unbelievers are saved, but that the nation as a whole remains within God’s purposes of mercy, as v. 29 confirms: the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Enemies in the sense of personal hostility toward God: The word 'echthroi' often means hostile to God; parallel uses in Romans 5:10 and Colossians 1:21 support this reading.
- Enemies in the sense of judicial rejection by God: Barnes and the Cambridge Bible argue that the term describes God counting them as enemies (i.e., rejecting them from his kingdom) because of unbelief.
- Election as national rather than individual: The phrase 'for the fathers' sake' links to the covenant with the patriarchs, implying a corporate election that continues despite individual unbelief.
What is clear: Both statements are true from different perspectives: Israel’s present rejection is real and serves a purpose, but God’s covenant love toward the patriarchs has not been withdrawn.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the enmity | All traditions agree that Jews in unbelief stand in a state of opposition to God or the gospel. | Some (Barnes, Calvin) see them as enemies of God himself; others (Grotius, Luther cited in Calvin) view them as enemies of the gospel or of Paul. |
| Meaning of 'the election' | Agreed that 'election' refers to God's choosing, not human merit. | Some (Cambridge Bible) take it as the elect individuals among Jews who believe; others (Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) see it as the national election of Israel as a people. |
| Purpose of 'for your sake' | All agree that Jewish unbelief resulted in benefit to the Gentiles. | Whether this benefit was God's direct design (Calvin) or a permitted consequence (Barnes) is debated. |
| Beloved for the fathers' sake | All see reference to God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. | Some (Wesley) limit 'beloved' to the believing remnant; others (Gill, Calvin) extend it to the nation as still in God's purposed mercy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to a church in Rome that likely included both Jewish and Gentile believers. Tensions ran high: the Jewish minority had been expelled under Claudius, then allowed back, and the Gentile majority may have felt superior after seeing many Jews reject the gospel (see Romans 11:17, 20). In chapters 9, 11 Paul addresses a pressing question: if Israel rejected her Messiah, has God broken his promises?
The immediate context sets Paul’s argument at a crucial moment. He has just described a “partial hardening” that has come upon Israel until “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (v. 25), after which “all Israel will be saved” (v. 26). The olive tree metaphor (v. 24) shows that the natural branches can be grafted back in. Verse 28 then crystallizes the paradox: unbelieving Jews are at present enemies “for your sake”, that is, for the benefit of the Gentiles, who have received the gospel which the Jews rejected. But “the election”, a term Paul used earlier (Romans 11:7) for the believing remnant, here likely refers to the elect nation as a whole, chosen through the patriarchs. The “fathers” are the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), with whom God made an unbreakable covenant (Deuteronomy 7:8; 10:15). Paul’s flow from v. 28 to v. 29 (“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”) shows that this love is anchored not in Israel’s current performance but in God’s own character.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts.
Reception History
The early church read this verse as evidence that God had not permanently rejected Israel. Augustine, wrestling with the relationship between the church and the Jewish people, pointed to this text as showing God’s continued care for the patriarchs’ descendants. During the Reformation, both Calvin and Luther used it to argue that God’s covenant with Israel was not annulled, though they differed on the future of the Jewish people as a whole. In the 20th century, the verse became crucial for movements that rejected supersessionism, the idea that the church entirely replaces Israel. Many theologians, especially after the Holocaust, have returned to this verse to affirm that God’s love for the Jewish people persists without canceling the gospel call for them to believe.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The reality of enmity. Unbelief puts people in opposition to God. The Jews’ rejection of the gospel was real, serious, and had consequences.
- The persistence of love. God’s covenant love for his chosen people does not fail, even when they are disobedient. It rests on his promise to the fathers.
- The purpose of both. Jewish enmity opened the door for Gentile salvation. And that very mercy to the Gentiles is meant to provoke Israel to jealousy and eventual restoration (Rom 11:11).
Five-point outline
- Two perspectives on the same people, enemies and beloved.
- The gospel perspective: rejection and hostility.
- The election perspective: chosenness and covenant love.
- The Gentile benefit: “for your sake” shows God’s global plan.
- The anchor: the unbreakable covenant with the patriarchs.
Illustration hooks
- A parent whose child has turned away from the family business, causing estrangement, yet still lists that child as a beneficiary in the will. Two true statements: alienated, yet still loved and provided for.
- Two sports fans from rival cities: one team’s fans consider the other team “enemies,” but the players themselves have mutual respect and share a bond through the sport itself.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still have a plan for Jewish people today, or has the church replaced Israel?
- If God loves people even when they are enemies, what does that mean for how I treat those who oppose the gospel?
- What does “for the fathers’ sake” mean, does God answer prayer because of ancestors’ faith?
Leading a Discussion
This verse packs two opposing truths into a single sentence. Both are true, and together they show that God’s plan is bigger than any one moment of rejection. As you talk through this passage, help the group see the tension, and the hope, in God’s double perspective on Israel.
Discussion questions
- Read Romans 11:28 aloud. What two things does Paul say about the same group of people?
- The word “enemies” (echthroi) is strong. What does this tell you about the seriousness of rejecting the gospel?
- “Beloved” is equally strong, but it is linked to “election” and “the fathers.” Why does Paul mention the patriarchs here?
- How does the context (verses 24-27 and 29-32) help you understand how both statements can be true?
- What does this verse reveal about God’s character, both his judgment and his faithfulness?
- If you are a Gentile believer, how should this verse shape your attitude toward Jewish people today?
- Can you think of a situation in your own life where someone is both “enemy” and “beloved”, where you are called to hold two truths together?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 26:4 | I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. In your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, |
| Genesis 28:14 | Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed. |
| Leviticus 26:40 | “‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they trespassed against me; and also that because they walked contrary to me, |
| Leviticus 26:42 | then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land. |
| Deuteronomy 4:31 | For Yahweh your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them. |
| Deuteronomy 7:7 | Yahweh didn’t set his love on you nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples; |
| Deuteronomy 7:8 | but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. |
| Deuteronomy 8:18 | But you shall remember Yahweh your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is today. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights a sharp paradox: unbelieving Jews are now enemies of God because they rejected the Gospel, yet they remain beloved because of God's ancient choice of their patriarchs. God's favor toward them has not been cancelled.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights a deliberate paradox: the Jews are simultaneously God's enemies in terms of rejecting the gospel and still beloved because of God's covenant with their fathers. The contrast is not about their character but about God's purposes. Their rejection serves the Gentiles, yet God's election keeps them objects of future mercy.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the Jews’ unbelief and temporary blindness were part of God’s deliberate plan to open the gospel to the Gentiles. Yet their present alienation does not cancel God’s enduring covenant with the patriarchs. The grace of God’s calling cannot be annulled, so the Jews remain beloved on account of that eternal purpose.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights a dual perspective on the Jewish people: they are counted as enemies under God's judicial rejection so the gospel can go to the Gentiles, yet they remain beloved because of God's unchangeable covenant with the patriarchs. This rejection is not final but sovereignly ordered within a plan of mercy that still holds them dear.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw a sharp twofold picture: the Jewish people are enemies regarding the Gospel, which opened salvation to the Gentiles, yet in God's eternal election they remain beloved on account of the patriarchs. Both statements are true simultaneously within God's purpose.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill resolves the seeming contradiction by distinguishing two ways the apostle speaks of the Jews. With respect to the Gospel they are enemies, and their rejection of it served to bring the message to the Gentiles. But concerning God's election, they remain beloved on account of the patriarchs, and a future conversion of the elect among them is assured.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the paradox that unbelieving Jews are treated as enemies for the benefit of the Gentiles, yet remain beloved because of God's election and the promises to the patriarchs. Their exclusion is temporary and serves a purpose, but the covenant love endures.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry finds comfort in the distinction between Israel's corporate rejection and the preserving of a faithful remnant by grace alone. He stresses that God's covenant promises do not fail because a remnant according to the election of grace continues, showing that salvation never mixes works with grace. The unbelief of the many is no proof that God has cast away His people entirely.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a sharp distinction within the Jewish people: as a whole they are enemies of the gospel, and God permits this hostility for the sake of believers. But the elect among them, those who do believe, remain beloved.