Romans 11:4

“But what does the divine answer say to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Romans 11:4 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

Butἀλλὰwhatτίdoes the divine answerὁ χρηματισμόςsayλέγειto him?αὐτῷI have keptΚατέλιπονfor myselfἐμαυτῷseven thousandἑπτακισχιλίουςmenἄνδραςwhoοἵτινεςhave notοὐκbowedἔκαμψανthe kneeγόνυto Baal.τῇ Βάαλ

Quotation · 1 Kings 19:18

Go to 1 Kings 19:18

Paul quotes the answer to Elijah in the first person: “I have kept for myself seven thousand.”

Formula: ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ χρηματισμός “but what does the divine answer say to him?” (Romans 11:4)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ χρηματισμός Κατέλιπον ἐμαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας οἵτινες οὐκ ἔκαμψαν γόνυ τῇ Βάαλ

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּי בְיִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים כָּל הַבִּרְכַּיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא כָרְעוּ לַבַּעַל וְכָל הַפֶּה אֲשֶׁר לֹא נָשַׁק לוֹ

Septuagint (1 Kings 19:18 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ καταλείχεις ἐν Ἰσραὴλ ἑπτὰ χιλάδας ἀνδρῶν, πάντα γόνατα ἅ οὐκ ὤκλασαν γόνυ τῷ Βάαλ, καὶ πᾶν στόμα ὅ οὐ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, no two 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 11:4, word by word

does the divine answerχρηματισμόςchrēmatismos

divine answer

Divine answer: what God answers or reveals.

Where else “chrēmatismos” appears

sayλέγειlegei

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “legei” appears

I have keptΚατέλιπονKatelipon

keep

To keep something back for someone.

Where else “Katelipon” appears

for myselfἐμαυτῷemautōi

myself

Myself.

Where else “emautōi” appears

seven thousandἑπτακισχιλίουςheptakischilious

seven thousand

Seven thousand.

Where else “heptakischilious” appears

menἄνδραςandras

man

An adult male, as distinct from a woman or a child.

Where else “andras” appears

bowedἔκαμψανekampsan

bend, bow

Bend, bow, especially the knee in worship.

Where else “ekampsan” appears

the kneeγόνυgony

knee

Knee.

Where else “gony” appears

to BaalΒάαλBaal

Baal

Baal: a god of the Canaanites, worshiped by many in Israel, especially in the days of Elijah.

Where else “Baal” appears

Translation note

1 Kings 19:18. In Greek the name has the feminine article, perhaps because in reading “shame” was said instead of “Baal.”

Parallel passages

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

Quotation · 1 Kings 19:18

Paul quotes the answer to Elijah in the first person: “I have kept for myself seven thousand.”

See them side by side

Romans 11:4

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.

1 Kings 19:18

¹⁸Yet I will leave in Israel seven thousand, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

The context

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

4 · This verse (above)

5So then, also at the present time there has come to be a remnant according to the election of grace.

Read all of Romans 11

To study Romans 11 in a group

1. What it says
What image of the olive tree does Paul use, and what happens to the branches? (vv. 17-24)
2. What it means
Why does Paul warn the grafted-in branches not to boast? (vv. 18-21)
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