Romans 9:21 kjv
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Romans 9:21 nkjv
Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
Romans 9:21 niv
Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
Romans 9:21 esv
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
Romans 9:21 nlt
When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?
Romans 9 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 18:6 | "But the house of Israel cannot do with you as this potter can do," | God's power over Israel as potter |
| Isaiah 45:9 | "Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among potsherds!" | Warning against questioning God |
| Romans 1:23 | "... and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images..." | Refusal to honor God |
| Romans 2:5 | "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath..." | God's judgment |
| Romans 9:14 | "What then shall we say? Is God unjust?" | Addressing objection to God's election |
| Romans 9:19 | "You will say to me then, 'Why then does he still find fault?'" | Further objection regarding responsibility |
| Romans 9:22 | "What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power..." | God's patience with the vessels of wrath |
| Romans 9:23 | "...in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy..." | God's preparation of mercy vessels |
| Romans 11:33 | "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" | Acknowledgment of God's deep ways |
| Ephesians 2:10 | "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works..." | Created for good works |
| 2 Timothy 2:20 | "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware..." | Different types of vessels |
| 2 Timothy 2:21 | "... If anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor..." | Cleansing leads to honorable use |
| Isaiah 29:16 | "You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay?" | Parallel question about creation |
| Isaiah 64:8 | "But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter..." | God as Father and Potter |
| Wisdom of Solomon 15:7 | "For from the moment of his birth the clay was destined to a slow and ignominious end." | Illustrating the potter/clay theme |
| Psalms 2:4 | "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." | God's sovereignty over rulers |
| Daniel 4:35 | "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing..." | God's absolute control |
| John 9:1-3 | "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him..." | Questioning the cause of suffering |
| Acts 13:48 | "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and glorify the word of the Lord..." | Gentile belief |
| 1 Peter 2:8 | "...a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." | Christ as stumbling block |
| Genesis 1:26-28 | "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'" | Man as God's creation |
| Genesis 12:1-3 | "Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house...'" | God's selection of Abraham |
Romans 9 verses
Romans 9 21 Meaning
This verse states that potters have authority over clay to make vessels for honorable use and vessels for dishonorable use. It illustrates God's sovereign right as the Creator over humanity, His creation. God determines the purpose and destiny of each individual.
Romans 9 21 Context
This verse is found in Romans chapter 9, where the Apostle Paul is addressing the issue of God's sovereignty and Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ. Paul is grappling with why, if God is sovereign and His promises are true, most of ethnic Israel did not receive the Messiah. He uses the analogy of the potter and the clay, drawing from Old Testament imagery, to explain God's rights as Creator over His creation. The immediate context involves God's election of Jacob over Esau before their birth, demonstrating that God's purposes are not based on human merit or lineage but on His sovereign will. This passage aims to establish God's right to choose whom He will save, independently of human works.
Romans 9 21 Word Analysis
dech (dech): The Greek word meaning "but" or "yet." It introduces a contrasting statement.
exousia (exousia): This Greek word signifies "authority," "power," or "right." It highlights God's supreme dominion.
potth (potth): The Greek word for "potter."
tolaze (tolaze): The Greek word for "clay." It represents the material God works with.
pezo (pezo): A form of the Greek verb meaning "to make," "to fashion," or "to create."
skevos (skevos): This Greek word means "vessel" or "implement." It refers to any crafted item.
thimos (thimos): The Greek word for "honor" or "honorary."
athymos (athymos): The Greek word meaning "dishonorable" or "ignoble."
God's authority over His creation: The verse emphasizes that the Creator has the absolute right to determine the nature and purpose of His creation, as depicted by the potter's authority over the clay.
Sovereign choice in making vessels: The distinction between "vessels for honor" and "vessels for dishonor" illustrates God's sovereign election and His right to use different individuals for different purposes within His grand design.
Theological implications of election: This imagery directly addresses the complex theological concepts of predestination and God's sovereign will in salvation.
Romans 9 21 Bonus Section
This imagery is profoundly rooted in the Old Testament, particularly in Isaiah 64:8 and Jeremiah 18:1-10. In Jeremiah, God directly instructs the prophet to go to the potter's house and observe the process, further cementing this analogy as a divine communication tool. Scholars highlight that Paul is not suggesting God creates some people with the sole intention of damning them, but rather that within His perfect knowledge and plan, He can use individuals for different aspects of His plan, whether for the execution of justice or the demonstration of mercy. The distinction between "honor" and "dishonor" here does not necessarily imply moral corruption in the dishonorable vessels, but rather a different, possibly disciplinary or preparatory, role within God's overall plan of redemption.
Romans 9 21 Commentary
Paul uses the familiar analogy of a potter and clay to underscore God's absolute sovereignty as the Creator. Just as a potter has the undeniable right to shape the same lump of clay into different kinds of vessels, some for noble purposes and others for common use, so God, as the sovereign Creator of all, has the right to determine the destiny and purpose of every individual. This authority is not an abuse of power but a rightful prerogative stemming from His role as the origin of all existence. It implies that God's choices are not to be questioned by His creation. He can choose to show mercy or to allow certain individuals or nations to face His judgment, all for His ultimate glory and purposes. This sovereignty extends to His selection of individuals for specific roles and His ultimate salvation plan.