For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.
Parallel translations
- WEB For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.
- KJV For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
- BSB For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.
- NKJV For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
- NLT For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God has consigned all to disobedience so that he may have mercy on all.
Overview
This is Paul's summary of God's design: by allowing both Jew and Gentile to fall under disobedience, God leaves no room for human boasting and makes mercy the only door of salvation. 'Mercy on all' refers to both Jews and Gentiles as groups, not that every individual is saved. The verse exalts the gospel of grace, in which no one is saved by works but only by God's mercy in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gal 3:22But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
- Rom 3:9What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.
- 1 Tim 2:4–6who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.
- Rom 3:22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,
- John 12:32And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
- John 1:7The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 11:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.