Romans 3:7

Tyndale New Testament

Yf the veritie of God appere moare excellent thorow my lye vnto his prayse why am I hence forth iudged as a synner?

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Someone might say, "When I lie, it really gives God glory, because my lie makes his truth easier to see. So why am I judged a sinner?"

Revised Standard Version
But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

Hebrew Names Version
For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

International Standard Version
ForBut">[fn] if through my falsehood God's truthfulness increases to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

New American Standard Bible
But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

New Century Version
A person might say, "When I lie, it really gives him glory, because my lie shows God's truth. So why am I judged a sinner?"

Update Bible Version
But if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

Webster's Bible Translation
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie to his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

English Standard Version
But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

World English Bible
For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But if the truth of God hath abounded to his glory through my lie, why am I still judged as a sinner?

Weymouth's New Testament
If, for instance, a falsehood of mine has made God's truthfulness more conspicuous, redounding to His glory, why am I judged all the same as a sinner?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if the treuthe of God hath aboundid in my lessyng, in to the glorie of hym, what yit am Y demed as a synner?

English Revised Version
But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

Berean Standard Bible
However, if my falsehood accentuates God's truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?

Contemporary English Version
Since your lies bring great honor to God by showing how truthful he is, you may ask why God still says you are a sinner.

Amplified Bible
But [as you might say] if through my lie God's truth was magnified and abounded to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

American Standard Version
But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

Bible in Basic English
But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner?

Complete Jewish Bible
"But," you say, "if, through my lie, God's truth is enhanced and brings him greater glory, why am I still judged merely for being a sinner?"

Darby Translation
For if the truth of God, in my lie, has more abounded to his glory, why yet am *I* also judged as a sinner?

Etheridge Translation
For if the truth of Aloha is promoted by my lie unto his glory, why then am I judged as a sinner ?

Murdock Translation
But if the truth of God hath been furthered by my falsehood, to his glory; why am I then condemned as a sinner?

King James Version (1611)
For if the trueth of God hath more abounded through my lye vnto his glory; why yet am I also iudged as a sinner?

New Living Translation
"But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?"

New Life Bible
If my lies honor God by showing how true He is, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

New Revised Standard
But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

Geneva Bible (1587)
For if the veritie of God hath more abounded through my lye vnto his glorie, why am I yet condemned as a sinner?

George Lamsa Translation
For if the truth of God is made abundant through my falsehood to his glory, why then am I to be judged as a sinner?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, if, the truth of God, by my falsehood, hath the more abounded unto his glory, why, any longer, am, even I, as a sinner, to be judged?

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie, unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf the trueth of God hath more abounded through my lye, vnto his glory, why am I as yet iudged as a sinner?

Good News Translation
But what if my untruth serves God's glory by making his truth stand out more clearly? Why should I still be condemned as a sinner?

Christian Standard Bible®
But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

King James Version
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

Lexham English Bible
But if by my lying, the truth of God abounded to his glory, why am I also still condemned as a sinner?

Literal Translation
For if in my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I yet judged as a sinner?

Young's Literal Translation
for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For yf the trueth of God be thorow my lye the more excellent vnto his prayse, why shulde I the be iudged yet as a synner?

Mace New Testament (1729)
"but, say you, if the veracity of God hath appeared more illustrious thro' my unfaithfulness, why then am I condemned as a sinner?

THE MESSAGE
It's simply perverse to say, "If my lies serve to show off God's truth all the more gloriously, why blame me? I'm doing God a favor." Some people are actually trying to put such words in our mouths, claiming that we go around saying, "The more evil we do, the more good God does, so let's just do it!" That's pure slander, as I'm sure you'll agree.

New English Translation
For if by my lie the truth of God enhances his glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner?

New King James Version
For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Still others will argue, "If my lies reveal God's honesty, what is wrong with that?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

Legacy Standard Bible
But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

Contextual Overview

¹ What preferment then hath the Iewe? other what a vauntageth circumcision? ² Surely very moche. Fyrst vnto them was committed the worde of God ³ What then though some of them did not beleve? shall their vnbeleve make the promes of god with out effecte? ⁴ God forbid. Let god be true and all men lyars as it is written: That thou myghtest be iustifyed in thy sayinge and shuldest overcome when thou arte iudged. ⁵ Yf oure vnrightewesnes make the rightewesnes of God more excellent: what shall we saye? Is God vnrighteous which taketh vengeauce? I speake after the maner of me. ⁶ God forbid. For how then shall God iudge the worlde? ⁷ Yf the veritie of God appere moare excellent thorow my lye vnto his prayse why am I hence forth iudged as a synner? ⁸ and saye not rather (as men evyll speake of vs and as some affirme that we saye) let vs do evyll that good maye come therof. Whose damnacion is iuste. ⁹ What saye we then? Are we better then they? No in no wyse. For we have all ready proved how that both Iewes and Gentils are all vnder synne ¹⁰ as it is writte: There is none righteous no not one:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if the truth: Genesis 37:8, Genesis 37:9, Genesis 37:20, Genesis 44:1-14, Genesis 50:18-20, Exodus 3:19, Exodus 14:5, Exodus 14:30, 1 Kings 13:17, 1 Kings 13:18, 1 Kings 13:26-32, 2 Kings 8:10-15, Matthew 26:34, Matthew 26:69-75

why yet: Romans 9:19, Romans 9:20, Isaiah 10:6, Isaiah 10:7, Acts 2:23, Acts 13:27-29

Reciprocal: Genesis 27:24 - I am Genesis 27:35 - General Joshua 2:5 - the men went out Jeremiah 11:18 - the Lord Hosea 9:8 - in the Romans 3:5 - But if 1 Corinthians 15:15 - General Hebrews 3:10 - they have

Cross-References

Luke 16:23
And beinge in hell in tormetes he lyfte vp his eyes and sawe Abraham a farre of and Lazarus in his bosome

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if the truth of God,.... The "truth of God" is the same with "the righteousness of God", Romans 3:5, and means his faithfulness; of which it is hypothetically said, it

hath more abounded; or has been more illustrated,

through my lie to his glory: nothing is more opposite to truth than a lie; a lie of itself can never be of any advantage to truth, or to the God of truth; nothing is more contrary to the nature of God, and more abominable to him; a lie is of the devil, and punishable with eternal death; wherefore it may seem strange, that the truth of God should abound through it to his glory: now let it be observed, that the apostle is not speaking of himself, nor of his lie of unbelief, in his state of unregeneracy; but in the person of a sinful man, "for every man is a liar", Romans 3:4, as he says, "I speak as a man", Romans 3:5; representing a wicked man, who from what was before said, might collect this as the sense of it, that the truth of God is illustrated by the lies of men: and so much may be owned as the apostle's sense, that the truth of God is commended, illustrated, and made to abound, when it is asserted, that he is true and faithful, and every man is a liar, fallacious, and deceitful; "let God be true, and every man a liar", Romans 3:4: moreover, the truth of God may be allowed to abound through the lies of men, in a comparative sense, the one being set against the other; and so as contraries do, illustrate each other: this may be assented to, as that sometimes a lie has been overruled by God, for the accomplishing of his purposes and promises, in which his truth and faithfulness have been displayed, as in the cases of Jacob and the Egyptian midwives; but then this does not arise from its nature and tendency, but from the overruling wisdom and providence of God, and therefore not to be excused hereby from sin; and consequently the inference from it is not just, that therefore "no man can, or ought to be, judged as a sinner"; since his sin turns to such account, as to make for the glory of God, which is intimated in the question:

why yet am I also judged as a sinner? if this be the case, I ought not to be reckoned a sinner, or to be treated as such here, or judged and condemned as one hereafter, which is a most wicked, as well as weak consequence; for though God is true and faithful to his promises, notwithstanding the sins of his people, which are as a foil, to set off the lustre of his truth the more, yet their sins are nevertheless sins, and are taken notice of by him as such, and they are corrected for them; and however God may overrule, in a providential way, the sins of others for his glory, this is no excuse for their sins, nor will it be an exemption of them from punishment. This is the sense of the passage; unless by "the truth of God" should be meant, the Gospel, the word of truth, which is of God; and which through the apostle's "lie", as the Jews might call his ministration of it, "abounded to" the "glory" of God; being spread far and near, and made useful for the conversion of sinners, for turning men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and for the planting of churches in the Gentile world, as well as in Judea; which much conduced to the honour of God, and the interest of true religion: and then the meaning of the last clause is, "why yet am I also judged as a sinner?" why am I accounted and condemned as an heretic? as an apostate from the faith? as he was by the Jews, and who are used to call heretics sinners: so "the sinner" in Ecclesiastes 7:26 is thus interpreted p, אלו המינים "these are the heretics": and elsewhere it q is observed, that concerning the heretics it is said, Proverbs 10:7, "the name of the wicked shall rot": and I very much suspect this to be the sense of the word in John 9:24, "we know that this man is a sinner"; an heretic, a man of bad principles; and in John 9:31; "now we know that God heareth not sinners"; men of corrupt minds; since this character stands opposed to a worshipper of the God of Israel.

p Midrash Kohelet, fol. 77. 1. q Juchasin, fol. 130. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For 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 promises to his people, and of all his predictions. But it will also be shown by fulfilling his threatenings on the guilty. It will, therefore, more abound by their condemnation; that is, their condemnation will furnish new and striking instances or his truth. Every lost sinner will be, therefore, an eternal monument of the truth of God.

Through my lie - By means of my lie, or as one of the results of my falsehood. The word “lie” here means falsehood, deceitfulness, “unfaithfulness.” If by the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people to the covenant, occasion should be given to God to glorify himself, how could they be condemned for it?

Unto his glory - To his praise, or so as to show his character in such a way as to excite the praise and admiration of his intelligent creation.

Why yet am I ... - How can that act be regarded as evil, which tends to promote the glory of God? The fault in the reasoning of the objector is this, that he takes for granted that the direct tendency of his conduct is to promote God’s glory, whereas it is just the reverse; and it is by God’s reversing that tendency, or overruling it, that he obtains his glory. The tendency of murder is not to honor the Law, or to promote the security of society, but just the reverse. Still, his execution shall avert the direct tendency of his crime, and do honor to the law and the judge, and promote the peace and security of the community by restraining others.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 3:7. JEW. For if the truth of God, &c.] 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 honour of God?