Romans 9:18 BSB — MannaFest

Romans 9:18

Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.

KJV

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

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Commentary

2 voices

Origen of Alexandria

COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS (253)

But as for what he says, "Therefore he has mercy on whom he wills, and whom he wills he hardens," he seems to take it from what is written in Exodus. For there he says: "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he may not let the people go." Now Pharaoh's heart was hardened in this way. God was unwilling to bring upon him a sudden and full vengeance.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Had he mercy on the Gentiles? It was because he would have mercy on them. It was because it was his own pleasure to deny them softening grace, and to give them up to their chosen affected unbelief.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will - This is the apostle’s conclusion from the facts already laid down: that God, according to his own will and wisdom, in perfect righteousness, bestows mercy; that is to say, his blessings upon one part of mankind, (the Jews of old, and the Gentiles of the present time), while he suffers another part (the Egyptians of old, and the Jews of the present day) to go on in the abuse of his goodness and forbearance, hardening themselves in sin, till he brings upon them a most just and exemplary punishment, unless this be prevented by their deep repentance and general return to God through Jesus the promised, the real Messiah.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

9 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἄρα	ara	So	G686 →
οὖν	oun	then	G3767 →
ὃν	hon	to whom	G3739 →
θέλει	thelei	He wants	G2309 →
ἐλεεῖ,	eleei	He shows mercy,	G1653 →
ὃν	hon	whom	G3739 →
δὲ	de	now	G1161 →
θέλει	thelei	He wants	G2309 →
σκληρύνει.¶	sklērunei	He hardens.	G4645 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Exodus 4:21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
leads to
- Exodus 14:8
  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
- Isaiah 63:17
  Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
- Joshua 11:20
  For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD…
- Exodus 7:13
  Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
- Exodus 9:12
  But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
Through
Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD…
leads to
- Deuteronomy 20:16–17
  However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
- Exodus 4:21
  The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
- Deuteronomy 7:16
  You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.