Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Parallel translations
- WEB You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
- BSB One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
- NKJV You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
- NASB You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
- NLT Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”
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
Paul voices the objection that if God's will is irresistible, he cannot fairly find fault with anyone. This challenge sets up his defense of God's right as Creator.
Overview
Anticipating a protest, Paul puts the hard question on the objector's lips: if no one can resist God's will, how can God still blame people for sin? Rather than soften his teaching on sovereignty, Paul addresses the question directly in the following verses by appealing to the Creator's authority over his creatures. The objection itself shows that Paul has taught a real and robust divine sovereignty.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Dan 4:35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and 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?
- 2 Chr 20:6And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
- 1 Cor 15:35But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
- 1 Cor 15:12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
- Isa 10:6–7I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
- Ps 76:10Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
- Job 9:19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
- Isa 46:10–11Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
- Gen 50:20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
- Mark 14:21The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
- Job 9:12–15Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?
- Job 23:13–14But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
- Jas 1:13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
- Acts 2:23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
- Rom 11:19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
- Acts 4:27–28For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
- Rom 3:5–8But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
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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 9:19 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.