Romans 3:7

Romans 3:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
• New King James Version (NKJV)For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
• New Living Translation (NLT)“But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?”

Context of Romans 3:7

5But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just! 9What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.

Romans 3:7 word by word

εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ψεύσματι ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, τί ἔτι κἀγὼ ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς κρίνομαι;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• the truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• hath more aboundedπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
• throughἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• lieψεῦσμαpseusma · falsehoodG5582
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
• whyτίςtis · which?G5101
• yetἔτιeti · stillG2089
• am I alsoκἀγώkagō kamoi kame · and IG2504
• judgedκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a sinnerἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268

Cross-references for Romans 3:7

• Genesis 37:8His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
• Genesis 44:1Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
• Genesis 50:18His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
• Exodus 3:19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.
• Exodus 14:5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!”
• 1 Kings 13:17I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’ ”
• 2 Kings 8:10Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’ Nevertheless, the Lord has revealed to me that he will in fact die.”
• Matthew 26:34“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
• Romans 9:19One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”
• Isaiah 10:6I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
• Acts 2:23This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
• Acts 13:27The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

Commentaries on Romans 3:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Jew. For if the truth of God, etc. - But to resume my reasoning ( Romans 3:5;): If the faithfulness of God in keeping his promise made to our fathers is, through our unfaithfulness, made far more glorious than it otherwise would have been, why should we then be blamed for that which must redound so much to the honor of God?Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7For if … - This is an objection similar to the former. It is indeed but another form of the same. The truth of God - His truth or faithfulness in adhering to his threatenings. God threatened to punish the guilty. By their guilt he will take occasion to show his own truth; or their crime will furnish occasion for such an exhibition. Hath more abounded - Has been more striking, or more manifest. His “truth” will be shown by the fulfillment of all his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-7how could God judge the world?: Abraham asked a similar question: “Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25). God punishes all sin and maintains absolute righteousness while doing so. Even when God makes use of human sin for his own ends, that sin still deserves to be, and will be, punished (see Romans 9:10–24).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-87-8. For if the truth of God, &c.--A further illustration of the same sentiment: that is, "Such reasoning amounts to this--which indeed we who preach salvation by free grace are slanderously accused of teaching--that the more evil we do, the more glory will redound to God; a damnable principle." (Thus the apostle, instead of refuting this principle, thinks it enough to hold it up to execration, as one that shocks the moral sense). On this brief section…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 3:7

• Bigotry
• Boasting

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