Romans 3:5
New International Version
But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)

New Living Translation
“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.)

English Standard Version
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)

Berean Standard Bible
But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.

Berean Literal Bible
But if our unrighteousness shows God's righteousness, what shall we say? God, inflicting the wrath, is unrighteous? I speak according to man.

King James Bible
But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

New King James Version
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)

New American Standard Bible
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.)

NASB 1995
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)

NASB 1977
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)

Legacy Standard Bible
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is the God who inflicts wrath unrighteous? (I am speaking in human terms.)

Amplified Bible
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? God is not wrong to inflict His wrath [on us], is He? (I am speaking in purely human terms.)

Christian Standard Bible
But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I use a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?

American Standard Version
But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.)

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But if our evil establishes the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God doing evil by bringing forth his wrath? I am speaking as a man.

Contemporary English Version
If our evil deeds show how right God is, then what can we say? Is it wrong for God to become angry and punish us? What a foolish thing to ask.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath?

English Revised Version
But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.)

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I'm arguing the way humans would.)

Good News Translation
But what if our doing wrong serves to show up more clearly God's doing right? Can we say that God does wrong when he punishes us? (This would be the natural question to ask.)

International Standard Version
But if our unrighteousness serves to confirm God's righteousness, what can we say? God is not unrighteous when he vents his wrath on us, is he? (I am talking in human terms.)

Literal Standard Version
And if our unrighteousness establishes God’s righteousness, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (I speak after the manner of a man.)

Majority Standard Bible
But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.

New American Bible
But if our wickedness provides proof of God’s righteousness, what can we say? Is God unjust, humanly speaking, to inflict his wrath?

NET Bible
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? (I am speaking in human terms.)

New Revised Standard Version
But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)

New Heart English Bible
But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? (I am speaking in human terms).

Webster's Bible Translation
But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man.)

Weymouth New Testament
But if our unrighteousness sets God's righteousness in a clearer light, what shall we say? (Is God unrighteous--I speak in our everyday language-- when He inflicts punishment?

World English Bible
But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do.

Young's Literal Translation
And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak)

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Remains Faithful
4Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.” 5But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms. 6Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?…

Cross References
Genesis 18:25
Far be it from You to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?"

Job 8:3
Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?

Romans 4:1
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered?

Romans 5:8
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:1
What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?

Romans 6:19
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

Romans 7:7
What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, "Do not covet."


Treasury of Scripture

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who takes vengeance? (I speak as a man)

But if.

Romans 3:7,25,26
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? …

Romans 8:20,21
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, …

what shall.

Romans 4:1
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

Romans 6:1
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Is God.

Romans 2:5
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Romans 3:19
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 9:18-20
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth…

I speak.

Romans 6:19
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

1 Corinthians 9:8
Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

Galatians 3:15
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

Jump to Previous
Clearer Clearly Commend Commendeth Commends Demonstrates God's Human Inflicts Justice Light Manner Punishment Righteousness Serves Sets Show Speak Speaking Supported Terms Unjust Unrighteous Unrighteousness Using Vengeance Visiteth Way Wickedness Wrath Wrongdoing
Jump to Next
Clearer Clearly Commend Commendeth Commends Demonstrates God's Human Inflicts Justice Light Manner Punishment Righteousness Serves Sets Show Speak Speaking Supported Terms Unjust Unrighteous Unrighteousness Using Vengeance Visiteth Way Wickedness Wrath Wrongdoing
Romans 3
1. The Jews prerogative;
3. which they have not lost;
9. howbeit the law convinces them also of sin;
20. therefore no one is justified by the law;
28. but all, without difference, by faith, only;
31. and yet the law is not abolished.














(5) But if our unrighteousness.--A new and profound question suggests itself to the mind of the Apostle, and his keen intellect will not let it go: "If the sin (here the unbelief) of man only tends to vindicate (commends or establishes) the righteousness of God, why should that sin be punished?" The mere raising of such a question requires an apology; it is only as a man might speak about man that he dares to utter such a thought. That, too, is an impossible objection, for if it held good there could not be any judgment. No sin would be punishable, for all sin would serve to emphasise the strict veracity of God in His denunciations of it, and therefore would ultimately conduce to His glory. It would thus cease to be sinful, and there would be nothing to hinder us from adopting the principle that is so calumniously attributed to us--that it is lawful to do evil that good may come. A calumny it is, and any such principle with all that appertains to it--i.e., with the whole of the preceding argument,--is justly condemned.

Verses 5, 6. - But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall We say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (so the Authorized Version; rather, brings the wrath upon us (ὁ ἐπιφέρων τὴν ὀργήν), with reference to the Divine wrath against sin, spoken of above). I speak after the manner of men. God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world! The purport of this reply appears sufficiently in the paraphrase given above. But the intended Bearing on the argument of ver. 7 is not at once apparent.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

if
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

unrighteousness
ἀδικία (adikia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 93: Injustice, unrighteousness, hurt. From adikos; injustice; morally, wrongfulness.

highlights
συνίστησιν (synistēsin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4921: To place together, commend, prove, exhibit; instrans: I stand with; To be composed of, cohere.

the righteousness
δικαιοσύνην (dikaiosynēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1343: From dikaios; equity; specially justification.

of God,
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

what
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

shall we say?
ἐροῦμεν (eroumen)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2046: Probably a fuller form of rheo; an alternate for epo in certain tenses; to utter, i.e. Speak or say.

[That]
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

God
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

[is]
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

unjust
ἄδικος (adikos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 94: Unjust, unrighteous, wicked. Specially, heathen.

to inflict
ἐπιφέρων (epipherōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2018: To bring forward (against), impose, inflict. From epi and phero; to bear upon, i.e. Adduce (accuse, inflict), superinduce.

[His]
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wrath [on us]?
ὀργήν (orgēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3709: From oregomai; properly, desire, i.e., violent passion (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment.

I am speaking
λέγω (legō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

in
κατὰ (kata)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).

human terms.
ἄνθρωπον (anthrōpon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.


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NT Letters: Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness (Rom. Ro)
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