Romans 9:17

Romans 9:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”

Context of Romans 9:17

15For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” 18So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. 19Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

Romans 9:17 word by word

λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τῷ Φαραὼ ὅτι εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρά σε ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμίν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• the scriptureγραφήgraphē · a writingG1124
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto PharaohΦαραώPharaō · PharaohG5328
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Even forεἰςeis · towardG1519
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• sameαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• have I raisedἐξεγείρωexegeirō · to raiseG1825
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• I might shewἐνδείκνυμιendeiknumi · to showG1731
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• might be declaredδιαγγέλλωdiaggellō · to proclaimG1229
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093

Cross-references for Romans 9:17

• Romans 11:4And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
• Galatians 3:8What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”
• Galatians 4:30But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
• Exodus 9:16But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.
• 1 Samuel 2:7The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up.
• Esther 4:14If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
• Isaiah 10:5“What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger.
• Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again.
• Jeremiah 27:6Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.
• Daniel 4:22That tree, Your Majesty, is you. For you have grown strong and great; your greatness reaches up to heaven, and your rule to the ends of the earth.
• Daniel 5:18Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.
• Exodus 10:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can display my miraculous signs among them.
• Exodus 14:17And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers.
• Exodus 15:14The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia.
• Exodus 18:10“Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt!
• Joshua 2:9“I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.

Commentaries on Romans 9:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh - Instead of showing the Israelites mercy he might justly have suffered them to have gone on in sin, till he should have signalized his wisdom and justice in their destruction; as appears from what God in his word declares concerning his dealings with Pharaoh and the Egyptians, Exodus 9:15, Exodus 9:16; : For now, saith the Lord, I had stretched forth my hand, (in the plague of boils and blains), and I had smitten thee…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. 17the Scripture says to Pharaoh: Following God's command, Moses commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt for their own land (Exodus 9:16). Pharaoh stubbornly refused. In response, God performed many miracles. Through these acts, God showed his power and authority to Israel, to Pharaoh, and to the people of Egypt (see Exodus 6:7; 7:5; 9:14–16; 14:31).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. For the scripture saith to Pharaoh--observe here the light in which the Scripture is viewed by the apostle. Even for this same--"this very" purpose have I raised--"raised I" thee up, &c.--The apostle had shown that God claims the right to choose whom He will: here he shows by an example that God punishes whom He will. But "God did not make Pharaoh wicked; He only forbore to make him good, by the exercise of special and altogether unmerited grace"…Read the comment
• Calvin’s Commentaries · v. 1717. For the Scripture saith, etc. He comes now to the second part, the rejection of the ungodly, and as there seems to be something more unreasonable in this, he endeavours to make it more fully evident, how God, in rejecting whom he wills, is not only irreprehensible, but also wonderful in his wisdom and justice. He then takes his proof from Exodus 9:16, where the Lord declares that it was he who raised up Pharaoh for this end, that while he obstinately…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 9:17

• Judgments
• Predestination
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Pharaoh
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Continual
• Fault
• Providence
• Resist
• Sovereignty
• Bible, the
• Election
• Inspiration

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