Romans 3:4

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

2Great in every respect. First, that they were entrusted with the actual words of God. 3What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written: “So that You are justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.” 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 from a human viewpoint.) 6Far from it! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

Romans 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

• Farμήmē · notG3361
• it! Ratherδέde · thenG1161
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• must proveγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• trueἀληθήςalēthēs · trueG227
• everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• personἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• a liarψεύστηςpseustēs · liarG5583
• as it is writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• Soὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• You are justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
• in Your wordsλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• And prevailνικάωnikaō · to conquerG3528
• whenἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• You are judgedκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919

Cross-references for Romans 3:4

• Romans 3:6Far from it! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?
• Romans 6:2Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
• Romans 7:7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Far from it! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
• Romans 9:14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? Far from it!
• Romans 11:1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? Far from it! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
• Luke 20:16He will come and put these vine-growers to death, and will give the vineyard to others.” However, when they heard this, they said, “May it never happen!”
• 1 Corinthians 6:15Do you not know that your bodies are parts of Christ? Shall I then take away the parts of Christ and make them parts of a prostitute? Far from it!
• Galatians 2:17But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Far from it!
• Galatians 2:21I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
• Galatians 6:14But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
• Deuteronomy 32:4The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and just is He.
• Job 40:8Will you really nullify My judgment? Will you condemn Me so that you may be justified?
• Psalms 100:5For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting And His faithfulness is to all generations.
• Psalms 119:160The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments is everlasting.
• Psalms 138:2I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your truth; For You have made Your word great according to all Your name.
• Micah 7:20You will give truth to Jacob And favor to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers 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

• Bigotry
• Boasting
• God
• God Continued...
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Boasting
• Conclude
• Destruction
• Establish
• Faith
• Fall of man
• Justifier
• Overcome

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