Romans 9:19

New Living Translation

Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?"

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
So one of you will ask me, "If God controls what we do, why does he blame us for our sins?"

Revised Standard Version
You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Thou wilt saye then vnto me: why then blameth he vs yet? For who can resist his will?

Hebrew Names Version
You will say then to me, "Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?"

International Standard Version
You may ask me, "Then why does Godhe">[fn] still find fault with anybody?with anybody">[fn] For who can resist his will?"2 Chronicles 20:6; Job 1:9:12; 23:13; Daniel 4:35;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"

New Century Version
So one of you will ask me: "Then why does God blame us for our sins? Who can fight his will?"

Update Bible Version
You will say then to me, Why then does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou wilt say then to me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will?

English Standard Version
You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"

World English Bible
You will say then to me, "Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But thou wilt say to me, Why doth he still find fault?

Weymouth's New Testament
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne seist thou to me, What is souyt yit? for who withstondith his wille?

English Revised Version
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?

Berean Standard Bible
One of you will say to me, "Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?"

Contemporary English Version
Someone may ask, "How can God blame us, if he makes us behave in the way he wants us to?"

Amplified Bible
You will say to me then, "Why does He still blame me [for sinning]? For who [including myself] has [ever] resisted His will and purpose?"

American Standard Version
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?

Bible in Basic English
But you will say to me, Why does he still make us responsible? who is able to go against his purpose?

Complete Jewish Bible
But you will say to me, "Then why does he still find fault with us? After all, who resists his will?"

Darby Translation
Thou wilt say to me then, Why does he yet find fault? for who resists his purpose?

Etheridge Translation
Perhaps thou wilt say, Of what then doth he complain; for who shall arise against his will ?

Murdock Translation
But, perhaps thou wilt say: Of what [fn] doth he complain? For, who hath resisted his pleasure?

King James Version (1611)
Thou wilt say then vnto mee; Why doeth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

New Life Bible
But you will ask me, "Why does God blame men for what they do? Who can go against what God wants?"

New Revised Standard
You will say to me then, "Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou wilt say then vnto me, Why doeth he yet complaine? for who hath resisted his will?

George Lamsa Translation
Perhaps you will say, Why then does he yet find fault? For who can resist his will?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou wilt say to me, then - Why longer findeth he fault? For, his purpose, who hath withstood?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou wilt say therefore to me: Why doth he then find fault? For who resisteth his will?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou wylt say then vnto me: Why then blameth he [vs] yet? For who hath ben able to resist his wyll?

Good News Translation
But one of you will say to me, "If this is so, how can God find fault with anyone? Who can resist God's will?"

Christian Standard Bible®
You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”

King James Version
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Lexham English Bible
Therefore you will say to me, "Why then does he still find fault? For who has resisted his will?

Literal Translation
You will then say to me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will?

Young's Literal Translation
Thou wilt say, then, to me, `Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou wilt saye then vnto me: Why blameth he vs yet? For who can resiste his will?

Mace New Testament (1729)
But you will object, why does he then find fault? for "who can resist his will?"

THE MESSAGE
Are you going to object, "So how can God blame us for anything since he's in charge of everything? If the big decisions are already made, what say do we have in it?"

New English Translation
You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?"

New King James Version
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"

Simplified Cowboy Version
I've heard all the arguments. One might say, "Then why does God blame us for not riding for him? If he's in charge, then it ain't our responsibility."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"

Legacy Standard Bible
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! ¹⁵ For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose." ¹⁶ So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. ¹⁷ 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." ¹⁸ So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. ¹⁹ Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?" ²⁰ No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" ²¹ When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? ²² In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. ²³ He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thou: Romans 3:8, 1 Corinthians 15:12, 1 Corinthians 15:35, James 1:13

Why doth: Romans 3:5-7, Genesis 50:20, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Job 9:12-15, Job 9:19, Job 23:13, Job 23:14, Psalms 76:10, Isaiah 10:6, Isaiah 10:7, Isaiah 46:10, Isaiah 46:11, Daniel 4:35, Mark 14:21, Acts 2:23, Acts 4:27, Acts 4:28

Reciprocal: Job 33:12 - thou Job 40:2 - he that reproveth Psalms 115:3 - he hath Ecclesiastes 6:10 - neither Ecclesiastes 7:13 - who Isaiah 29:16 - as the potter's Isaiah 43:13 - I will work Ezekiel 16:63 - and never Romans 3:7 - why yet Romans 9:15 - I will have

Cross-References

Genesis 5:32
After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 8:17
Release all the animals—the birds, the livestock, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—so they can be fruitful and multiply throughout the earth."

Genesis 9:2
All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power.

Genesis 9:4
But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it.

Genesis 9:28
Noah lived another 350 years after the great flood.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou wilt say then unto me,.... That is, thou wilt object to me; for this is another objection of the adversary, against the doctrine the apostle was advancing: and it is an objection of a mere natural man, of one given up to a reprobate mind, of an insolent hardened sinner; it discovers the enmity of the carnal mind to God; if is one of the high things that exalts itself against the knowledge of him; it is with a witness a stretching out of the hand against God, and strengthening a man's self against the Almighty; it is a running upon him, even upon the thick bosses of his bucklers; it carries in it the marks of ill nature, surliness, and rudeness, to the last degree:

why doth he yet find fault? The objector does not think fit to name the name of "God", or "the Lord", but calls him "he"; and a considerable emphasis lies upon the word "yet": what as if he should say, is he not content with the injustice he has already exercised, in passing by some, when he chose others; in leaving them to themselves, and hardening their hearts against him, and to go on in their own ways, which must unavoidably end in destruction; but after all this, is angry with them, finds fault with them, blames, accuses, and condemns them, for that which they cannot help; nay, for that which he himself wills? this is downright cruelty and tyranny. The objector seems to have a particular regard to the case of Pharaoh, the apostle had instanced in, when after God had declared that he had raised him up for this very purpose, to make known his power, and show forth his glory in all the world, still finds fault with him and says, "as yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?" Exodus 9:17; and yet he himself had hardened his heart, and continued to harden his heart, that he might not let them go as yet; and when he had let them go, hardened his heart again to pursue after them, when he drowned him and his host in the Red sea; all which in this objection, is represented as unparalleled cruelty and unmercifulness; though it is not restrained to this particular case, but is designed to be applied to all other hardened persons; and to expose the unreasonableness of the divine proceedings, in hardening men at his pleasure; and then blaming them for acting as hardened ones, when he himself has made them so, and wills they should act in this manner:

for who hath resisted his will? This is said in support of the former, and means not God's will of command, which is always resisted more or less, by wicked men and devils; but his will of purpose, his counsels and decrees, which stand firm and sure, and can never be resisted, so as to be frustrated and made void. This the objector takes up, and improves against God; that since he hardens whom he will, and there is no resisting his will, the fault then can never lie in them who are hardened, and who act as such, but in God; and therefore it must be unreasonable in him to be angry with, blame, accuse, and condemn persons for being and doing that, which he himself wills them to be and do. Let the disputers of this world, the reasoners of the present age, come and see their own faces, and read the whole strength of their objections, in this wicked man's; and from whence we may be assured, that since the objections are the same, the doctrine must be the same that is objected to: and this we gain however by it, that the doctrines of particular and personal election and reprobation, were the doctrines of the apostle; since against no other, with any face, or under any pretence, could such an objection be formed: next follows the apostle's answer.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou wilt say then unto me - The apostle here refers to an objection that might be made to his argument. If the position which he had been endeavoring to establish were true; if God had a purpose in all his dealings with people; if all the revolutions among people happened according to his decree, so that he was not disappointed, or his plan frustrated; and if his own glory was secured in all this, why could he blame people?

Why doth he yet find fault? - Why does he blame people, since their conduct is in accordance with his purpose, and since he bestows mercy according to his sovereign will? This objection has been made by sinners in all ages. It is the standing objection against the doctrines of grace. The objection is founded,

1. On the difficulty of reconciling the purposes of God with the free agency of man.

(2)It assumes, what cannot be proved, that a plan or purpose of God must destroy the freedom of man.

(3)It is said that if the plan of God is accomplished, then what is best to be done is done, and, of course, man cannot be blamed. These objections are met by the apostle in the following argument.

Who hath resisted his will? - That is, who has “successfully opposed” his will, or frustrated his plan? The word translated “resist” is commonly used to denote the resistance offered by soldiers or armed men. Thus, Ephesians 6:13, “Take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand (resist or successfully oppose) in the evil day:” see Luke 21:15, “I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist;” see also Acts 7:10; Acts 13:8, “But Elymas ...withstood them, etc.” The same Greek word, Romans 13:2; Galatians 2:11. This does not mean that no one has offered resistance or opposition to God, but that no one has done it successfully. God had accomplished his purposes “in spite of” their opposition. This was an established point in the sacred writings, and one of the admitted doctrines of the Jews. To establish it had even been a part of the apostle’s design; and the difficulty now was to see how, this being admitted, people could be held chargeable with crime. That it was the doctrine of the Scriptures, see 2 Chronicles 20:6, “In thine hand “is there not” power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?” Daniel 4:35, “he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” See also the case of Joseph and his brethren, Genesis 50:20, “As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. Why 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 us to proceed in our hardness and infidelity, why does he find fault with us, or punish us for that which is according to his good pleasure?