Romans 9:14 kjv
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Romans 9:14 nkjv
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
Romans 9:14 niv
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!
Romans 9:14 esv
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!
Romans 9:14 nlt
Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not!
Romans 9 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 9:15 | "For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy..." | Romans 9:15 |
| Romans 9:18 | "...Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and hardens whom He wills." | Romans 9:18 |
| Exodus 33:19 | "And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you..." | Exodus 33:19 |
| Deuteronomy | "The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords..." | Deut. 10:17 |
| Isaiah 45:9 | "Woe to him who strives with him who formed him..." | Isaiah 45:9 |
| Jeremiah 18:6 | "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand..." | Jeremiah 18:6 |
| Psalm 115:3 | "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases." | Psalm 115:3 |
| Proverbs 16:4 | "The LORD has made everything for its purpose..." | Prov. 16:4 |
| John 12:40 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart..." | John 12:40 |
| 2 Thessalonians | "...God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe..." | 2 Thess. 2:11 |
| Ephesians 1:4 | "...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world..." | Eph. 1:4 |
| 1 Peter 2:8 | "...They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do." | 1 Peter 2:8 |
| Acts 4:28 | "...to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." | Acts 4:28 |
| Romans 11:33 | "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" | Romans 11:33 |
| Romans 11:36 | "For from him and through him and to him are all things." | Romans 11:36 |
| Galatians 3:22 | "But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin..." | Gal. 3:22 |
| 1 Corinthians | "Did not the potter have power over the clay..." | 1 Cor. 6:19 |
| Isaiah 64:8 | "But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter;" | Isaiah 64:8 |
| 2 Timothy 2:20 | "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver..." | 2 Tim. 2:20 |
| Revelation 4:11 | "‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power..." | Rev. 4:11 |
Romans 9 verses
Romans 9 14 Meaning
God is just and will show mercy on whomever He chooses, and He will harden whomever He chooses. This establishes God's absolute sovereignty in His dealings with humanity, particularly in the context of salvation and election.
Romans 9 14 Context
This verse appears in Romans chapter 9, where Paul is discussing God's sovereign right and responsibility in choosing Israel for His purposes, particularly regarding salvation. He addresses the seeming paradox of God's faithfulness to Israel while many in Israel have not accepted Jesus as Messiah. Paul uses examples from the Old Testament, like Jacob and Esau, and the Pharaoh, to illustrate that God’s election is not based on human merit or lineage, but on His sovereign will. Romans 9:14 serves as a response to a potential objection: "Is there injustice with God?" Paul’s emphatic answer, "By no means!", sets the stage for explaining God's freedom to show mercy.
Romans 9 14 Word analysis
Hmētis (μὴ γένοιτο): A strong negative expression, translated as "May it never be!" or "By no means!". It functions as an exclamation to strongly repudiate a thought or proposition.
Apistos (ἀπιστία): "Unbelief" or "faithlessness." It points to the rejection of God's promises or a lack of trust in His ways.
ēn (ἐν): A preposition meaning "in," "on," or "among."
tōi (τῷ): The definite article "the" in the dative singular masculine case, used with a noun to specify it.
theōi (θεῷ): "God," in the dative singular case, indicating the object or recipient of an action or concept.
mē (μὴ): A negative particle used to negate commands, wishes, or possibilities.
dikaiosynē (δικαιοσύνῃ): "Justice," "righteousness."
mē (μὴ): Again, the negative particle.
ēn (ἐν): "in."
auto. (αὐτῷ): "Him," referring to God, in the dative singular masculine case, indicating "in Him."
autou (αὐτοῦ): "His," possessive pronoun in the genitive singular masculine case.
Group of Words: "Hmētis tōi theōi apistos" (μὴ γένοιτο τῷ θεῷ ἄπιστος) - This phrase, "By no means," emphatically denies any faithlessness on God's part. It's a strong affirmation that God's character is entirely trustworthy and incapable of being untrue or unreliable in His dealings.
Romans 9 14 Bonus Section
This verse strongly supports the theological doctrines of divine sovereignty and predestination. It emphasizes that God's will is the ultimate determining factor in salvation, not human choice or merit. This has been a point of significant theological discussion throughout church history, particularly in Calvinistic and Arminian debates. The potter and clay analogy, also found in Isaiah 64:8 and Jeremiah 18:6, powerfully illustrates God's right to do with His creation as He pleases, without any obligation to His creatures.
Romans 9 14 Commentary
Paul directly confronts the possibility of injustice with God, affirming that God is never unfaithful. This principle underscores God's ultimate control and purpose in all things. His decisions are not arbitrary but stem from His divine wisdom and sovereign will. The text highlights that God’s freedom to dispense mercy and hardening is rooted in His absolute prerogative as Creator. Therefore, human attempts to question or judge God's actions based on human standards of fairness are ultimately misguided. The ultimate justice is in God’s perfect character, not in His actions as perceived by fallible humans.