What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The core issue isn't just about whether God is fair, but whether humanity has the right to question Him at all. Paul’s emphatic "God forbid!" isn't just a negative answer; it’s a sharp rebuke of the very idea that we could hold God accountable to our limited understanding of justice.
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing a controversial implication of his argument: if God chooses some people (like Jacob) and not others (like Esau) based on His sovereign will, not their actions, does that mean God is unfair? He immediately counters this by posing the question directly, emphatically rejecting the idea that God could ever be unjust.
Ever felt a knot in your stomach when you hear about God's sovereign choices? You're not alone, and the Apostle Paul knew it too.
When Paul talks about God choosing Jacob over Esau, or selecting some for salvation and not others, he anticipates a major human reaction: "Is there unrighteousness with God?"
This isn't just a philosophical question; it's a cry from the heart. Our human sense of fairness often clashes with the idea that God, the Creator, can make choices that seem arbitrary to us. We want reasons we can understand, justifications that fit our logic. The commentaries highlight this tension – the "flesh" or our natural mind struggles to accept God's wisdom when it doesn't align with our own sense of justice. Paul acknowledges this, but he doesn't shy away from it. He doesn't try to soften God's actions to make them more palatable to human reason. Instead, he boldly declares that this initial shock or questioning is a sign of our own limited perspective, a rebellion against God's ultimate authority.
Paul's emphatic "God forbid!" isn't just a polite disagreement; it's a divine affirmation that challenges our assumptions about justice.
The phrase "God forbid" (or "By no means!") in verse 14 is Paul's powerful rejection of the very idea that God could be unjust. It's not a weak "I don't think so," but a strong declaration that the premise itself is unthinkable and contrary to God's nature.
The commentaries point out that this isn't about God having to answer to us. He is the ultimate standard of righteousness. His choices, even those we don't fully grasp, are inherently just because they come from Him. He doesn't operate under our rules or human court standards; He the court and the lawgiver. The tension arises when we try to measure the Almighty by our finite understanding of fairness. Paul insists that God's sovereignty is not a flaw in His justice, but its very foundation. He has the right to show mercy or compassion based on His own will and purpose, not on any merit in us.
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Understand the original words
adikia · Greek Noun
The state of being righteous, fair, or morally upright; in Scripture, it refers to the character of God who always acts in accordance with His holy nature.
This passage directly relates by quoting God's declaration to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion,' which Paul uses to affirm God's sovereign right in His choices and refute any charge of injustice.
Deuteronomy 32:39This verse states, 'See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.' This echoes the absolute sovereignty of God in life and death, power over destiny, and His ultimate authority, which underlies the discussion in Romans 9.
Matthew 20:15Jesus' parable of the laborers, where the landowner asks, 'Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what is my own?', directly illustrates the principle that God, as the owner of all, has the right to dispense His blessings according to His own will, without being subject to human claims of injustice.
Jeremiah 18:6The analogy of the potter and the clay, where Jeremiah says, 'Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel,' powerfully supports the idea of God's absolute authority over His creation and His right to shape destinies, a concept central to Paul's defense against accusations of injustice.
barnesRomans 9:14: "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid."
What shall we say then? - What conclusion shall we draw from these acknowledged facts, and from these positive declarations of Scripture. Is there unrighteousness with God? - Does God do injustice or wrong? This charge has often been brought against the doctrine here advanced. But this charge the apostle strongly repels. He meets it by further showing that it is the doctrine explicitly taught in the Old Testam…
bengelRomans 9:14: "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid."
Romans 9:14 . Τί οὖν , what then? ) Can we then on this ground be accused of charging God with unrighteousness and iniquity by this assertion? By no means; for what we assert is the irrefragable assertion of God; see the following verse.— Μὴ γένοιτο , God forbid ) The Jews thought, that they could by no means be rejected by God; that the Gentiles could by no means be received. As therefore an honest man acts e…
The core issue isn't just about whether God is fair, but whether humanity has the right to question Him at all. Paul’s emphatic "God forbid!" isn't just a negative answer; it’s a sharp rebuke of the very idea that we could hold God accountable to our limited understanding of justice.
Paul is addressing a controversial implication of his argument: if God chooses some people (like Jacob) and not others (like Esau) based on His sovereign will, not their actions, does that mean God is unfair? He immediately counters this by posing the question directly, emphatically rejecting the idea that God could ever be unjust.
Paul is addressing a controversial implication of his argument: if God chooses some people (like Jacob) and not others (like Esau) based on His sovereign will, not their actions, does that mean God is unfair? He immediately counters this by posing the question directly, emphatically rejecting the idea that God could ever be unjust.
"What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!" — The core issue isn't just about whether God is fair, but whether humanity has the right to question Him at all. Paul’s emphatic "God forbid!" isn't just a negative answer; it’s a sharp rebuke of th…
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Last reviewed October 2026