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 the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” 18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

Romans 9:19 word by word

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

• You will sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• to me thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• Whyτίςtis · which?G5101
• does He stillἔτιeti · stillG2089
• findμέμφομαιmemphomai · to blameG3201
• resistsἀνθίστημιanthistēmi · to opposeG436
• His willβούλημαboulēma · planG1013

Cross-references for Romans 9:19

• Romans 3:8And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
• 1 Corinthians 15:12Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
• James 1:13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
• Romans 3:5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)
• Genesis 50:20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
• 2 Chronicles 20:6and he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.
• Job 9:12Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
• Job 23:13But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does.
• Psalms 76:10For the wrath of man shall praise You; With a remnant of wrath You will gird Yourself.
• Isaiah 10:6I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets.
• Isaiah 46:10Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
• Daniel 4:35All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
• Mark 14:21For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
• Acts 2:23this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
• Acts 4:27For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

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