Romans 11:4

the answer of God Lit. the oracular answer. The words "of God" are an explanatory addition.

I have reserved, &c. 1 Kings 19:18. The Heb. is, "And I have left in Israel seven thousand; all the knees that have not bowed, &c." (LXX. has "And thou shalt leave, &c.")

It is hardly needful to point out how this metaphorical passage, like almost every other, secular or sacred, carries its qualifications and corrections with it. For example, the true Church of God existed ages before Abraham; it embraced Abel, Enoch, Noah. And no saint, however great, can be the "root" of the rest in the sense of being their source of life: the Divine Saviour alone can say "Abide in me." And again, the figure here, if taken alone, would leave us with the impression that the Call of the Gentiles was an accident in the history of the Church, instead of being the great "Purpose of the Ages" (Ephesians 3:11) to which the privileges and work of the Elder Covenant were but the mighty prelude. But St Paul writes for those who will read his revelation in the full light of Gospel-truth; and therefore he securely leaves the details to self-explanation or self-correction. Carefully so read, the passage tells us not of a higher level of grace and glory hereafter for Jewish saints as above Gentile saints, but of a gracious welcome back, and a special work for God, for repenting and believing Israel.