Romans 9

who is God over all
Debate exists regarding exactly how Paul seeks to portray Christ here—whether simply enforcing His superiority as “Christ…who is over all,” or specifically enforcing His deity as the one “who is God over all.” Grammatical evidence indicates the latter as the better choice. In other places where Paul uses a blessing formula, he never says, “God blessed” (e.g. Rom 1:25; 2 Cor 1:3; 11:31; 1 Tim 6:15, etc.). It is also common for Paul to put the article first in a clause (here translated as “who”) and the noun last (God), as we have here in the Greek. Second Corinthians 11:31 also provides a parallel example of Paul’s language here. In that context, an appositional clause appears in which the subject is described with a parallel clause that describes Him as “He who is blessed forever.” Here, the parallel Greek construction (which could be translated “the Christ according to the flesh… the God who is over all”) also lends itself to a reading that takes the second clause as a further description of Christ. These among other factors point to the translation of the last clause as, “who is God over all.” Paul is explicitly describing Jesus Christ as God.

seed
“Seed” is the literal translation of the Greek term σπέρμα (sperma), which appears twice in this text and once in v. 8. Such a translation highlights the key theme of the “seed” in which the world would be renewed (cf. Gen 3:15; 22:17–18; Gal 3:15–19; etc.). Sometimes it refers to an individual (Gen 3:15; 22:17b), and elsewhere the rhetoric is used to refer to the posterity or line of descendents who would receive this promise of blessing (Gen 22:18–19). In this context, Paul refers to the latter sense, in which God was actively revealing the line of promise as new generations appeared on the stage of history.

the children
While some translations might say “it is not the children…who are,” the Greek text does not have the relative pronoun “who,” and therefore the present translation is prefered for its simplicity.

considered as seed
“Considered as seed” gives a more consistent and literal translation of the phrase λογίζεται εἰς σπέρμα (logizetai eis sperma). The word “considered” translates the Greek verb λογίζομαι (logizomai), a word which indeed generally carries the idea of “considering,” “calculating,” or “taking [something] into account.” In this translation, it is usually rendered with “count” when used by Paul in justification contexts, but here, “consider” carries the idea more aptly (cf. also Rom 6:11; 8:18). For the term “seed,” refer to the discussion on verse 7 above.

SHALL
The word “shall” not only imitates the Old Testament passage from which this quote appears but it also provides an acceptable translation of this future tense verb. In the current rendering, readers can better sense how God is providing sovereign direction for what will happen according to His word.

Is there any…
This question opens with the Greek negative particle μή (mē), which, according to normal Greek usage, sets an expectation for a negative answer. This is why some translations structure the question, “There is no…is there?” However, to avoid adding words with do not appear in the Greek, the rhetorical question is simply translated with a familiar English structure. This way, nothing external is added and the force of the rhetorical question and the expected negative answer remains intact. Thus, the way Paul phrases his question highlights how no one can legitimately question the righteousness with which God exercizes His sovereign freedom to elect.

unrighteousness
“Unrighteousness” is from ἀδικία (adikia). This connects Paul’s argument here to one of the themes of the book of Romans, the revelation of the righteousness of God (Rom 1:17). Here Paul is defending God’s sovereignty in election against the charge that it makes God unrighteous. Every aspect of the gospel vindicates the righteousness of God.

May it never be!
The exclamation, “May it never be!” represents the Greek construction μὴ γένοιτο (mē genoito), which is a strong way of expressing the desire that something never take place. Thus, other versions choose something like “God forbid!,” “By no means!,” or “Absolutely not!” to translate it. These all accurately convey the idea, but “May it never be!” is most literal to the Greek text because the verb used here comes from γίνομαι (ginomai) which is a state-of-being verb, negated and used in the optative mood, which communicates a strong desire that the action of the verb not take place. This expression is used by Paul 14 times in his writings (Rom 3:4, 6; 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; here; 11:1, 11; 1 Cor 6:15; Gal 2:17; 3:21; 6:14).

the one who wills…the one who runs
Some translations insert the term “man” into this verse, but the Greek text itself does not explicitly highlight man’s nature. Rather, man’s nature is implied in the context, and therefore, readers should expect Paul’s rhetorical emphasis to land on something else. Grammatically speaking, he uses participles (τοῦ θέλοντος [tou thelontos] and τοῦ τρέχοντος [tou trechontos] respectively) to define or characterize these men not by their nature but by their actions. In fact, Paul uses the same participial construction for men as he does for God in the latter half of the verse, and because of the patterning, readers should understand that Paul is intent on contrasting actions. For that reason, the translation is more properly rendered as “the one who wills,” since the emphasis lands on the “willing.” In summary, Paul is saying that the only action that decides man’s destiny is the “mercy showing” of Almighty God. The next verse makes this clear when Pharaoh’s very existence is designed as it is so that God may act in his life in a way that reveals His glory.

IN ORDER TO…IN ORDER THAT
Following the Hebrew text from which Paul is citing (Exod 9:16), the Greek text carries two purpose conjunctions (ὅπως; hopōs) that have now been translated explicitly and consistently as “in order to/that.” This serves to better bring out the sovereign purpose of God behind His actions and why certain events take place. As God is sovereign, it is His will and purpose that will be established.

WILL THE THING MOLDED SAY…
This question opens with the Greek negative particle μή (mē), which, according to normal Greek usage, sets an expectation for a negative answer. This is why some translations structure the question, “The thing molded will not…will it?” However, to avoid adding words with do not appear in the Greek, the rhetorical question is simply translated with a familiar English structure. This way, nothing external is added and the force of the rhetorical question and the expected negative answer remains intact. A benefit of this translation is that it follows the Greek structure so that the verse ends with both questions converging at a single point.

authority
While several translations have “right,” the Greek term is the typical term for “authority” (ἐξουσία; exousia) and this translation is consistent with the other occurrences of this term in Romans (cf. 13:1–3). The point in this context is to stress how God is the one in authority over His creation just as a potter has authority over his clay.

dishonorable
“Dishonorable” is the typical rendering of the Greek word ἀτιμία (atimia) and the consistent translation in Romans (cf. 1:26). In this context, the translation serves to clarify the contrast that Paul is creating in this context.

wanting
Some translations have “although willing” rather than just “willing” or “wanting” here (θέλων; thelōn), but this gives the wrong idea to this verse. The idea is not that God chose patience instead of wrath, but that both His patience and His wrath are gloriously displayed through the vessels He created for destruction. This is simply what He wanted to do. This is more easily seen through the straightforward rendering for the Greek term θέλω (thelō; cf. same word in v. 18 “He desires”). God deserves the glory because, in His wisdom, He displays both His patience and His wrath in their fullness. In order for God to demonstrate His wrath and communicate His power, He first delayed judgment over the wicked, and His patience serves to prepare for a glorious demonstration of His character that would be known in a unique way by the elect (cf. v. 23).

having been prepared
“Having been prepared” captures the perfect tense of the Greek verb καταρτίζω (katartizō). Because the perfect tense stresses the resultant state of something that happened in the past, the emphasis here lands on how the vessels of wrath have been prepared and currently are prepared for destruction.

and in order that
“And in order that” gives a straightforward and literal rendering of the Greek phrase καὶ ἵνα (kai hina). This translation stays as tight as possible to the Greek text, and the sense of it is clarified both by the comma ending verse 22 and the “and” which begins verse 23 and connects the two verses. The point of the verses, when read together, is to say that not only did God endure vessels of wrath with patience (v. 22), but He also did so “in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy” (v. 23). Thus, the way that He acts with the wicked in this life is ultimately for the good of His elect who will see the riches of His glory in a unique way.

LAND
While the term for “land” can also be translated as “earth,” the rendering “land” captures the sense of the text being quoted from Isaiah, which refers to the land of Israel to which the remnant will return and in which the Assyrian invaders will be judged (Isa 10:21–27).

SEED
“Seed” is the literal translation of the Greek word σπέρμα (sperma) in this context. This highlights for the reader the theology of the “seed” line that began in Genesis 3:15 and continued throughout Israel’s history. In context, the verse is saying that were it not for God’s promise to protect and preserve the seed line of Israel in spite of their sin, then their judgments would have wiped them out entirely and forever like Sodom and Gomorrah.

laid hold of
“Laid hold of” is a more consistent translation for the Greek term καταλαμβάνω (katalambanō; see also Phil 3:12–13). In this context (much like in Philippians 3), it conveys a picture of someone pressing on to lay hold of something, as in a race. The Gentiles, however, did not work in such a pursuit, and yet they attained righteousness because they attained it by faith.

attain
Several translations have “attain” for the Greek term φθάνω (phthanō), and now that the gloss “attain” is no longer used in verse 30 for a different Greek term, “attain” provides a clear translation of this term in this context. The point is that Israel, though they pursued a law of righteousness, did not successfully attain conformity to that righteousness by their efforts. After all, as verse 32 says, righteousness is not gained through human effort but through faith.

I AM LAYING
“I am laying” captures the present tense of the Greek verb τίθημι (tithēmi). Paired with the interjection “Behold,” the tense of this verb serves to draw attention to an act that is happening in the moment Isaiah sees it.

UPON
“Upon” is the clearest rendering of the Greek preposition ἐπί (epi). The idea is that someone faithfully depends “upon” this Cornerstone for righteousness, rather than ignoring it. Those who rejected God’s provision of perfect righteousness and a perfect foundation for godliness chose the path of trying to establish their own righteousness in its place (cf. Rom 10:3–4).

PUT TO SHAME
“Put to shame” accurately captures the meaning of the Greek verb καταισχύνω (kataischunō) which refers to being disgraced, dishonored, or shamed. Notably, this term is different from that in Isaiah 28:16, which Paul is citing, but such an interpretive rendering is common in how the New Testament handles the Old Testament. In several instances, the New Testament author is doing more than simply citing a word-for-word translation from the Hebrew, but he will often exposit the text in different words that better draw out what point he wants to stress. While this Greek term is distinct from the Old Testament passage, it is not altogether different. The text in Isaiah refers to being “disturbed” or being made to act in a panic because one’s trusted foundation has failed him. By saying “put to shame,” Paul is simply expositing the sense of that passage now in Greek. And because it is the same term used in Romans 5:5, where Paul says our hope in Christ will not put us to shame, Paul is here alluding to that theological point. In short, for those who trust upon Jesus’s righteousness alone for their acceptance with God, their foundation will not fail them. They can therefore exult in hope of the glory of God, no matter how hard life gets (cf. Rom 5:1–5).