Since verse 24 consists essentially of a summary statement of what has preceded, it may be important in some languages to identify this fact by a particle meaning “in conclusion” or “finally.”

In this verse also pronominal references have been made explicit: You Gentiles is literally “you” (singular) and the Jews is literally “these ones.” Throughout this entire section (vv. 13-24) there is a problem of singular and plural, since Paul is addressing his argument, as it were, to one Gentile. Therefore he speaks of the Gentiles as being “a branch.” In contrast, the Jews are referred to as “these ones” and in the analogy they are “branches.” It may seem quite anomalous for several branches to be broken out in order for “one Gentile” (me in v. 19) to be inserted. If a plural form of second person is employed (“you” plural) throughout, then quite naturally the reference to Gentiles will be “branches,” to parallel the plural branches used in speaking of the Jews.

The branch of a wild olive tree that is broken off is more literally “have been cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree” (Revised Standard Version). The Greek phrase “by nature” (kata phusin) is also used in the second part of this verse where it appears with the equivalent of an adjective “natural” in the phrase “the natural ones.” In English it is unnatural to speak of any tree as being “an X tree by nature”; we simply say “an X tree.” That is why the Good News Translation renders wild olive tree instead of “by nature a wild olive tree” (Revised Standard Version) or “natural wild olive” (Jerusalem Bible). The New English Bible is ambiguous and sounds odd: “your native wild olive tree.”

Contrary to nature (Greek para phusin) is used in formal contrast to the phrase “by nature” (kata phusin). The meaning is obvious: it is contrary to nature for a branch of one kind of olive tree to grow from the trunk of another kind of olive tree.

For God to join these broken-off branches back to their own tree is literally “the natural ones will be joined back to their own olive tree.” Once again, God is the understood agent of the passive verb, and “the natural ones” is a reference to the branches that have been broken off the original olive tree. It is unnecessary in English structure to identify these branches as “natural branches,” because this is carried by the last part of the verse, to their own tree. Finally, in order that Paul’s analogy may be quickly and easily seen, Gentiles and Jews are modified by the phrase are like the branch and are like this cultivated tree.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .