Romans 9:23

Romans 9:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
• New International Version (NIV)What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—
• English Standard Version (ESV)in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
• New King James Version (NKJV)and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

Context of Romans 9:23

21Somebody who makes pots can choose to make any kind of pot. He can use the same piece of clay to make two different pots. One of the pots may be for special parties. The other pot is for dirty things. 22What does that teach us about God? Some people are like pots that are ready for God to destroy. God is angry with people like that. He is ready to show his power against them. But he has chosen to wait patiently. He keeps his anger for later. Other people are like valuable pots that God has chosen to make. God wants to be kind to people like that. He wants to use them to show people how great he is. He has prepared them to be with him for a special party in heaven. 24We are those people! God has chosen us to be his people. It is not only Jews that he has chosen. He has also chosen Gentiles. 25God says this in the book of Hosea: ‘I will say to people who were not my people, “Now you are my people.” I will say to people that I did not love, “I love you.” ’

Romans 9:23 word by word

καὶ ἵνα γνωρίσῃ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ σκεύη ἐλέους ἃ προητοίμασεν εἰς δόξαν;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• he might make knownγνωρίζωgnōrizō · to make knownG1107
• the richesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the richesπλοῦτοςploutos · richesG4149
• of hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the vesselsσκεῦοςskeuos · vesselG4632
• of mercyἔλεοςeleos · mercyG1656
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he had afore preparedπροετοιμάζωproetoimazō · to prepareG4282
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519

Cross-references for Romans 9:23

• Romans 2:4Remember that God is very kind and patient with us. He waits a long time before he punishes us. Do you not think that that is important? You should understand that God is giving you a chance to change. He waits patiently, so that you may turn away from wrong things.
• Romans 5:20God gave his Law to Moses to show more clearly that people were doing wrong things. But when people did more and more wrong things, God continued to be kind in more and more ways.
• Ephesians 1:6As a result, we praise him, because he is great and he has been so kind to us. He has given us so much because of his Son, whom he loves very much.
• Ephesians 2:4But God is very good and kind! He loved us very much.
• Ephesians 3:8I am the least important of all God's people. But God has given this special work to me because he is so kind. He has sent me to tell his good news to the Gentiles. Then they know about the many valuable things that Christ has prepared for us.
• Colossians 1:27God wanted them to understand how great this secret is. It shows that God will bless people who live in all countries of the world. This secret message is that Christ lives in you. And because of that, you know that you will live with God in heaven one day.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:10This will happen when Jesus comes on that special day. His own people will praise him for the great things that he has done for them. All of us who are believers will be surprised when we see his great power. This includes you, because you believed our message about the Lord Jesus.
• 1 Chronicles 29:18Lord, you are the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Please help us, your people, to continue to obey you. Help us to serve you faithfully.
• Luke 1:17John will prepare the people for the Lord to come to them. The Holy Spirit will lead John as he led Elijah. John will do powerful things as Elijah did. He will help fathers to love their children. He will teach people who do not obey God. Then they will know what things are right. And they will do them. Then they will be ready when the Lord comes.’
• Ephesians 2:3At one time, all of us lived like those people. We did whatever bad things our bodies wanted to do. If our thoughts made us want to do something, we did it. Because we were like that, God was angry with us. He should have punished us, just like everyone else.
• Colossians 1:12You will be able to thank God, our Father, and be happy. God has prepared good things for his people to receive in heaven. Because God has included you among his people, you will also share those good things in the kingdom of light.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9God did not choose us as his people so that he could be angry with us. He chose us so that he could save us because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:13We always thank God for you, our Christian friends that the Lord loves. We ought to thank God, because he has chosen to save you. God chose you to belong to him, as some of the first people that he would save. You believed God's true message. And God's Spirit makes you separate from things that are bad.
• 2 Timothy 2:21It is like that with people who serve God as their Master. People who keep themselves clean from those bad things will be like valuable dishes. Their master can use them for a special purpose. They will be ready for him to use them for every kind of good work.
• 1 Peter 1:2God, the Father, already decided that you should be his people. God's Spirit has made you special people who would obey Jesus Christ. God chose you so that Jesus Christ's blood would make you really clean. I pray that God will help you and give you peace in your minds more and more.

Commentaries on Romans 9:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23And that he might make known - God endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath: To show his wrath, and to make his power known. And also, That he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy. Which he had afore prepared unto glory - The Jews were fitted for destruction long before; but the fittest time to destroy them was after he had prepared the believing Gentiles unto glory. For the rod of the Messiah's strength was to be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-24Verses 14-24 Whatever God does, must be just. Wherein the holy, happy people of God differ from others, God's grace alone makes them differ. In this preventing, effectual, distinguishing grace, he acts as a benefactor, whose grace is his own. None have deserved it; so that those who are saved, must thank God only; and those who perish, must blame themselves only, Hos 13:9. God is bound no further than he has been pleased to bind himself by his own…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-33n this section, Paul addresses a serious question. Many Jews did not believe in Jesus. If God had promised salvation to Israel, how could Jesus truly fulfill God’s plan when so few Jews believed (9:1–5)? In response, Paul uses the Old Testament to show that God always planned to save only a remnant, that is, a smaller group within Israel (9:6–29). Paul also explains that many Jews did not accept Christ because they refused to trust in him (9:30–10:21)…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. What if God, willing to show--"designing to manifest" his wrath--His holy displeasure against sin. and to make his power--to punish it known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath--that is, "destined to wrath"; just as "vessels of mercy," in Ro 9:23, mean "vessels destined to mercy"; compare Ep 2:3, "children of wrath." fitted for destruction--It is well remarked by Stuart that the "difficulties which such statements involve are not…Read the comment
• Calvin’s Commentaries · v. 2323. That he might also make known the riches of his glory, etc. I doubt not but the two particles καὶ ἵνα, is an instance of a construction, where the first word is put last; (ὕστερον πρότερον) and that this clause may better unite with the former, I have rendered it, That he might also make known, etc. (Ut notas quoque faceret, etc.) It is the second reason which manifests the glory of God in the destruction of the reprobate, because the greatness of…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 9:23

• Blessing
• Gentiles
• Glory
• God Continued...
• Predestination

In the dictionaries

• Continual
• Fault
• Glory
• Resist
• Sovereignty
• Bible, the
• Election
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Paul, the Apostle
• Predestination

Commentaries on Romans 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• 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