American Standard Version
Romans 3:4
4God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written,
That thou mightest be justified in thy words,And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.
Romans 3:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
- New International Version (NIV)Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”
Context of Romans 3:4
2Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God. 3For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God? God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. 5But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.) 6God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
Read all of Romans 3Romans 3:4 word by word
μὴ γένοιτο.¶ Γινέσθω δὲ ὁ θεὸς ἀληθής, πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης καθὼς γέγραπται· ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσεις ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε.¶Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Romans 3:4
- Romans 3:6God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
- Romans 6:2God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?
- Romans 7:7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet:
- Romans 9:14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
- Romans 11:1I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
- Luke 20:16He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
- 1 Corinthians 6:15Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then take away the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? God forbid.
- Galatians 2:17But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid.
- Galatians 2:21I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought.
- Galatians 6:14But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
- Deuteronomy 32:4The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he.
- Job 40:8Wilt thou even annul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?
- Psalms 100:5For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endureth for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations.
- Psalms 119:160The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. ש SHIN.
- Psalms 138:2I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
- Micah 7:20Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the lovingkindness to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
Commentaries on Romans 3:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Apostle. God forbid - , Let it not be, far from it, by no means. Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, etc. We must ever maintain that God is true, and that if, in any case, his promise appear to fail, it is because the condition on which it was given has not been complied with; which is the sense of what is written, Psalm 51:4; : I acknowledge my sin, and condemn myself that the truth of thy promise ( 2 Samuel 7:15, 2 Samuel 7:16;) to establish my…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4God forbid - Greek. Let not this be. The sense is, “let not this by any means be supposed.” This is the answer of the apostle, showing that no such consequence followed from his doctrines; and that “if” any such consequence should follow, the doctrine should be at once abandoned, and that every man, no matter who, should be rather esteemed false than God. The veracity of God was a great first principle, which was to be held, whatever might be the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Certainly not!: The Greek phrase mē genoito is a strong way to say "no." Paul often uses this style of argument in other parts of Romans (see 3:6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11). As it is written: Paul quotes Psalm 51:4, where King David admitted his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 11:1–27). God punished David, and David admitted that God was right to judge him. David accepted that God’s judgment was completely just. God…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. For what if some did not believe?--It is the unbelief of the great body of the nation which the apostle points at; but as it sufficed for his argument to put the supposition thus gently, he uses this word "some" to soften prejudice. shall their unbelief make the faith of God--or, "faithfulness of God." of none effect?--"nullify," "invalidate" it.Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 3:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries