Romans 9:19

Romans 9:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
• New International Version (NIV)One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”

Context of Romans 9:19

17For example, Scripture says to Pharaoh, “I put you here for this reason: to demonstrate my power through you and to spread my name throughout the earth.” 18Therefore, if God wants to be kind to anyone, he will be. If he wants to make someone stubborn, he will. You may ask me, “Why does God still find fault with anyone? Who can resist whatever God wants to do?” 20Who do you think you are to talk back to God like that? Can an object that was made say to its maker, “Why did you make me like this?” 21A potter has the right to do whatever he wants with his clay. He can make something for a special occasion or something for everyday use from the same lump of clay.

Romans 9:19 word by word

Ἐρεῖς μοι οὖν· τί οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται; τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Thou wilt sayἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• unto meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Whyτίςtis · which?G5101
• doth heμέμφομαιmemphomai · to blameG3201
• yetἔτιeti · stillG2089
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• hath resistedἀνθίστημιanthistēmi · to opposeG436
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• willβούλημαboulēma · planG1013

Cross-references for Romans 9:19

• Romans 3:8Or can we say, “Let’s do evil so that good will come from it”? Some slander us and claim that this is what we say. They are condemned, and that’s what they deserve.
• 1 Corinthians 15:12If we have told you that Christ has been brought back to life, how can some of you say that coming back from the dead is impossible?
• James 1:13When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone.
• Romans 3:5But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I’m arguing the way humans would.)
• Genesis 50:20Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now.
• 2 Chronicles 20:6He said, “Lord God of our ancestors, aren’t you the God in heaven? You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess power and might, and no one can oppose you.
• Job 9:12He takes something away, ⌞but⌟ who can stop him? Who is going to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
• Job 23:13“But God is one of a kind. Who can make him change his mind? He does whatever he wants!
• Psalms 76:10Even angry mortals will praise you. You will wear the remainder of ⌞their⌟ anger.
• Isaiah 10:6I send them against a godless nation. In my fury I order them against the people to take their belongings, loot them, and trample on them like mud in the streets.
• Isaiah 46:10From the beginning I revealed the end. From long ago I told you things that had not yet happened, saying, “My plan will stand, and I’ll do everything I intended to do.”
• Daniel 4:35Everyone who lives on earth is nothing compared to him. He does whatever he wishes with the army of heaven and with those who live on earth. There is no one who can oppose him or ask him, “What are you doing?”
• Mark 14:21The Son of Man is going to die as the Scriptures say he will. But how horrible it will be for that person who betrays the Son of Man! It would have been better for that person if he had never been born.”
• Acts 2:23By using men who don’t acknowledge Moses’ Teachings, you crucified Jesus, who was given over ⌞to death⌟ by a plan that God had determined in advance.
• Acts 4:27“In this city Herod and Pontius Pilate made plans together with non-Jewish people and the people of Israel. They made their plans against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.

Commentaries on Romans 9:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Why doth he yet find fault? - The apostle here introduces the Jew making an objection similar to that in Romans 3:7; : If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, that is, if God's faithfulness is glorified by my wickedness, why yet am I also judged as a sinner? Why am I condemned for that which brings so much glory to him? The question here is: If God's glory be so highly promoted and manifested by our obstinacy, and he suffers…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. 1919. Thou shalt say then unto me, Why--"Why then" is the true reading. doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted--"Who resisteth" his will?--that is, "This doctrine is incompatible with human responsibility"; If God chooses and rejects, pardons and punishes, whom He pleases, why are those blamed who, if rejected by Him, cannot help sinning and perishing? This objection shows quite as conclusively as the former the real nature of the doctrine objected…Read the comment
• Calvin’s Commentaries · v. 1919. Thou wilt then say, etc. Here indeed the flesh especially storms, that is, when it hears that they who perish have been destined by the will of God to destruction. Hence the Apostle adopts again the words of an opponent; for he saw that the mouths of the ungodly could not be restrained from boldly clamouring against the righteousness of God: and he very fitly expresses their mind; for being not content with defending themselves, they make God guilty…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 9:19

• Anthropomorphisms
• Murmuring
• Predestination

In the dictionaries

• Continual
• Fault
• Resist
• Sovereignty
• Bible, the
• Election
• Paul, the Apostle
• Predestination
• Romans, Epistle to the
• Will, Volition

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