εἰ δὲ τὸ παράπτωμα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος κόσμου καὶ τὸ ἥττημα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος ἐθνῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῶν.
12Now if their stumbling means riches for the world and if their loss means riches for gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “world” in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese with shìjiè (世界). While shìjiè is now the commonly used term for “world” in Chinese, it was popularized as such by Chinese Bible translations. (Source: Mak 2017, p. 241ff.)
See also world.
The Greek that is often translated as “trespass” or “transgression” in English is translated as “missing the commandment” in Kipsigis and “to step beyond the law” in Navajo (Dinė). (Source: Bratcher / Nida 1961)
In Tepeuxila Cuicatec it is translated as “thing not reached.” Marjorie Davis (in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 34ff. ) explains: “[This] implies that the goal was not reached, the task was not finished, or of finished, it was not satisfactorily done. According to the Cuicateco way of thinking of one does not what is expected of him, he offends [or: trespasses] and is an offence.”
The Greek in Romans 11:12 that is translated in English as “full inclusion” or similar is translated as “return to their place” in Isthmus Zapotec, as “be called back by God” in Tzeltal, as “when they believe well” in Central Tarahumara, as “when God reinstates them” in Yatzachi Zapotec, and as “when they again become many who believe” in Chicahuaxtla Triqui. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).
Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).
In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
See also nations.
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 11:12:
Following the demands of English discourse structure, the Good News Translation once again makes a pronominal reference explicit (of the Jews is literally “of them”). Moreover, as with the previous sentence, so here also a verb must be supplied from the context (Good News Translation brought; Revised Standard Version “means”; An American Translation* takes the noun “riches” and transforms it into a verb “has so enriched”).
In a number of languages one cannot speak of a noun such as sin “bringing rich blessings.” However, sin can be expressed as a cause—for example, “because the Jews sinned, rich blessings have come to the world” or “because the Jews sinned, other people in the world have experienced so many good things.”
The Greek word rendered spiritual poverty in the Good News Translation is difficult to translate literally. Elsewhere in the New Testament it occurs only in 1 Corinthians 6.7 with the meaning of “failure” or “defeat.” The Revised Standard Version renders the word by “failure” and the New English Bible by “falling-off.” An American Translation* chooses the word “false step” and Moffatt “defection”; the Jerusalem Bible translates by two words “fall and defection.” Most commentators see in this word the meaning of “defeat,” while others point out that the basic idea in this context is “smaller” or “less.” If this last viewpoint is taken, the word may refer either to the small number of Jews who are saved or, as the Good News Translation interprets it, to their spiritual poverty.
As in the first clause of verse 12, there is also relation of cause and effect between spiritual poverty and the fact of “bringing rich blessings.” One may translate, therefore, as “because the Jews were spiritually poor, the Gentiles enjoyed rich blessings” or “because the Jews failed, rich blessings came to the Gentiles.”
The King James Version represents a rather literal rendering of the last part of this verse: “how much more their fulness?” Paul is arguing from the lesser to the greater, and so the phrase “how much more” must be taken as a reference to rich blessings in the previous line. This then is the logic for the Good News Translation rendering: How much greater the blessings will be.
The meaning of the word “fulness” is also disputed. Some take this as a reference to a time when the Jews will completely do the will of God (see 13.10). However, most commentators and modern translators understand it in the sense of the complete number of Jews who will finally be included in God’s salvation (Moffatt “what will it mean when they all come in”; An American Translation* “how much more good the addition of their full number will do”; New American Bible “how much more their full number”).
The final exclamation in verse 12 may be rendered as a strong affirmation in the form “the blessings will even be much greater when all the Jews are included” or “… when the number of those who experience salvation includes all the Jews.”
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 .
11:12a
11:12a is very similar in meaning to 11:12b. After translating them, see the General Comment on 11:12a–b below.
But: Here the word But introduces another thing that Paul wanted to say. For example:
And (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Now (English Standard Version)
-or-
The sin… (Good News Translation)
if their trespass means riches for the world: Here the word if introduces a situation that is true. If this first part is true, that supports the second part (God fully including the Jews will mean much more (11:12c)) to also be true.
In some languages, using an if -clause would have a different meaning. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:
if ⌊you agree that⌋ their trespass means riches for the world
-or-
their trespass means riches for the world, so
See how you translated this kind of if in 3:5 or 11:6.
trespass: This word refers to doing something wrong or bad against God. See how you translated this word in 11:11c.
means: There is no verb in the Greek here. Usually, “be/is” is implied. Here “their trespass” leads to “riches for the world.” So some English versions add a verb like means. Here are other words that can be added here:
brought (Good News Translation)
-or-
caused
riches for: Here the word riches refers to an abundance of blessings related to salvation. It does not refer to earthly money or treasure. Here are other ways to translate this word:
a great gain to (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
an abundance for
-or-
great blessings to
-or-
greatly helps
See how you translated this word in 2:4 or 9:23.
world: Here this word refers to all people in the world, not the ground itself. Some languages must refer to the people rather than just the earth. For example:
the collective-people on this earth
-or-
all mankind
11:12b
failure: There are several ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as failure :
(1) It means failure here, as in the Berean Standard Bible. The word here refers to a lack of success in doing something.
(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, God’s Word)
(2) It means loss here, as in the New International Version. The word here refers to losing something or failing to keep it.
(New International Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
(3) It means defeat here. Israel was defeated in the sense that in their spiritual battle to get right with God, they did not attain that goal because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. For example:
defeat (New Revised Standard Version)
(New Revised Standard Version, NET Bible)
(4) It means a decrease in number here. For example:
diminished number (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
(King James Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because:
(a) The Greek lexicons do not support interpretation (4).
(b) Some scholars support interpretation (3), but it is hard to understand how the meaning of “defeat” applies here unless the idea of spiritual battle is introduced into this verse.
(c) The meaning of “loss” is supported in the Greek lexicons but a more active sense of failure is preferable here.
Paul did not say what the Jews failed at. It is implied that they failed to accept Jesus as their Messiah/Savior. In some languages a literal translation would have the wrong meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Translate literally and explain the meaning in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:
Paul implied/meant that the Jews failed to accept Jesus as their Messiah/Savior.
• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
failed ⌊regarding Jesus⌋
-or-
failed ⌊to believe in Jesus⌋
riches: This word has the same meaning as in 11:12a.
Gentiles: Here this word refers to all people-groups except the Jews.
General Comment on 11:12a–b
11:12a is very similar in meaning to 11:12b. It is a Hebrew poetic form. The second line helps explain the first line. The two lines together strengthen the meaning. In some languages saying something again with similar words has a different meaning/function. If that is true in your language, indicate the correct meaning in one line. For example:
Now if their sin and failure means riches for the Gentiles of this world
-or-
Now if their sin of failing ⌊to accept Jesus⌋ ⌊as the Messiah/Christ/Savior⌋ means abundant blessings for the world, that is, the Gentiles
11:12c
how much greater riches will their fullness bring: The phrase how much greater indicates that if the failure of the Jews produced a good result in the world, their inclusion will mean an even better result. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
So the inclusion of Jewish people will make the world even richer. (God’s Word)
-or-
So surely the world will receive much richer blessings… (New Century Version)
how: Here this word strengthens the phrase “much more.” It does not make this clause a question here. See the above examples.
fullness: The basic meaning of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fullness is “a full measure of something.” Here are the four main ways to interpret the Greek word:
(1) The fullness refers to being completely included in God’s kingdom of faith in Jesus. For example:
full inclusion (English Standard Version)
(Revised Standard Version, New International Version (2011), English Standard Version, God’s Word)
(2) The fullness refers to the number of Jews who will believe in Jesus as many as could be. For example:
complete number (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
(3) Translate in a way that allows these various interpretations. For example:
fullness (New International Version (1984))
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (1984), King James Version)
(4) The full-ness refers to restoring the Jews to their previous position, fully accepted. For example:
full restoration (NET Bible)
(New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible)
The Greek word can mean both interpretations (1) and (2). But many languages do not have a word that would cover both. So it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). But some languages have a word that can imply both interpretations (1) and (2). In that case you may want to follow interpretation (3). The lexicons and scholars do not support interpretation (4).
bring: The Berean Standard Bible adds this word for natural English, just as it adds the word “means” in 11:12a–b. Use the same word or meaning here as there.
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