Romans 11:29

New Living Translation

For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
God never changes his mind about the people he calls. He never decides to take back the blessings he has given them.

Revised Standard Version
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For verely the gyftes and callynge of god are soche that it cannot repent him of them:

Hebrew Names Version
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

International Standard Version
For God's gifts and calling never change.Numbers 23:19;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

New Century Version
God never changes his mind about the people he calls and the things he gives them.

Update Bible Version
For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.

English Standard Version
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

World English Bible
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.

Weymouth's New Testament
For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the yiftis and the cleping of God ben with outen forthenkyng.

English Revised Version
For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.

Berean Standard Bible
For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Contemporary English Version
God doesn't take back the gifts he has given or forget about the people he has chosen.

Amplified Bible
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call].

American Standard Version
For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of.

Bible in Basic English
Because God's selection and his mercies may not be changed.

Complete Jewish Bible
for God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable.

Darby Translation
For the gifts and the calling of God [are] not subject to repentance.

Etheridge Translation
For Aloha turneth not in his gift and in his vocation.

Murdock Translation
For God is not changeable in his free gift and in his calling.

King James Version (1611)
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

New Life Bible
God does not change His mind when He chooses men and gives them His gifts.

New Revised Standard
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance.

George Lamsa Translation
For God does not withdraw his gift and his call.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, not to be regretted, are the gifts and the calling of God: -

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For the gyftes and callyng of God, are without repentaunce.

Good News Translation
For God does not change his mind about whom he chooses and blesses.

Christian Standard Bible®
since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.

King James Version
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Lexham English Bible
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Literal Translation
For the free gifts and the calling of God are unregrettable.

Young's Literal Translation
for unrepented of [are] the gifts and the calling of God;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For verely the giftes & callynge of God are soch, that it can not repente him of them.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for the divine gifts and vocation are irrevocable.

New English Translation
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

New King James Version
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Simplified Cowboy Version
God's gifts and his calling can never be thrown away.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Legacy Standard Bible
for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Contextual Overview

¹ I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ² No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, ³ " Lord , they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too." ⁴ And do you remember God's reply? He said, "No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!" ⁵ It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God's grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. ⁶ And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. ⁷ So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. ⁸ As the Scriptures say, "God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear." ⁹ Likewise, David said, "Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. ¹⁰ Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 23:19, Hosea 13:14, Malachi 3:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:6 - repented Genesis 27:33 - yea Exodus 20:6 - showing Leviticus 26:45 - for their Numbers 22:12 - for they Numbers 23:27 - peradventure Deuteronomy 5:9 - visiting 1 Samuel 12:22 - it hath 1 Chronicles 17:27 - blessest Psalms 18:50 - to his Psalms 89:34 - nor Isaiah 44:21 - thou shalt Isaiah 46:4 - even to your Isaiah 49:15 - yet Isaiah 54:10 - the mountains Jeremiah 31:3 - an Hosea 11:9 - for Amos 9:8 - saving Zechariah 1:17 - choose Malachi 1:2 - I have Luke 1:55 - General Acts 2:39 - as many Romans 3:2 - Much Romans 3:3 - shall Hebrews 6:17 - the immutability James 1:17 - no variableness

Cross-References

Genesis 17:15
Then God said to Abraham, "Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.

Genesis 20:12
And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.

Genesis 22:20
Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor's wife, had borne Nahor eight sons.

Genesis 24:15
Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the gifts and calling of God,.... By "gifts" are meant, not the gifts of nature and providence, as life, health, strength, riches, and honour, which God sometimes gives, and repents of, and takes away; as he repented that he had made man upon earth, and Saul king of Israel; which must be understood by an "anthropopathy", after the manner of men, and that not of a change of the counsel of his mind, but of the course of his providence: nor do gifts here design external gifts of grace, or such gifts of the Spirit, which qualify men for ministerial work, for public service in the church; for these may be taken away, as the "parable" of the "talents" shows, Matthew 25:29; see 1 Corinthians 13:8; but the special and spiritual gifts of God's free grace, which relate to the spiritual and eternal welfare of the souls of men, even that, grace which was given to God's elect in Christ before the world was, and all those spiritual blessings wherewith they were then blessed in him: these

are without repentance; that is, they are immutable and unalterable; God never revokes them, or calls them in again, or takes them away from the persons to whom he has made such a previous donation: the reasons are, because that his love from whence they spring is always the same; it admits of no distinction, nor of any degrees, nor of any alteration; and electing grace, according to which these gifts are bestowed, stands sure and immovable; not upon the foot of works, but of the sovereign will of God, and always has its sure and certain effect; and the covenant of grace, in which they are secured, remains firm and inviolable; and indeed, these gifts are no other than the promises of it, which are all yea and amen in Christ, and the blessings of it, which are the sure mercies of David. Whatever God purposes, or promises to give, or really does give to his people, whether into the hands of Christ for them, or into their own, he never repents of or reverses. Agreeably to these words of the apostle, the Jews say g

"that the holy blessed God, after שנתן המתנה, "that he hath given a gift", לא יקחנה המקבל, "never takes it away from the receiver"; and this is the "Gemara", or doctrine of the Rabbins h דמיהב יהבי משקל לא שקלי, "that giving they give, but taking away they do not take away"; the gloss upon it is, בתר דיהבי, "after it is given":''

the meaning is, that what is once given to men from heaven, is never taken away from them up into heaven: and elsewhere i they ask,

"is there any servant to whom his master gives a gift, and returns and takes it away from him?''

Moreover, the apostle here says the same of the "calling of God", as of gifts; by which is meant, not a bare external call by the ministry of the word, which oftentimes is without effect, and may be where persons are neither chosen, nor converted, nor saved; but an internal effectual call, by special, powerful, and efficacious grace; and designs either actual calling, to which are inseparably annexed final perseverance in grace, and eternal glorification; or rather the purpose of God from eternity, to call his people in time, and which is never repented of, or changed. The apostle's argument here is this, that since there are a number of people among the Jews whom God has loved, and has chosen to everlasting salvation, and has in covenant promised to them, and secured and laid up gifts for them, and has determined to call them by his grace; and since all these are unchangeable and irreversible, the future call and conversion of these persons must be sure and certain.

g R. Saphorno apud R. Juda Muscato in Sepher. Cosri, fol. 43. h T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 25. 1. i T. Bab. Erachin, fol. 15. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the gifts - The favors or benefits which God bestows on men. The word χάρισμα charisma properly denotes any benefit which is conferred on another as a mere matter of favor, and not of reward; see Romans 5:15-16; Romans 6:23. Such are all the favors which God bestows on sinners including pardon, peace, joy, sanctification, and eternal life.

And calling of God - The word “calling” κλῆσις klēsis here denotes that act of God by which he extends an invitation to people to come and partake of his favors, whether it be by a personal revelation as to the patriarchs, or by the promises of the gospel, or by the influences of his Spirit. All such invitations or callings imply a pledge that he will bestow the favor, and will not repent, or turn from it. God never draws or invites sinners to himself without being willing to bestow pardon and eternal life. The word “calling” here, therefore, has not respect to external privileges, but to that choosing of a sinner, and influencing him to come to God, which is connected with eternal life.

Without repentance - This does not refer to man, but to God. It does not mean that God confers his favors on man without his exercising repentance, but that God does not repent, or change, in his purposes of bestowing his gifts on man. What he promises he will fulfil; what he purposes to do, he will not change from or repent of. As he made promises to the fathers, he will not repent of them, and will not depart from them; they shall all be fulfilled; and thus it was certain that the ancient people of God, though many of them had become rebellious, and had been cast off, should not be forgotten and abandoned. This is a general proposition respecting God, and one repeatedly made of him in the Scriptures; see Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he not said, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Eze 24:14; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalms 89:35-36; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; James 1:17. It follows from this,

(1) That all the promises made to the people of God shall be fulfilled.

(2) That his people need not be discouraged or desponding, in times of persecution and trial.

(3) That none who become his true friends will be forsaken, or cast off. God does not bestow the gift of repentance and faith, of pardon and peace, on people, for a temporary purpose; nor does he capriciously withdraw them, and leave the soul to ruin. When he renews a soul, it is with reference to his own glory; and to withdraw those favors, and leave such a soul once renewed to go down to hell, would be as much a violation of all the principles of his nature as it would be to all the promises of the Scripture.

(4) For God to forsake such a soul, and leave it to ruin, would imply that he did repent. It would suppose a change of purpose and of feeling. It would be the character of a capricious being, with no settled plan or principles of action; no confidence could be reposed in him, and his government would be unworthy the affections and trust of his intelligent creation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 29. For the gifts and calling of God, c.] The gifts which God has bestowed upon them, and the calling-the invitation, with which he has favoured them he will never revoke. In reference to this point there is no change of mind in him and therefore the possibility and certainty of their restoration to their original privileges, of being the people of God, of enjoying every spiritual blessing with the fulness of the Gentiles, may be both reasonably and safely inferred.

Repentance, when applied to God, signifies simply change of purpose relative to some declarations made subject to certain conditions. See this fully explained and illustrated by himself, Jeremiah 18:7-9.