Romans 15:9
in Romans 15so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, Therefore will I give praise unto thee among the Gentiles, And sing unto thy name.
KJV
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
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This verse in Romans 15
Commentary
15 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And that the Gentiles ... - The benefits of the gospel were not to be confined to “the Jews;” and as God “designed” that those benefits should be extended to the “Gentiles,” so the Jewish converts ought to be willing to admit them and treat them as brethren. That God “did” design this, the apostle proceeds to show. Might glorify God - Might “praise,” or give thanks to God. This implies that the favor shown to them was a “great” favor. For his mercy - Greek, On account of the mercy shown to them.
This site's exposition
just as Christ accepted you
on Romans 15:7-9
The chapter comes down to one command, accept one another just as Christ accepted you. Christ became a servant of the circumcised to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, so Gentile praise rests on promises kept to Israel. Jew and Gentile glorify one God.
This site's exposition
so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy
The first of four quotations is Psalm 18:49. Wesley hears in it Gentiles and Jews joining in the worship of the God of Israel. Chrysostom reads mercy as the whole claim of the Gentiles, who held no promises, so their debt of praise is larger.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
It is written in the seventeenth psalm [LXX] that the Gentiles will be admitted to the grace of God in order to receive salvation. For this is the voice of Christ, which predicted what would happen in the future.
"And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy." But what he means is this. Those of the Jews would have had promises, even though they were unworthy. But thou hadst not this even, but wast saved from love towards man alone, even if, to put it at the lowest, they too would not have been the better for the promises, unless Christ had come. But yet that he might amalgamate (or temper) them and not allow them to rise up against the weak, he makes mention of the promises. But of these he says that it was by mercy alone that they were saved. Hence they are the most bound to glorify God. And a glory it is to God that they be blended together, be united, praise with one mind, bear the weaker, neglect not the member that is broken off. Then he adds testimonies, in which he shows that the man of the Jews ought to blend himself with those of the Gentiles; and so he says, "As it is written, For this cause I will confess to Thee among the Gentiles, O Lord, and will sing unto Thy Name."
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
But the Gentiles honor God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will confess to you among the Gentiles, and I will sing to your name." And again he says: "Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people." And again: "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and magnify him, all you peoples." And Isaiah again says: "There shall be the root of Jesse, and he who shall arise to rule the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles hope."
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, but that the gentiles, he shows that even the gentiles were accepted by Christ: first, he states his proposition; second, he confirms it with an authority, at as it is written. First, therefore, he says: It has been stated that Christ …
Those who came from the Jews, although they were unworthy, nevertheless had the promises; but you, called from paganism, were saved by lovingkindness alone. Therefore you are especially obligated to glorify God. And God is glorified when you live in union and unity among yourselves, …
7 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
As it is written - In the eighteenth Psalm, here the gentiles and Jews are spoken of as joining in the worship of the God of Israel.
Those that were Lo-ammi--not a people, were Lo-ruhama--not obtaining mercy, Hos. i. The greatest mercy of God to any people is the receiving of them into covenant with himself: and it is good to take notice of God's mercy in receiving us. [2.] They shall have a heart for praise.
Christ, in and by his apostles and ministers, whom he sent to disciple all nations, did confess to God among the Gentiles. The exaltation of Christ, as well as the conversion of sinners, is set forth by the praising of God. Christ's declaring God's name to his brethren is called his praising God in the midst of the congregation, Ps. xxii.
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Now--"For" is the true reading: the apostle is merely assigning an additional motive to Christian forbearance.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy--A number of quotations from the Old Testament here follow, to show that God's plan of mercy embraced, from the first, the Gentiles along with the Jews. as it is written-- (Ps 18:49). I will confess to--that is, glorify thee among the Gentiles.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy - As the Jews were to glorify God for his truth, so the Gentiles were to glorify God for his mercy. The Jews received the blessings of the Gospel by right of promise, which promise God had most punctually and circumstantially fulfilled. The Gentiles had received the same Gospel as an effect of God’s mere mercy, having no right in consequence of any promise or engagement made with any of their ancestors, though they were originally included in the covenant made with Abraham; and the prophets had repeatedly declared that they should be made equal partakers of those blessings with the Jews themselves; as the apostle proceeds to prove. I will confess to thee among the Gentiles - This quotation is taken from Psa 18:49, and shows that the Gentiles had a right to glorify God for his mercy to them; and we shall see the strength of this saying farther, when we consider a maxim of the Jews delivered in Megillah, fol. 14: “From the time that the children of Israel entered into the promised land, no Gentile had any right to sing a hymn of praise to God. But after that the Israelites were led into captivity, then the Gentiles began to have a right to glorify God.” Thus the Jews themselves confess that the Gentiles have a right to glorify God; and this on account of being made partakers of his grace and mercy. And if, says Schoettgen, we have a right to glorify God, then it follows that our worship must be pleasing to him; and if it be pleasing to him, then it follows that this worship must be good, otherwise God could not be pleased with it. Dr. Taylor gives a good paraphrase of this and the three following verses: As you Jews glorify God for his truth, so the Gentiles have a right to join with you in glorifying God for his mercy. […]
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | and [for] | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἔθνη | ethne | the Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| ὑπὲρ | huper | for | G5228 → | 155 times |
| ἐλέους | eleous | mercy | G1656 → | 27 times |
| δοξάσαι | doxasai | to glorify | G1392 → | 61 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸν | theon | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| καθὼς | kathos | even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| γέγραπται· | gegraptai | it has been written: | G1125 → | 189 times |
| διὰ | dia | Because of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τοῦτο | touto | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἐξομολογήσομαί | exomologesomai | I will praise | G1843 → | |
| σοι | soi | You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐν | en | among | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἔθνεσιν | ethnesin | [the] Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀνόματί | onomati | name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| σου | sou | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ψαλῶ. | psalo | will I sing. | G5567 → |
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
δὲand [for]
deG1161 →2765 times
ἔθνηthe Gentiles
ethneG1484 →161 times
ὑπὲρfor
huperG5228 →155 times
ἐλέουςmercy
eleousG1656 →27 times
δοξάσαιto glorify
doxasaiG1392 →61 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεὸνGod
theonG2316 →1312 times
καθὼςeven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
γέγραπται·it has been written:
gegraptaiG1125 →189 times
διὰBecause of
diaG1223 →664 times
τοῦτοthis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
ἐξομολογήσομαίI will praise
exomologesomaiG1843 →
σοιYou
soiG4771 →2973 times
ἐνamong
enG1722 →2738 times
ἔθνεσιν[the] Gentiles
ethnesinG1484 →161 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
ὀνόματίname
onomatiG3686 →227 times
σουof You
souG4771 →2973 times
ψαλῶ.will I sing.
psaloG5567 →
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
Matthew 9:8When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
it leads to
- Luke 7:16
A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”
- Matthew 15:31
The crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
- Acts 4:21
After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened.
- Luke 7:16
Through
Romans 3:29Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
it leads to
- Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
- Zechariah 2:11
“On that day many nations will join themselves to the LORD, and they will become My people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me…
- Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
- Galatians 3:25–29
Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
- Colossians 3:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this verse
On this chapter
About Romans
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 28; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.