So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The key insight here is that the word "harden" doesn't necessarily mean God actively causes someone to become hardened, but rather that He permits or withdraws His softening influence from those who have already chosen to resist Him. This judicial hardening is a consequence of their own choices, not a direct divine decree that forces them into hardness.
So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the apparent injustice of God choosing some people for salvation and not others. He had just explained God's choice of Jacob over Esau, even before they were born, which could seem unfair. This verse is his conclusion, asserting that God's sovereign will is the ultimate and unchallengeable basis for His mercy and hardening of individuals.
Ever wonder why some people seem to experience God's mercy while others don't? This verse points to a profound answer rooted entirely in God's will.
The core of this verse is that God's sovereign will is the ultimate reason for both showing mercy and allowing hardness. The Apostle Paul isn't looking for human merit or any external factor to explain God's actions. Instead, he emphasizes that God's own pleasure and purpose are the decisive elements.
The word 'harden' in this verse can be unsettling. What does it truly mean when the Bible says God 'hardens' someone?
The 'hardening' mentioned here is best understood as a judicial act of God, not as God actively making someone evil. It's about God's response to persistent sin and rebellion.
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Understand the original words
skleruno · Greek Verb
The divine act of rendering a heart or mind unresponsive, obstinate, or insensitive to the truth, often as a result of prior rebellion or as an act of judicial withdrawal.
The Apostle Paul draws on the foundational story of the Exodus, particularly the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, to illustrate God's sovereign right to show mercy or judgment. This event, deeply etched in Israel's memory, served as a stark example of God's power to save and to bring about His purposes, even through seemingly harsh judgments.
~1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites are miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt by God's power, a pivotal event demonstrating God's mercy and judgment.
c. 1446 BC
God encounters Moses at Sinai
After the Exodus, God speaks to Moses, revealing His Name and attributes, including His sovereign mercy, as recorded in Exodus 33.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Pharaoh's heart hardened
During the plagues leading up to the Exodus, Pharaoh's heart is repeatedly described as hardened, both by himself and by God, leading to Israel's deliverance and Egypt's devastation.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the exile of many Judeans to Babylon, demonstrates God's judgment on a disobedient people.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Some Judeans are allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, showing God's continued faithfulness and selective restoration.
This passage directly connects to Romans 9:18 by showing God stating to Moses that 'I will harden his heart' regarding Pharaoh, illustrating God's sovereign action in hardening someone's heart.
Exodus 33:19God tells Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.' This is the foundational Old Testament statement that Paul quotes and builds upon in Romans 9:18, establishing the theme of God's sovereign will in showing mercy.
Isaiah 6:9-10This prophecy to Isaiah about his mission sets a precedent for God's sovereign action, stating 'Go, and tell this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and close their eyes...' This illustrates the concept of God hardening people, which Paul later applies in Romans 9.
John 12:39-40This New Testament passage directly quotes Isaiah 6:10 and explains it by saying, 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' This shows the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy and reinforces the concept of God's sovereign hardening.
Proverbs 16:4This verse states that 'The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble,' which conceptually aligns with Romans 9:18 by suggesting God's sovereign ordination extends even to those whom He hardens for His purposes.
cambridgeRomans 9:18: "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."
18 . whom he will ] The emphasis is of course on these words, in each clause: to us, the only account of the differences of His action is His Will. The following verses prove beyond fair question that St Paul means fully to enforce this truth, intensely trying as it is to the human heart. He lays it down without mitigation or counterpoise: not that there is no mitigation; but mitigation is far from…
gillRomans 9:18: "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will,.... These are the express words of the former testimony: it follows, and whom he will he hardeneth; which is the just and natural consequence of what is contained in the latter; for if God could, or he did, without any injustice, raise up Pharaoh, and harden his heart against him and his people, that he might rise up against him and destroy him by his power…
The key insight here is that the word "harden" doesn't necessarily mean God actively causes someone to become hardened, but rather that He permits or withdraws His softening influence from those who have already chosen to resist Him. This judicial hardening is a consequence of their own choices, not a direct divine decree that forces them into hardness.
Paul is addressing the apparent injustice of God choosing some people for salvation and not others. He had just explained God's choice of Jacob over Esau, even before they were born, which could seem unfair. This verse is his conclusion, asserting that God's sovereign will is the ultimate and unchallengeable basis for His mercy and hardening of individuals.
Paul is addressing the apparent injustice of God choosing some people for salvation and not others. He had just explained God's choice of Jacob over Esau, even before they were born, which could seem unfair. This verse is his conclusion, asserting that God's sovereign will is the ultimate and unchallengeable basis for His mercy and hardening of individuals.
"So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills." — The key insight here is that the word "harden" doesn't necessarily mean God actively causes someone to become hardened, but rather that He permits or withdraws His softening influence from thos…
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Last reviewed October 2026