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Selected Verse: Romans 9:19 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Ro 9:19	King James	Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Thou shalt say then unto me, Why--"Why then" is the true reading. doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted--"Who resisteth" his will?--that is, "This doctrine is incompatible with human responsibility"; If God chooses and rejects, pardons and punishes, whom He pleases, why are those blamed who, if rejected by Him, cannot help sinning and perishing? This objection shows quite as conclusively as the former the real nature of the doctrine objected to--that it is Election and Non-election to eternal salvation prior to any difference of personal character; this is the only doctrine that could suggest the objection here stated, and to this doctrine the objection is plausible. What now is the apostle's answer? It is twofold. First: "It is irreverence and presumption in the creature to arraign the Creator."

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Thou shalt say then unto me, Why--"Why then" is the true reading.

doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted--"Who resisteth"

his will?--that is, "This doctrine is incompatible with human responsibility"; If God chooses and rejects, pardons and punishes, whom He pleases, why are those blamed who, if rejected by Him, cannot help sinning and perishing? This objection shows quite as conclusively as the former the real nature of the doctrine objected to--that it is Election and Non-election to eternal salvation prior to any difference of personal character; this is the only doctrine that could suggest the objection here stated, and to this doctrine the objection is plausible. What now is the apostle's answer? It is twofold. First: "It is irreverence and presumption in the creature to arraign the Creator."

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Thou wilt say then unto me - The apostle here refers to an objection that might be made to his argument. If the position which he had been endeavoring to establish were true; if God had a purpose in all his dealings with people; if all the revolutions among people happened according to his decree, so that he was not disappointed, or his plan frustrated; and if his own glory was secured in all this, why could he blame people? Why doth he yet find fault? - Why does he blame people, since their conduct is in accordance with his purpose, and since he bestows mercy according to his sovereign will? This objection has been made by sinners in all ages. It is the standing objection against the doctrines of grace. The objection is founded, (1) On the difficulty of reconciling the purposes of God with the free agency of man. (2) it assumes, what cannot be proved, that a plan or purpose of God must destroy the freedom of man. (3) it is said that if the plan of God is accomplished, then what is best to be done is done, and, of course, man cannot be blamed. These objections are met by the apostle in the following argument. Who hath resisted his will? - That is, who has "successfully opposed" his will, or frustrated his plan? The word translated "resist" is commonly used to denote the resistance offered by soldiers or armed men. Thus, Eph 6:13, "Take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand (resist or successfully oppose) in the evil day:" see Luk 21:15, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist;" see also Act 7:10; Act 13:8, "But Elymas ...withstood them, etc." The same Greek word, Rom 13:2; Gal 2:11. This does not mean that no one has offered resistance or opposition to God, but that no one has done it successfully. God had accomplished his purposes "in spite of" their opposition. This was an established point in the sacred writings, and one of the admitted doctrines of the Jews. To establish it had even been a part of the apostle's design; and the difficulty now was to see how, this being admitted, people could be held chargeable with crime. That it was the doctrine of the Scriptures, see Ch2 20:6, "In thine hand "is there not" power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?" Dan 4:35, "he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" See also the case of Joseph and his brethren, Gen 50:20, "As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good."

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Thou wilt say then unto me - The apostle here refers to an objection that might be made to his argument. If the position which he had been endeavoring to establish were true; if God had a purpose in all his dealings with people; if all the revolutions among people happened according to his decree, so that he was not disappointed, or his plan frustrated; and if his own glory was secured in all this, why could he blame people?

Why doth he yet find fault? - Why does he blame people, since their conduct is in accordance with his purpose, and since he bestows mercy according to his sovereign will? This objection has been made by sinners in all ages. It is the standing objection against the doctrines of grace. The objection is founded,

(1) On the difficulty of reconciling the purposes of God with the free agency of man.

(2) it assumes, what cannot be proved, that a plan or purpose of God must destroy the freedom of man.

(3) it is said that if the plan of God is accomplished, then what is best to be done is done, and, of course, man cannot be blamed. These objections are met by the apostle in the following argument.

Who hath resisted his will? - That is, who has "successfully opposed" his will, or frustrated his plan? The word translated "resist" is commonly used to denote the resistance offered by soldiers or armed men. Thus, Eph 6:13, "Take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand (resist or successfully oppose) in the evil day:" see Luk 21:15, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist;" see also Act 7:10; Act 13:8, "But Elymas ...withstood them, etc." The same Greek word, Rom 13:2; Gal 2:11. This does not mean that no one has offered resistance or opposition to God, but that no one has done it successfully. God had accomplished his purposes "in spite of" their opposition. This was an established point in the sacred writings, and one of the admitted doctrines of the Jews. To establish it had even been a part of the apostle's design; and the difficulty now was to see how, this being admitted, people could be held chargeable with crime. That it was the doctrine of the Scriptures, see Ch2 20:6, "In thine hand "is there not" power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?" Dan 4:35, "he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" See also the case of Joseph and his brethren, Gen 50:20, "As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good."

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
Hath resisted (ἀνθέστηκεν) Rev., more correctly, with-standeth. The idea is the result rather than the process of resistance. A man may resist God's will, but cannot maintain his resistance. The question means, who can resist him?

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]

Hath resisted (ἀνθέστηκεν)

Rev., more correctly, with-standeth. The idea is the result rather than the process of resistance. A man may resist God's will, but cannot maintain his resistance. The question means, who can resist him?

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Why doth he still find fault - The particle still is strongly expressive of the objector's sour, morose murmuring. For who hath resisted his will - The word his likewise expresses his surliness and aversion to God, whom he does not even deign to name.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]

Why doth he still find fault - The particle still is strongly expressive of the objector's sour, morose murmuring. For who hath resisted his will - The word his likewise expresses his surliness and aversion to God, whom he does not even deign to name.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Why doth he yet find fault? - The apostle here introduces the Jew making an objection similar to that in Rom 3:7 : If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, that is, if God's faithfulness is glorified by my wickedness, why yet am I also judged as a sinner? Why am I condemned for that which brings so much glory to him? The question here is: If God's glory be so highly promoted and manifested by our obstinacy, and he suffers us to proceed in our hardness and infidelity, why does he find fault with us, or punish us for that which is according to his good pleasure?

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

Why doth he yet find fault? - The apostle here introduces the Jew making an objection similar to that in Rom 3:7 : If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, that is, if God's faithfulness is glorified by my wickedness, why yet am I also judged as a sinner? Why am I condemned for that which brings so much glory to him? The question here is: If God's glory be so highly promoted and manifested by our obstinacy, and he suffers us to proceed in our hardness and infidelity, why does he find fault with us, or punish us for that which is according to his good pleasure?

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