ROM 9:19 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 9:14–29: God always does what is right

In this section, Paul began by asking if God acts unjustly when he chooses some people and not others. Paul answered his own question with a strong “No!” All God’s choices depend on his mercy and not on anything about the people he chooses. God made Pharaoh the way he was when he wanted the Jews to leave Egypt.

Paul spoke to a possible complaint about no one ultimately being able to resist God’s will. He said that complaining to God about that is futile.

God shows his anger and power against people he has hardened. He does this to show how great his mercy is to other people. Both Jews and Gentiles are eligible to receive his mercy.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

God’s choices/will are/is sovereign/supreme

God chooses whom he wants for both Jews and Gentiles

9:19a

One of you will say to me,

¶ So, you^(sing) will/might ask me,
¶ And/Now/But certainly someone will ask me,

One of you will say to me: In the Greek, a word that is usually translated as “then” or “therefore” connects One of you will say to me to what Paul said in 9:14–18. The BSB omits this word. However, many English versions include it. For example:

You will say to me then… (ESV)

In many languages this word must be first in the clause. For example:

Then you will say…

So, you will say…

Some languages will use a different word to connect “You will say to me” to 9:18 in a natural way. For example:

And you will say…

Now you will say…

One of you: The word you is singular in the Greek. This letter is addressed to the whole church in Rome. So, here the singular you refers to someone in a general way.Moo (page 600) says, “We need not identify a specific opponent.” It does not accuse the whole church in Rome of asking the following questions of Paul.Jewett (page 590). Some languages must translate differently for the correct meaning. For example:

certainly there will some person whoUma Back Translation on TW.

maybe someone

will say to me: 9:19b–c are questions. In some languages the word “ask” will be more natural. For example:

ask me (NJB)

9:19b

“Then why does God still find fault?

“Why does he then blame us for doing bad things?
“Why does he/God still accuse people of wrongdoing?

Then why does God still find fault?: There is a textual issue here. The Greek word that the BSB translates as Then means “then, therefore.” It occurs in some Greek manuscripts after the word translated why. There are two options:

It should be included. For example:
How then can he ever blame anyone…? (NJB) (BSB, NIV, GNT, NJB, NRSV, NABRE, REB, NCV)
It should be omitted. For example:
Why does he still find fault? (RSV) (RSV, NASB, KJV, ESV, NLT, CEV, GW, NET)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the Greek NT 5 includes it.They put it in brackets, indicating that they are not certain. But they did decide to include it.

This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes the meaning of “God should not find fault (with anyone).” This hypothetical person thinks that God should not find fault with any person. Translate this clause with that meaning. Here are some ways:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
Then why does God blame us for our sins? (NCV)
As a statement. For example:
He should not blame is for our sins.

All the English versions in Translator’s Workplace and all the commentators consulted translate this as a question.

find fault: This phrase refers to accusing someone of wrongdoing. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

blame (NJB)

accuse people of sin

9:19c

For who can resist His will?”

For who opposes his desire/plan?”
For no one overturns anything he plans to do.”

For: This word introduces an explanation for the question in 9:19b,Jewett (page 591). or gives a basis for that question.

who can resist His will?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes that no one can resist God’s will. Translate this clause with that meaning. Here are some ways:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
who can oppose his will? (NABRE)
As a statement. For example:
no one can oppose his will (NJB)

who can resist: The Greek word that the BSB translates as can resist uses the perfect tense in the Greek. Here it indicates an ongoing situation. For example:

who resists his will (NIV)

It indicates that when God decides something, no one has ever changed what he decides into something else. It implies that no one is able to change his decisions, so some translations use can resist.

resist: This word refers to opposing something. Here it implies successfully gaining victory over it. For example, if God decided someone will die, no one can change that outcome. Here are other ways to translate this word:

oppose (NJB)

fight (NCV)

His will: Here the word will refers to making a decision. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

what God wantsKankanaey Back Translation on TW.

his determined-planTagbanwa Back Translation on TW.

General Comment on 9:19b–c

The basis (9:19c) occurs after the conclusion (9:19b). In some languages it is more natural to have the conclusion last. For example:

No one can resist his will. Then why does God still find fault?

No one can resist his will. Then God should not still find fault!

9:19b–c

(reordered) “Who can resist his will, so why does he still find fault?”

(reordered) “No one overturns anything he/God plans to do. So why does he still accuse people of wrongdoing?”

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

ἐρεῖς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐρεῖς μοί οὖν τί Οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται τῷ Γάρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν)

You here is singular and refers to a hypothetical person who opposes Paul. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate this explicitly. Alternate translation: [You people who oppose me will say]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ἐρεῖς μοι οὖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐρεῖς μοί οὖν τί Οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται τῷ Γάρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν)

Here, then indicates that what follows is a response to what Paul said in [9:14–18](../09/14.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [Then you will respond to what I just said by saying to me]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

μοι

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐρεῖς μοί οὖν τί Οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται τῷ Γάρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν)

The pronoun me here refers to Paul. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [to me, Paul]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται? τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ, τίς ἀνθέστηκεν?

why (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐρεῖς μοί οὖν τί Οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται τῷ Γάρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν)

Paul is not asking for information, but is using these two questions here to express the objections that someone who opposes him might have to what he said in [9:14–18](../09/14.md). 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: [Then he should not find fault with us! No one has ever been able to withstand his will!]

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

τί οὖν

why (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐρεῖς μοί οὖν τί Οὖν ἔτι μέμφεται τῷ Γάρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν)

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

μέμφεται & αὐτοῦ

˱he˲_˓is˒_blaming & ˱of˲_him

In this verse the pronouns he and his refer to God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [does God … find fault … God’s]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἔτι μέμφεται

still ˱he˲_˓is˒_blaming

Here, find fault refers to blaming someone for doing something bad. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [does he blame us for our sins]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear ROM 9:19

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 9:14–29: God always does what is right

9:19a

9:19b

9:19c

General Comment on 9:19b–c

9:19b–c

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)