God’s Selection Is Just

14 What should we say then?(A) Is there injustice with God?(B) Absolutely not!(C) 15 For He tells Moses:

I will show mercy
to whom I will show mercy,
and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion.(D)[a]

16 So then it does not depend on human will or effort[b](E) but on God who shows mercy.(F) 17 For the Scripture tells Pharaoh:

I raised you up for this reason
so that I may display My power in you
and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.(G)[c]

18 So then, He shows mercy to those He wants to, and He hardens those He wants to harden.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:15 Ex 33:19
  2. Romans 9:16 Or on the one running; lit on the one willing
  3. Romans 9:17 Ex 9:16

God’s Sovereign Choice to Show Mercy

14 What then shall we say? There is no injustice with God, is there?[a] May it never be! 15 For to Moses he says, “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.”[b] 16 Consequently therefore, it does not depend on the[c] one who wills or on the one who runs, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very reason I have raised you up, so that I may demonstrate my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[d] 18 Consequently therefore, he has mercy on whomever he wishes, and he hardens whomever he wishes.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:14 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here
  2. Romans 9:15 A quotation from Exod 33:19
  3. Romans 9:16 Literally “not of the”
  4. Romans 9:17 A quotation from Exod 9:16