Romans 11:17

εἰ δέ τινες κ.τ.λ. δέ introduces the antithesis to μὲν of 13; μὴ κατακαυχῶ τῶν κλάδων)[217] τὴν διακονίαν μου δοξάξω. The point of the simile is that the Gentiles owe their present inclusion in the stock of Israel, the chosen people, solely to that mercy of GOD which first made a chosen people: the condition of permanence for them is the same as it has been for Israel, namely, faith; they have no reason then to boast over the discarded members of that stock, but rather to fear for themselves, lest they too should fail in the condition, and further to hope for those members, that the same creative act of GOD, which has brought them, the Gentiles, into union with this source of life, may also restore those who have cut themselves off from it. The argument is closely |[218] 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

[217])(opposed to
[218] | parallel to

The true Israel is the root or stock with the branches, individual members, whether new or old. The underlying thought is the unity of the life in and from Christ, constituting the unity of the new Church. We have the elements here of the thought of the ‘one man in Christ’ which is developed in Eph.; of. Hort, R. and E., p. 179; cf. John 15:1 ff.; Jeremiah 11:16.

τινες τῶν κλάδων. Not all Israel were apostate; the remnant remained as a stock with some branches.

σὺ … ἐγένου. The singular emphasises the obligation of the individual.

ἀγριέλαιος. See Ramsay, Pauline Studies, p. 223 f. He refers to Prof. Fischer ‘Der Oelbaum’ to show that two processes of grafting were used in the cultivation of the olive: (1) the ordinary process of grafting a noble olive shoot on a stock of the same kind, all original branches of the stock being cut away, and the grafted shoot forming the tree. This was done when the stock was still young. (2) An exceptional process was employed to invigorate an old olive tree which was failing: the failing branches only were cut away, and a shoot of wild olive was grafted. The effect was both to invigorate the old tree and its remaining branches and to ennoble the new graft. According to Prof. Fischer this process is in practice in Palestine at the present day. If we may suppose it to have been in use in S. Paul’s time, it affords an admirable illustration for his subject. The fact seems to have been discovered first by Prof. Fischer and commentators from Origen downwards appear to have no knowledge of it.

ἐν αὐτοῖς. Among the branches which remained.

συνκοινωνὸς. Partner with the remaining branches in the root which supplies the richness of the olive. The root here too is the ‘remnant’ as in Christ; cf. 18.