Romans 11:12

Fall of them. See on v. 11.

Riches of the world. The Jews had been called to be God’s missionaries to the world (see Vol. IV, pp. 26-29). But they had failed in their task. The world had been left in ignorance. The rejection of the nation of Israel as the chosen ambassador to the world and the call of the Christian church to world evangelism (Matt. 28:18-20) had resulted in a mighty missionary movement. The Gentile world had heard of the “unsearchable riches” (Eph. 3:8), and many had accepted Christ.

Diminishing. Gr. hettema, “loss,” “defeat,” “failure.” The word occurs elsewhere in the NT only in 1 Cor. 6:7, where it is translated “fault” (KJV) or “defeat” (RSV). It also occurs once in the LXX, in Isa. 31:8, in which case it clearly means “defeat.” This may be Paul’s meaning here. The unbelief of the Jews was not only a false step and transgression; it was also a defeat. For by it they were rejected as the chosen nation; they failed to obtain what they sought. However, a number of commentators prefer to understand hettema as referring to the diminishing of Israel. They argue that this interpretation preserves a more exact antithesis to “fulness” at the end of the verse.

Riches of the Gentiles. Evidently to be understood as a literary variant of “riches of the world.”

Fulness. Gr. pleroma. This word may be understood in the passive sense, “that which has been filled,” “the totality,” or in the active sense, “that which fills up,” “fulfillment” (cf. John 1:16; Rom. 13:10; 1 Cor. 10:26; Eph. 1:23; 3:19; Col. 1:19). Commentators disagree as to the exact meaning of this verse, but Paul’s main point seems to be clear. If the loss and defeat of the Jews was overruled by God to produce riches for the Gentiles, how much more would the repair of this loss mean riches for all.