Romans 11:3

“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”

Romans 11:3 · direct translation from the Greek
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3

Quotation · 1 Kings 19:10

Go to 1 Kings 19:10

Paul quotes Elijah’s complaint abbreviated and in a different order: first the prophets killed and then the altars torn down.

Formula: ἐν Ἠλίᾳ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή “what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah” (Romans 11:2)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Κύριε τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν κἀγὼ ὑπελείφθην μόνος καὶ ζητοῦσιν τὴν ψυχήν μου

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר קַנֹּא קִנֵּאתִי לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת כִּי עָזְבוּ בְרִיתְךָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מִזְבְּחֹתֶיךָ הָרָסוּ וְאֶת נְבִיאֶיךָ הָרְגוּ בֶחָרֶב וָאִוָּתֵר אֲנִי לְבַדִּי וַיְבַקְשׁוּ אֶת נַפְשִׁי לְקַחְתָּהּ

Septuagint (1 Kings 19:10 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ εἶπεν Ἠλειού Ζηλῶν ἐζήλωκα τῷ κυρίῳ Παντοκράτορι, ὅτι ἐνκατέλιπόν σε οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραήλ· τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν καὶ τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν εν ῥομφαίᾳ, καὶ ὑπολέλειμμαι ἐγὼ μονώτατος, καὶ ζητοῆσί μου τὴν ψυχὴν λαβεῖν αὐτήν.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 4 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Romans 11:3, word by word

LordΚύριεKyrie

Lord

The Lord: God, whose name is YHWH; also Jesus.

Where else “Kyrie” appears
they have killedἀπέκτεινανapekteinan

kill

Kill.

Where else “apekteinan” appears
your prophetsπροφήταςprophētas

prophet

Someone who speaks for God.

Where else “prophētas” appears
they have torn downκατέσκαψανkateskapsan

tear down

Tear down, destroy down to the foundations.

Where else “kateskapsan” appears
your altarsθυσιαστήριάthysiastēria

altar

Altar.

Where else “thysiastēria” appears
and Iκἀγὼkagō

and I, I also

And I, I too.

Where else “kagō” appears
aloneμόνοςmonos

alone

With no one else.

Where else “monos” appears
am leftὑπελείφθηνhypeleiphthēn

leave remaining

Leave remaining; in the passive, be left as a remnant.

Where else “hypeleiphthēn” appears
they are seekingζητοῦσινzētousin

seek

To go after something or someone until it is found.

Where else “zētousin” appears
my lifeψυχήνpsychēn

life

Literally "soul": one's being alive, which can be saved, lost or given.

Where else “psychēn” appears

Translation note

1 Kings 19:10, 14.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · 1 Kings 19:10

Paul quotes Elijah’s complaint abbreviated and in a different order: first the prophets killed and then the altars torn down.

See them side by side

Romans 11:3

3Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.

1 Kings 19:10

10He said, “I have been very jealous for YHWH, Elohim Tsevaot, for the sons of Israel have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword; and I am left, I alone, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

The context

2God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

3 · This verse (above)

4But what does the divine answer say to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

Read all of Romans 11

To study Romans 11 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    What image of the olive tree does Paul use, and what happens to the branches? (vv. 17-24)

  2. 2. What it means

    Why does Paul warn the grafted-in branches not to boast? (vv. 18-21)

  3. 3. How I live it

    Paul calls for humility and gratitude. What have you received that you did not earn, and how can you give thanks today?

How to use it