ROM 9:20 Parallel View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. This view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on the version abbreviation to see the verse in more of its context.

OET (OET-RV) Oh human, it is you who’s talking back to God? Can the creature that was made talk back to the maker and ask: ‘Why did you make me like this?’

Key: yellow:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object, magenta:vocative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT O man, who indeed are you, the one answering against God? The one molded will not say to the one having molded it, “Why did you make me this way?” will it?

UST Then I would say, “You mere human! You who argue with God are truly not worthy to do so! Who God has made surely must not say to God who made him, ‘You should not have made me to be like this!’”

BSB But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”[fn]

9:20 Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9

BLB But rather, O man, who are you, answering against God? Shall the thing formed say to the One having formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"

AICNT But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”[fn]

9:20, Isaiah 29:16, 45:9

OEB I might rather ask “Who are you who are arguing with God?” Does a thing which a person has moulded say to the person who has moulded it “Why did you make me like this?”

WEB But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”

NET But who indeed are you – a mere human being – to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

LSV No, but, O man, who are you that are answering again to God? Will the thing formed say to Him who formed [it], Why did you make me thus?

FBV That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?”

TCNT On the contrary, O man, who are yoʋ to answer back to God? Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why did yoʋ make me like this?”

T4T I would reply that since you (sg) are just a human being, ◄you do not have any right at all to criticize God!/who are you to say that what God does is wrong?► [RHQ] As a potter is the one who creates a clay pot, God is the one who created you. ◄A clay pot [MET] certainly would not have a right to criticize the potter by asking [PRS], “Why did you (sg) make me this way?”/Would a clay pot have a right to criticize the potter by asking [PRS], “Why did you (sg) make me this way?”► [RHQ]

LEB On the contrary, O man, who are you who answers back to God? Will what is molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this”?[fn]

?:? A quotation from Isa 29:16|link-href="None"; 45:9

BBE But, O man, who are you, to make answer against God? May the thing which is made say to him who made it, Why did you make me so?

MOF No MOF ROM book available

ASV Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?

DRA O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it: Why hast thou made me thus?

YLT nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form [it], Why me didst thou make thus?

DBY Aye, but thou, O man, who art thou that answerest again to [fn]God? Shall the thing formed say to him that has formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

9.20 Elohim

RV Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?

WBS No, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it , Why hast thou made me thus?

KJB Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
(Nay but, O man, who art thou/you that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou/you made me thus? )

BB But O man, what art thou which disputest with God? Shall the worke say to the workeman, why hast thou made me on this fashion?
(But O man, what art thou/you which disputest with God? Shall the work say to the workeman, why hast thou/you made me on this fashion?)

GNV But, O man, who art thou which pleadest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
(But, O man, who art thou/you which pleadest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou/you made me thus? )

CB O thou man, who art thou, that disputest with God? Sayeth the worke to his workman: Why hast thou made me on this fashion?
(O thou/you man, who art thou, that disputest with God? Sayeth the work to his workman: Why hast thou/you made me on this fashion?)

TNT But o man what arte thou which disputest with God? Shall the worke saye to the workeman: why hast thou made me on this fassion?
(But o man what art thou/you which disputest with God? Shall the work say to the workeman: why hast thou/you made me on this fassion? )

WYC O! man, who art thou, that answerist to God? Whether a maad thing seith to hym that made it, What hast thou maad me so?
(O! man, who art thou, that answerist to God? Whether a made thing saith/says to him that made it, What hast thou/you made me so?)

LUT Ja, lieber Mensch, wer bist du denn, daß du mit GOtt rechten willst? Spricht auch ein Werk zu seinem Meister: Warum machst du mich also?
(Ya, lieber Mensch, wer bist you denn, that you with God rechten willst? Spricht also a Werk to seinem Meister: Warum machst you me also?)

CLV O homo, tu quis es, qui respondeas Deo? numquid dicit figmentum ei qui se finxit: Quid me fecisti sic?[fn]
(O homo, tu who/any es, who respondeas Deo? numquid dicit figmentum to_him who se finxit: Quid me fecisti sic?)

9.20 O Homo. Hoc non ex inopia rationis reddendæ, sed hominem ad se revocat.

9.20 O Homo. Hoc not/no ex inopia rationis reddendæ, but hominem to se revocat.

UGNT ὦ ἄνθρωπε, μενοῦνγε σὺ τίς εἶ, ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ? μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα, τῷ πλάσαντι, τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως?
(ō anthrōpe, menounge su tis ei, ho antapokrinomenos tōi Theōi? maʸ erei to plasma, tōi plasanti, ti me epoiaʸsas houtōs?)

SBL-GNT ⸂ὦ ἄνθρωπε, μενοῦνγε⸃ σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ θεῷ; μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως;
(⸂ō anthrōpe, menounge⸃ su tis ei ho antapokrinomenos tōi theōi? maʸ erei to plasma tōi plasanti Ti me epoiaʸsas houtōs? )

TC-GNT [fn]Μενοῦνγε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ; Μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι, Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως;
(Menounge, ō anthrōpe, su tis ei ho antapokrinomenos tōi Theōi? Maʸ erei to plasma tōi plasanti, Ti me epoiaʸsas houtōs?)

9:20 μενουνγε ω ανθρωπε ¦ ω ανθρωπε μενουνγε CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὦ ἄνθρωπε

O person

In this verse Paul begins to respond to the rhetorical questions from his hypothetical opponent in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “I would respond by saying, ‘O man’”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

ὦ ἄνθρωπε, μενοῦνγε σὺ τίς εἶ, ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ? μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα, τῷ πλάσαντι, τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως?

O person indeed_rather you who are the_‹one› answering_back ¬the ˱to˲_God not /will_be/_saying the formed_‹thing› ˱to˲_the_‹one› /having/_formed_‹it› why me ˱you˲_made thus

In this verse Paul is responding to the rhetorical questions from his hypothetical opponent in the previous verse. It may be helpful to your readers to indicate this by setting off all of this material with quotation marks or with whatever punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate a quotation.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

ὦ ἄνθρωπε,

O person

O man here is an exclamation word that here communicates indignance. Use an exclamation that is natural in your language for communicating this. Alternate translation: “How dare you, man!”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἄνθρωπε

person

Although the term man is masculine, Paul is using the word here to emphasize human weakness. Alternate translation: “human being” or “mere mortal”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / distinguish

μενοῦνγε σὺ τίς εἶ, ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ?

indeed_rather you who are the_‹one› answering_back ¬the ˱to˲_God

Here, the one answering against God gives further information about who you is. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make the relationship between these words clearer. Alternate translation: “who indeed are you who answer against God”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

μενοῦνγε σὺ τίς εἶ, ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ?

indeed_rather you who are the_‹one› answering_back ¬the ˱to˲_God

Paul is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to emphasize his outrage at what was said in the previous verse. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “you who are answering against God indeed are nothing!”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

σὺ

you

Here, you is singular and refers to a hypothetical person who opposes Paul. See how you translated this word in the previous verse.

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα, τῷ πλάσαντι, τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως?

not /will_be/_saying the formed_‹thing› ˱to˲_the_‹one› /having/_formed_‹it› why me ˱you˲_made thus

Paul is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to emphasize the truth of what he is saying. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “The one molded surely must not say to the one having molded it, ‘Why did you make me this way?’”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα, τῷ πλάσαντι, τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως?

not /will_be/_saying the formed_‹thing› ˱to˲_the_‹one› /having/_formed_‹it› why me ˱you˲_made thus

Here Paul speaks of a person whom God created as if that person were an object that was molded by God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “The created person surely must not say to the one having created him, ‘Why did you make me this way?’”

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τὸ πλάσμα

the formed_‹thing›

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “The one whom God molded”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τῷ πλάσαντι

¬the ˱to˲_the_‹one› /having/_formed_‹it›

Here, the one having molded it refers to God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “to God, who molded it”

Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα, τῷ πλάσαντι, τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως

not /will_be/_saying the formed_‹thing› ˱to˲_the_‹one› /having/_formed_‹it› why me ˱you˲_made thus

If you translated this verse as a direct quotation, then this sentence would be a direct quotation inside a direct quotation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the second direct quotation as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “The one molded will not ask the one having molded it why he made it this way. Will it?”

Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως

why me ˱you˲_made thus

Paul is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to emphasize what his hypothetical opponent is saying. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “You should not have made me this way!”

Parallel ROM 9:20