Romans 9:20
in Romans 9But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?
KJV
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
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This verse in Romans 9
Commentary
5 notes on this verseIn the same way the potter, too, has it in his power, by tempering the blast of his fire, to modify his clayey material into a stiffer one, and to mould one form after another more beautiful than the original substance, and now possessing both a kind and name of its own. For although the Scripture says, "Shall the clay say to the potter? " that is, Shall man contend with God? although the apostle speaks of "earthen vessels" he refers to man, who was originally clay.
This site's exposition
why does God still find fault
on Romans 9:19-21
The objector presses the obvious complaint. If God hardens, why does He still find fault, and who can resist His will? Paul answers with the potter and the clay, the picture drawn at Jeremiah 18:1 to 6, where a thing formed does not question the one who formed it and the potter holds the right over the same lump of clay.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God?.... Or "answerest again to God": some have been so weak and wicked as to suggest, that the apostle met with an objection he could not answer, or give a fair solution of, and therefore takes the method he does: but when the several things returned in answer by the apostle are considered, it will appear that he has taken the wisest method to silence such an audacious objector, and that he abundantly clears God from the charge of cruelty and unmercifulness.
God is our master, and we are his servants; and it does not become servants to answer again, Tit. ii. By resolving all into the divine sovereignty. We are the thing formed, and he is the former; and it does not become us to challenge or arraign his wisdom in ordering and disposing of us into this or that shape of figure.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Nay but, O man, who art thou - As if he had said: Weak, ignorant man, darest thou retort on the infinitely good and righteous God? Reflect on thyself; and tell me, after thou hast abused the grace of God, and transgressed his laws, wilt thou cavil at his dispensations? God hath made, created, formed the Jewish nation; and shall the thing formed, when it hath corrupted itself, pretend to correct the wise and gracious Author of its being, and say, Why hast thou made me thus? Why hast thou constituted me in this manner?
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὦ | o | O | G5599 → | 17 times |
| ἄνθρωπε, | anthrope | man, | G444 → | 549 times |
| μενοῦνγε, | menounge | but rather, | G3304 → | |
| σὺ | su | you yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| τίς | tis | who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| εἶ | ei | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνταποκρινόμενος | antapokrinomenos | is answering against | G470 → | |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεῷ; | theo | to God? | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| μὴ | me | Not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἐρεῖ | erei | will say | G4483 → | 46 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλάσμα | plasma | thing formed | G4110 → | |
| τῷ | to | to the [One] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλάσαντι· | plasanti | having formed [it]; | G4111 → | |
| τί | ti | Why | G5101 → | 563 times |
| με | me | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐποίησας | epoiesas | did you make | G4160 → | 569 times |
| οὕτως; | houtos | like this? | G3779 → | 208 times |
ὦO
oG5599 →17 times
ἄνθρωπε,man,
anthropeG444 →549 times
μενοῦνγε,but rather,
menoungeG3304 →
σὺyou yourself
suG4771 →2973 times
τίςwho
tisG5101 →563 times
εἶare
eiG1510 →2333 times
ὁwho
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀνταποκρινόμενοςis answering against
antapokrinomenosG470 →
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
θεῷ;to God?
theoG2316 →1312 times
μὴNot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἐρεῖwill say
ereiG4483 →46 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πλάσμαthing formed
plasmaG4110 →
τῷto the [One]
toG3588 →19766 times
πλάσαντι·having formed [it];
plasantiG4111 →
τίWhy
tiG5101 →563 times
μεme
meG3165 →1936 times
ἐποίησαςdid you make
epoiesasG4160 →569 times
οὕτως;like this?
houtosG3779 →208 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 64:8But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- Psalms 119:73
Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn Your commandments.
- Jeremiah 18:2–6
“Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will reveal My message to you.”
- Psalms 138:8
The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever— do not abandon the works of Your hands.
- Psalms 100:3
Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
- Ephesians 2:10
Through
Isaiah 29:16You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of…
it leads to
- Romans 9:19–21
One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
- Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
- Romans 9:19–21
Through
Job 40:2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:16
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 2:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Romans

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, sermons on Romans 9; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh.
