Romans 9:14 Meaning and Explanation
“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Anticipating the objection that God's choosing seems unfair, Paul rejects it outright.
What Does Romans 9:14 Mean?
Paul knows the reader's protest. If God advances His purpose by choosing, is He unjust? Paul raises the question plainly and answers with his strongest denial: God forbid. The very thought that there could be unrighteousness in God is unthinkable. Whatever God does flows from a character that is wholly good, and the difficulty lies in our understanding, not in His justice.
This is a vital instinct for every reader of Scripture. When God's ways unsettle us, the answer is not to suspect Him but to trust the goodness we have already seen in Him. The God revealed in Christ, who gave His Son for the undeserving, cannot be charged with injustice. Paul will go on to explain, but he begins where faith always must: certain that God is righteous, even before we see how.
Romans 9:14 in the Original Language
adikia (ἀδικία), 'unrighteousness' -- injustice or wrongdoing, here flatly denied of God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Romans 9:14
What does Romans 9:14 mean?
Anticipating the objection that God's choosing seems unfair, Paul rejects it outright.