complete verse (Romans 11:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 11:17:

  • Uma: “If the firstfruits [lit., first-born] of our crops we offer to God, it means that all our crops belong to God. If the roots are God’s, the branches are also God’s. The Jews can be compared to an olive [Indonesian: zaitun] tree that is tended. Its roots mean/stand-for the ancestors of the Jews that God had as his portion. Its branches mean/stand-for their descendants. Some of its branches were broken off by God. And in the breaking-off place he stuck on branches of an olive tree that was not tended, in order that those branches live and get richness from the root of the tended tree. Those branches that he stuck on are you, who are not Jews.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The nation of Isra’il is like a certain kind of tree planted and cared for in order to bear fruit. And you, the ones not Yahudi, you are also like a tree, but a tree that grows by itself in the forest. So-then some of the branches of the cared-for tree are cut-off by God, and you, the branches from the forest-tree are joined in the place were the-cut-off-ones had been. So-then now you share in the good (things) that belongs to the Yahudi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for the descendants of Israel, they are like an olive tree that God takes care of. And there are some branches on this tree that God has broken off; and as for you who are not Jews, you are like the branches of an olive tree which was not planted, that God took instead and caused it to grow there where He had broken off branches. And in the same way now, God’s blessing of you is good just like His blessing of the Jews long ago was good.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Let me continue this illustration. The Jews, they can-be-compared to an olive (loan olivo) tree that God planted and has-looked-after. But he chopped-off some of its branches. You now who are Gentiles, you can-be-compared to the branches of an olive that merely grew (i.e. not planted). What God did, he got you and grafted (Ilo. solbong) you into the tree which he had planted so that you would join the original branches that were left. So now, you share-in the growth-causing sap which comes from its root.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This is a tree which is a good tree. But some of the branches of the tree were broken off. These are the Jews who separated from God. You who are not Jews are like as though you were branches of a tree that is wild. There where the branches were broken off of the good tree, there you were grafted in. So now you walk with God’s people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

olive

The olive family has over four hundred species in the world. Many of them grow in Africa, India, and Australia, but it is the one in the Bible, the European Olive Olea europaea, that has become famous. It is likely that the olive was domesticated in Egypt or the eastern Mediterranean basin in the third millennium B.C. The botanist Newberry argued that Egypt was its original home. We know from the Bible that olives grew in the hills of Samaria and in the foothills. There is a wild variety, called Olea europaea sylvestris, that is smaller than the domestic one; it produces a smaller fruit with less oil. The Apostle Paul refers to this wild variety in Romans 11:17 and 11:24. Olives are easily propagated by cuttings and by grafting fruitful species into less fruitful ones. They grow best on hillsides where the rain drains off quickly. The fruit forms by August but does not ripen until December or January.

The olive is not a big tree, reaching up to perhaps 10 meters (33 feet), but with pruning it is usually kept to around 5 meters (17 feet) tall. The leaves are grayish green above, and whitish underneath. The bark of young trees is silvery gray but gets darker and rougher as the tree ages. The trunk also gets twisted and hollow and may reach over a meter in thickness. Olives grow for hundreds of years, and some in Israel have possibly reached two thousand years.

The fruit of the olive is about 2 centimeters (1 inch) long and a bit more than a centimeter (1/2 inch) thick. It has a hard stone inside and a soft skin that covers the oily flesh. Today a mature tree may yield 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds) of fruit, which, when processed, will yield 1.3-2.6 kilograms (3.6 pounds) of oil.

For the Jews the “big three” trees were the vine, the fig, and the olive. People ate olive fruits, but more importantly, they squeezed the oil from the fruits, and used it for cooking, for lamps, for rubbing on the body, for medicine, and in religion. Jacob poured olive oil on the stone where he saw a vision of angels, declaring it a holy place (Genesis 28:18). Moses, similarly, anointed the Tabernacle and its equipment with olive oil mixed with sweet-smelling resins (Exodus 40:9). Aaron and the priests who served in the Tabernacle were also anointed (Exodus 29:21).

Some types of wild olive grow in Africa, India, and Australia, but are not well-known. The so-called “African olive” produces a black, oil-bearing fruit much like an olive. It is common as a snack in northern Nigeria. The “Chinese olive” is also a species of Canarium and may be a possible cultural substitute, if it produces edible fruit and oil. The “Russian olive” grown in dry regions of the world is a member of the Elaeagnus family and not a true olive. A variety of olive (Olea cuspidate) is used for building in India and Nepal, but it is probably not possible to use it in the Bible except perhaps in a study Bible where you could say that the biblical olive was related to this tree.

Since most of the kinds of olive trees in the world do not have edible fruit, it may not be possible to substitute a local variety. If it is done, however, a footnote would be required saying that the Palestinian kind produced edible fruit and oil. If a variety of Canarium is eaten in your area, you could use the local name for it. Otherwise transliterate from a major language.

Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane, Wikimedia Commons

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

Translation commentary on Romans 11:17

Beginning with this verse 17, the tree metaphor introduced in verse 16 is developed into an allegory which continues through verse 24.

Verse 17 introduces an “if” clause which is continued into the first part of verse 18 in Greek. Since the “if” clause introduces a condition which is true to fact, the Good News Translation changes it to a statement. Moreover, the metaphorical references are made clear for the reader. The wild olive tree (translated literally from the Greek) is identified as the Gentiles—you Gentiles because Paul is speaking directly to Gentile Christians (v. 13)—and “the rich root of the cultivated olive tree” is identified as the rich life of the Jews.

The cultivated olive tree may be translated as “the olive tree that people take good care of.” But in reality this refers to a grafted olive tree, that is to say, a tree formed from the roots of a wild olive tree on which have been grafted the shoots of a good olive tree. In a number of languages there are precise ways of talking about such a cultivated tree. On the other hand, wild olive tree may simply be translated as “an olive tree that grew up without being planted,” “an olive tree that grew up outside the garden,” or, more technically in some languages, “an ungrafted olive tree.”

Where the process of grafting is well known there is no difficulty in obtaining a satisfactory equivalent of the phrase joined to it. Where this is not the case, it may be necessary to use some kind of descriptive equivalent—for example, “cause to grow as a part of the cultivated olive tree” or “cause to grow just as though it were a part of the cultivated olive tree.” Because of the utter strangeness of such an activity, it may even be advisable in some languages to add some explanatory marginal note which will indicate more precisely what is involved.

It is not always easy to speak of “sharing” the strength and rich life of the Jews. In many cases a more general statement seems to be a more satisfactory equivalent—for example, “you benefit from what the Jews have made possible” or “you greatly benefit from what comes from the Jews.” The relation of the metaphor may be preserved somewhat by including it as a type of simile—for example, “you benefit from what has come from the Jews in the same way that the branch of the wild olive tree benefits from the sap of the cultivated olive 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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Romans 11:17

11:17a

Now: Beginning with this verse, Paul made a new point using the metaphor of a tree. In some languages an “and,” another connecting word or phrase, or no conjunction would better indicate that meaning. For example:

And
-or-
It is as if… (New Century Version)
-or-
If… (New International Version)

if: Here the word if introduces a situation that is true. If this first part is true, that supports the second part. See how you translated this word in 11:16a.

some branches have been broken off: This clause is passive. 11:20–21 indicate that God broke them off. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

⌊someone⌋ broke off some of the branches
-or-

⌊God⌋ broke off some of the branches

some branches: In the figure of speech here, these branches represent Jews who did not believe in Jesus. If a literal translation would refer only to actual branches, you may want to:

• Translate this phrase literally and explain it in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

In this verse, these branches represent Jews who did not believe in Jesus.

• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

some of the branches, ⌊namely,⌋ ⌊the unbelieving Jews⌋

have been broken off: This phrase refers to breaking the branch at or near the trunk of the tree so that it is no longer attached to the tree. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

were broken away
-or-
were broken ⌊at the trunk⌋ and removed

11:17b

you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

⌊someone/God⌋ grafted you in, even though ⌊you were⌋ a wild olive shoot

you: This pronoun is singular. Paul used it to speak to each believer, and he implied believers who are not Jews. In some languages a singular you would only be used in a letter addressed to one person. If that is true in your language, use the plural you.

The meaning of this word is emphasized in the Greek. For example:

you yourself/yourselves
-or-
You now who are Gentiles
-or-
as for you who are not Jews

a wild olive shoot: This phrase describes the word “you,” referring here to Gentile believers. It also indicates a contrast to the other branches of this olive tree. In this figure of speech, the olive tree is God’s chosen people. Before Jesus came to earth as the Christ/Messiah, God’s chosen people were the Jews and they believed in God because of their culture, history, prophecies, stories, and instruction written in their holy book, what we now call the Old Testament. Jews who do not believe in Jesus are like the branches broken off. The Gentiles who believe in Jesus are like wild olive tree branches, in that in the past they were not nurtured by God and his Word. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

being a wild olive (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
even though you are from a wild olive tree

wild olive shoot: Here the word wild refers to something that people do not usually plant and take care of. Here it is in contrast to the same kind of plant that people plant and take care of. A wild olive tree grows well but produces few olives. A cultivated olive produces many olives but is easily damaged. But the word wild indicates that the Gentiles did not have the same relationship with God as the Jews did, where he taught, encouraged, and corrected them. Here are other ways to translate this word:

untamed olive tree
-or-
olive tree from the wilderness

olive: The olive tree produces a small oval fruit. The fruit contains oil, which was used in cooking and burned in lamps for light.