Who is the wild olive tree in Romans 11:17 and what does it mean that it was grafted in?
In Romans 11:17 the wild olive tree represents Gentiles, who are grafted in among the Jews, the good olive tree. This grafting is opposite normal practice: the cultivated tree is cast aside and worthless wild branches are grafted in so they partake of the root and fatness.
Les explains in Romans 11:17 that Paul is speaking to Gentiles, calling them a wild olive tree. They were grafted in among the Jews, the good olive tree, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree. Les points out this is the direct opposite of normal grafting, where a native root survives and a good hybrid is grafted into it. Here the beautiful tree is cast aside, and the old wild olive tree—which produced no fruit, was worthless, like a bad weed—is grafted in.
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
More Questions
Who is Romans 11:17 addressing when it talks about the wild olive tree being grafted in, and who is the good olive tree?
In Romans 11:17 Paul is speaking to Gentiles, who are pictured as a wild olive tree that has been grafted in among the Jews (the good olive tree) and now shares in the root and the fatness of the olive tree.
How is the grafting in Romans 11 different from normal grafting?
The grafting Paul describes in Romans 11 is the direct opposite of the way people normally graft trees.