Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 11:26

"and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:" — Romans 11:26 (ASV)

The expression, “all Israel,” when taken in the light of the context, is the climax of this entire section. It must be understood to mean the nation Israel as a whole, in contrast to the present situation when only a remnant has trusted Christ for salvation. The language does not require us to hold that when this final ingathering of Israel occurs, every living Israelite will be included, but only that Israel as a nation will be saved.

Not all interpreters agree, however, on this meaning of “all Israel.” Some insist that it means the entire company of the redeemed, both Jew and Gentile. But “Israel” has not been used of Gentiles at all in these chapters, and it is doubtful that such is the case here. Paul has used “Israel” for the nation or the godly portion of it (cf. 9:6). To be sure, Gentiles are included in the seed of Abraham (4:11–12), and this concept is applicable to the church at the present time. But he is speaking here of something to be fulfilled in the future. Clearly “all Israel” stands over against “part” of Israel by way of contrast.

Does our passage throw light on the time when Israel’s national conversion is to be ex-peered? Not in terms of “that day or hour” (Matthew 24:36), but rather in terms of the time when the full number of the Gentiles has come in (v.25). The “so” (v.26) is apparently intended to correlate with “until” (v.25), thereby acquiring temporal force, such as “when that has happened.” The declaration concerning the future of Israel is now confirmed by citing Isa 59:20–21 and 27:9. While there are problems of exact correspondence with these OT passages, Paul’s use of them implies that Israels conversion will occur at Messiah’s return, when he will come out of Zion, i.e., from the heavenly Jerusalem (cf. Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22). It is hard to account for the wholesale conversion of Israel in any other way, since the activity of the Spirit of God has not produced any such mass movement of Israel during the course of this age. Paul possibly sensed a certain parallel between his own conversion and the future conversion of his people as a whole. Christ revealed himself to him directly, sweeping away his rationalizations and his self-righteousness; someday he will do the same for the nation.

The effect on Israel is not couched in terms of material prosperity or martial invincibility, but purely in spiritual terms, in the forsaking of godlessness and the removal of sins by the Lord God. The reference to covenant suggests that Jer 31:31–34 was also in Paul’s mind.