Romans 9:20 kjv
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Romans 9:20 nkjv
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"
Romans 9:20 niv
But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'?"
Romans 9:20 esv
But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"
Romans 9:20 nlt
No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?"
Romans 9 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 100:3 | Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves... | God as absolute Creator; humanity as His making. |
| Isa 29:16 | You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be considered as clay...? | Creator's prerogative questioned by the created. |
| Isa 45:9 | "Woe to him who strives with his Maker...! Will the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?'" | Direct Old Testament parallel to the pottery analogy. |
| Isa 45:11 | Thus says the LORD, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Ask me about my children...command me concerning the work of my hands?" | God challenges human questioning of His plan. |
| Jer 18:6 | "Can I not do with you...as this potter does?" | God's sovereign right over His people, like a potter. |
| Job 33:12-13 | "God is greater than man. Why do you complain against Him...?" | God's superior wisdom and power to man. |
| Job 38:2-3 | "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?...gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to Me." | God's response to Job questioning His wisdom. |
| Rom 11:33-34 | "Oh, the depth of the riches...How unsearchable are His judgments...! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor?" | Emphasizes the inscrutability of God's wisdom and judgments. |
| 1 Cor 1:20-21 | Where is the wise?...Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? | Human wisdom cannot comprehend God's ways. |
| 1 Cor 2:16 | "For who has known the mind of the LORD, that he will instruct Him?" | Directly echoes Isaiah, affirming human inability to instruct God. |
| Tit 2:9 | ...be submissive to their own masters in everything; be well-pleasing...not arguing. | Principle of submission to authority. |
| 2 Tim 2:25 | ...correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance to the knowledge of the truth. | Human inability to dictate divine timing of repentance. |
| Rom 9:6 | "But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." | Sets the immediate context of God's sovereign election within Israel. |
| Rom 9:11 | "...in order that God's purpose according to election might stand..." | Reinforces God's active, sovereign choice preceding birth. |
| Rom 9:16 | "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." | Direct statement of God's sovereignty over human will. |
| 2 Chr 20:6 | "...Are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms...In Your hand is power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You." | Acknowledging God's irresistible power. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. | God's thoughts and ways are vastly superior to ours. |
| Dan 4:35 | All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will...None can stay His hand or say to Him, "What have you done?" | Emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and unquestionable actions. |
| Ps 8:4-5 | What is man that You are mindful of him...? You have made him a little lower than the angels. | Highlights humanity's created, dependent status. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked... | Principle of ultimate divine judgment and inability to defy God. |
| Jas 4:13-15 | You say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city"...Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills..." | Submitting to God's sovereign will in all things. |
| Eccl 8:4 | Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, "What are you doing?" | Human analogy for an unchallengeable authority. |
| 1 Jn 3:20 | For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart... | God's knowledge and judgment are supreme. |
Romans 9 verses
Romans 9 20 Meaning
Romans 9:20 powerfully rebukes humanity's audaciousness in questioning God's sovereign actions, particularly regarding His choices and judgments. It employs the vivid analogy of a created object challenging its creator, emphasizing that humans, as created beings, lack the authority or wisdom to interrogate the divine Creator concerning His designs or decisions, especially those pertaining to salvation and election. The verse asserts God's absolute prerogative and unchallengeable authority over His creation.
Romans 9 20 Context
Romans 9:20 sits within a pivotal section (Rom 9-11) where Paul addresses God's sovereign choice, particularly concerning the rejection of Israel and the inclusion of Gentiles. Leading up to this verse, Paul establishes God's freedom to choose whom He will show mercy and whom He will harden (Rom 9:14-18), referencing Jacob and Esau, and Pharaoh. This raised the rhetorical objection that God's actions might be unjust or that humans could question His decisions. Verse 20 is a direct, sharp rhetorical question rebuking such a human presumption, reinforcing God's absolute authority as the Creator, over any human understanding or judgment regarding His redemptive plan. The broader historical and cultural context for the original audience (primarily Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome) would have involved intense theological debates about national Israel's perceived divine prerogative, God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, and the nature of salvation. Paul employs familiar Old Testament analogies and theological frameworks (like the potter and clay) to make his point, pushing back against any notion of human autonomy in dictating divine justice or challenging God's choices.
Romans 9 20 Word analysis
- But (μενοῦνγε - menounge): A strong affirmative particle, marking a forceful rebuttal. It introduces a vigorous objection to the unspoken thought of human questioning, emphasizing an emphatic "Yes, but..." or "Rather!"
- who are you (σὺ τίς εἶ - sy tis ei): Literally, "you, who are you?" The repetition of "you" emphasizes the insignificance of the human challenger in contrast to the Almighty God. It is a dismissive, condescending question directed at the presumptuous human.
- O man (ὦ ἄνθρωπε - ō anthrōpe): This is a direct address, signifying "human being." Here, it's not a generic address but specifically targets the person (Jew or Gentile) who dares to challenge God's ways. It highlights the vast qualitative difference between a created being and the Creator.
- to answer back (ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος - ho antapokrinomenos): The Greek word describes one "replying against" or "contradicting." It conveys a confrontational argument, a challenging rebuttal directed back at someone in authority, in this case, God.
- to God? (τῷ θεῷ - tō theō): Directly specifies the divine target of the human challenge, magnifying the audacity of the "answering back."
- Will what is molded (τὸ πλάσμα - to plasma): "The formed thing," or "the clay formed." Refers specifically to the created product, the outcome of the potter's work.
- say (ἐρεῖ - erei): "Will say." A future indicative verb, implying the absolute certainty or absurdity of such a statement ever being uttered.
- to its molder (τῷ πλάσαντι - tō plasanti): "To the one who molded." This participle (the one forming) identifies the active agent of creation, the one with power and design.
- 'Why have you made me like this?' (Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως; - Ti me epoiēsas houtōs?): The ultimate challenging question from the created to the Creator, questioning the Creator's very design, purpose, or attributes.
Words-group analysis
- "But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?": This initial phrase is a rhetorical question of incredulous rebuke. It shames the human who would dare to dispute God's judgment or actions, instantly establishing the Creator-creature boundary. The emphasis is on the impropriety of the actor ("O man") questioning the authority ("God").
- "Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?'": This forms the central analogy, a rhetorical question building on Old Testament imagery (Isa 29:16; 45:9; Jer 18:6). It underscores the Creator's absolute sovereignty and proprietary rights over His creation. The molded object has no right to question its design or purpose, as its very existence and form are entirely dependent on the molder. It is an argument from a clear absurdity.
Romans 9 20 Bonus section
The rhetorical force of Romans 9:20 is not merely to silence inquiry but to humble humanity before the vastness of divine wisdom. While it rebukes direct contention, it doesn't forbid humble seeking and worshipful contemplation of God's ways. However, it strongly marks the boundary between inquiry and insolence. This passage serves as a foundation for understanding God's right to sovereignly choose without human dictates or limitations. The analogy of the potter and the clay, found in Isa 29, Isa 45, and Jer 18, draws heavily from established Old Testament theological patterns affirming God's ultimate control and right to fashion creation for His purposes. The "vessels of mercy" and "vessels of wrath" mentioned in the following verses (Rom 9:21-23) flow directly from this premise of the potter's absolute prerogative.
Romans 9 20 Commentary
Romans 9:20 is a stern warning against human pride and the temptation to put God on trial for His sovereign decrees, particularly in election and judgment. It unequivocally asserts God's unchallengeable authority as the Creator, comparing humans to clay and God to the potter. Just as a potter has absolute discretion over the clay—to form it as he wills, for whatever purpose—God holds ultimate power and wisdom in determining the destiny of individuals and nations. This verse calls for profound humility and trust in God's perfect justice, even when His ways are beyond human comprehension. It does not explain the "why" of God's choices but rather shuts down the "who are you to ask why?" thereby establishing the boundaries of human questioning when facing divine sovereignty. It fundamentally challenges anthropocentric thinking and redirects focus to God's inherent majesty and supremacy.