ROM 3:6 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

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

UST Then I would say, “Of course not! If God were unrighteous when he punishes us, then he could not possibly judge anyone in the world!”

AICNT By no means! For then how could God judge the world?

OEB Otherwise how can God judge the world?

WEBBE May it never be! For then how will God judge the world?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world?

LSV Let it not be! Since how will God judge the world?

FBV Of course not! How else could God judge the world?

TCNT Certainly not! Otherwise, how could God judge the world?

T4T We should certainly not conclude that God should not judge us, because if God did not judge us Jews, ◄it would not possibly be right for him to judge anyone in the world [MTY]!/how could he judge anyone in the world?► [MTY, RHQ]

LEB May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

BBE In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world?

Moff Never! In that case, how could he judge the world?

Wymth No indeed; for in that case how shall He judge all mankind?)

ASV God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

DRA (I speak according to man.) God forbid: otherwise how shall God judge this world?

YLT let it not be! since how shall God judge the world?

Drby Far be the thought: since how shall [fn]God judge the world?

3.6 Elohim

RV God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

SLT It may not be: for how shall God judge the world.

Wbstr By no means: for then how shall God judge the world?

KJB-1769 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

KJB-1611 God forbid: for then how shall God iudge the world?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps God forbyd. For howe then shall God iudge the worlde?
(God forbyd. For how then shall God judge the world?)

Gnva God forbid: els how shall God iudge ye world?
(God forbid: else how shall God judge ye/you_all world? )

Cvdl God forbyd. How mighte God the iudge ye worlde?
(God forbyd. How might God the judge ye/you_all world?)

TNT God forbid. For how then shall God iudge the worlde?
(God forbid. For how then shall God judge the world? )

Wycl Aftir man Y seie. God forbede. Ellis hou schal God deme this world?
(After man I seie. God forbede. Ellis how shall God judge/judgement this world?)

Luth Das sei ferne! Wie könnte sonst GOtt die Welt richten?
(The be distant! How could otherwise God the world direct?)

ClVg secundum hominem dico. Absit. Alioquin quomodo judicabit Deus hunc mundum?
(after/second man I_mean/say. Absit. Alioquin how will_judge God this_one the_world? )

UGNT μὴ γένοιτο ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον?
(maʸ genoito epei pōs krinei ho Theos ton kosmon?)

SBL-GNT μὴ γένοιτο· ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον;
(maʸ genoito; epei pōs krinei ho theos ton kosmon;)

RP-GNT Μὴ γένοιτο· ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον;
(Maʸ genoito; epei pōs krinei ho theos ton kosmon;)

TC-GNT Μὴ γένοιτο· ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον;
(Maʸ genoito; epei pōs krinei ho Theos ton kosmon; )

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–8: God is faithful and righteous

In chapter two, Paul spoke about some wrong ideas that the Jews had. In this section, Paul spoke to someone, probably a Jew, who might think that Paul implied that God was unfaithful to his covenant with the Jews. Paul showed that regardless of how God’s people had behaved, God was always faithful to what he said.

Keep in mind that Paul himself was a Jew. He knew how Jews thought, and he knew how to answer their objections.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

God is faithful to his covenant even if his people are not

God keeps his word and does what is right

3:6a

Certainly not!

Certainly not!
No indeed, we should not think that!

Certainly not!: These are the same Greek phrase as in 3:4a. Translate it as you did there.

But this phrase answers the question in 3:5c. It does not connect to 3:5d. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate Paul disagreed with what he said in 3:5d. If that is true in your language, you may want to repeat some of 3:5c here. For example:

By no means should we say that God is unrighteous!

3:6b

In that case, how could God judge the world?

Otherwise, how will God judge all the people of the world?
If God were not righteous/just, then he would not judge people properly!

In that case: The Greek word that the BSB translates as In that case introduces a different conclusion than what was said before. The meaning of 3:6a is “By no means should we say that God is unrighteous,” and now the meaning of 3:6b is “for, if God was unrighteous, how could he judge the world justly?” Translate this conjunction with that meaning. Here are other ways to translate this word:

Otherwise, (NASB)

If that were so, (NIV)

If God is not just, (GNT)

how could God judge the world?: This is a rhetorical question. It expects the answer “if God was not righteous, he could not judge people justly.” Translate this clause with that meaning. Here are some ways to do that:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
how can he judge the world? (GNT)
how will God judge the world? (NASB)
how would he be qualified to judge the world? (NLT)
As a statement. For example:
It would mean that God could not be the judge of the world. (NJB)

how could God judge: Many scholars say that this question is about how, not ability.For example, Morris (page 159) says, “Some understand the question as ‘If God is not just, how can he judge the world?’ (GNT), but this does not seem to be what the Greek means and it is not convincing. There is no theoretical reason why an unjust deity should not preside in an unjust judgment. Paul’s point is rather that, assuming as all do that God will judge the world, some must be punished. Unless this happens, what occurs will not be judgment. It is the exercise of wrath, not the character of God, that is the point of it all.” It asks, “If God is not righteous, by what standard would he use to judge?” For example:

how will God judge (NASB)

The English words “can” or could have a similar meaning here.

the world: Here this phrase refers to all people whoever lived. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to the earth. If that is true in your language, translate this as:

all people

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

μὴ γένοιτο

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μή γένοιτο Ἐπεί πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεός τόν κόσμον)

See how you translated this in [3:4](../03/04.md).

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μή γένοιτο Ἐπεί πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεός τόν κόσμον)

Here Paul is giving the reason why God is “not unrighteous for imposing his wrath,” as stated in the previous verse. Use a natural way in your language for indicating a reason. Alternate translation: [Because if God were unrighteous, how would he judge the world]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον

how ˓will_be˒_judging ¬the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μή γένοιτο Ἐπεί πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεός τόν κόσμον)

In this clause Paul is not asking for information, but is using his question to emphasize that God could not judge the world if he were unrighteous. 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: [God certainly could not judge the world!]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τὸν κόσμον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μή γένοιτο Ἐπεί πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεός τόν κόσμον)

Here Paul uses world to refer to the people who live in the world. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the people in the world]

Parallel ROM 3:6

Section 3:1–8: God is faithful and righteous

3:6a

3:6b