Romans 3 · Verse 7

Romans 3:7

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
Romans 3:7, King James Version

Romans 3:7 in other translations

BSBHowever, if my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?
WEBFor if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
ASVBut if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
YLTfor if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged?
DARBYFor if the truth of God, in my lie, has more abounded to his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
BBEBut if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner?
WebsterFor if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie to his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

What does Romans 3:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 3:7-8
7-8. For if the truth of God, &c.--A further illustration of the same sentiment: that is, "Such reasoning amounts to this--which indeed we who preach salvation by free grace are slanderously accused of teaching--that the more evil we do, the more glory will redound to God; a damnable principle." (Thus the apostle, instead of refuting this principle, thinks it enough to hold it up to execration, as one that shocks the moral sense). On this brief section, Note (1) Mark the place here assigned to the Scriptures. In answer to the question, "What advantage hath the Jew?" or, "What profit is there of circumcision?" (Ro 3:1) those holding Romish views would undoubtedly have laid the stress upon the priesthood, as the glory of the Jewish economy. But in the apostle's esteem, "the oracles of God" were the jewel of the ancient Church (Ro 3:1, 2). (2) God's eternal purposes and man's free agency, as also the doctrine of salvation by grace and the unchanging obligations of God's law, have ever been subjected to the charge of inconsistency by those who will bow to no truth which their own reason cannot fathom. But amidst all the clouds and darkness which in this present state envelop the divine administration and many of the truths of the Bible, such broad and deep principles as are here laid down, and which shine in their own luster, will be found the sheet-anchor of our faith. "Let God be true, and every man a liar" (Ro 3:4); and as many advocates of salvation by grace as say, "Let us do evil that good may come," "their damnation is just" (Ro 3:8).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 7. For if, etc. This is an objection similar to the former. It is indeed but another form of the same.

The truth of God. His truth or faithfulness in adhering to his threatenings. God threatened to punish the guilty. By their guilt he will take occasion to show his own truth; or their crime will furnish occasion for such an exhibition.

Hath more abounded. Has been more striking, or more manifest. His truth will be shown by the fulfillment of all his promises to his people, and of all his predictions. But it will also be shown by fulfilling his threatenings on the guilty. It will, therefore, more abound by their condemnation; that is, their condemnation will furnish new and striking instances of his truth. Every lost sinner will be, therefore, an eternal monument of the truth of God.

Through my lie. By means of my lie, or as one of the results of my falsehood. The word lie here means falsehood, deceitfulness, unfaithfulness. If by the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people to the covenant, occasion should be given to God to glorify himself, how could they be condemned for it? Unto his glory. To his praise, or so as to show his character in such a way as to excite the praise and admiration of his intelligent creation.

Why yet am I, etc. How can that act be regarded as evil, which tends to promote the glory of God? The fault in the reasoning of the objector is this, that he takes for granted that the direct tendency of his conduct is to promote God's glory, whereas it is just the reverse; and it is by God's reversing that tendency, or overruling it, that he obtains his glory. The tendency of murder is not to honour the law, or to promote the security of society, but just the reverse. Still, his execution shall avert the direct tendency of his crime, and do honour to the law and the judge, and promote the peace and security of the community by restraining others.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 Jew. For if the truth of God, etc. - But to resume my reasoning (Rom 3:5): If the faithfulness of God in keeping his promise made to our fathers is, through our unfaithfulness, made far more glorious than it otherwise would have been, why should we then be blamed for that which must redound so much to the honor of God?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Romans 3:1-8

The law could not save in or from sins, yet it gave the Jews advantages for obtaining salvation. Their stated ordinances, education in the knowledge of the true God and his service, and many favours shown to the children of Abraham, all were means of grace, and doubtless were made useful to the conversion of many. But especially the Scriptures were committed to them. Enjoyment of God's word and ordinances, is the…

Read the full comment on Romans 3:1-8 →

Romans 3:7 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἰeiIfG1487
δὲdehoweverG1161
ἡhētheG3588
ἀλήθειαalētheiatruthG225
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtō<the>G3588
ἐμῷemōmyG1473
ψεύσματιpseusmatilieG5582
ἐπερίσσευσενeperisseusenaboundedG4052
εἰςeistoG1519
τὴνtēntheG3588
δόξανdoxangloryG1391
αὐτοῦ,autouof Him,G846
τίtiwhyG5101
ἔτιetistillG2089
κἀγὼkagōalso I myselfG1473
ὡςhōsasG5613
ἁμαρτωλὸςhamartōlosa sinnerG268
κρίνομαι;krinomaiam judged?G2919

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Romans 3:7

  • Romans 3:4

    God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

  • Romans 9:19-20

    Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 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?

  • Acts 13:27-29

    For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

  • 2 Kings 8:10-15

    And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die. And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. …

  • Isaiah 10:6-7

    I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

  • Matthew 26:34

    Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

  • Matthew 26:69-75

    Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
if the truth.
Ge 37:8,9,20; 44:1-14; 50:18-20; Ex 3:19; 14:5,30
1Ki 13:17,18,26-32; 2Ki 8:10-15; Mt 26:34,69-75
why yet.
9:19,20; Isa 10:6,7; Ac 2:23; 13:27-29

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Romans 3:6

    God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

  • Romans 3:7

    For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

  • Romans 3:8

    And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Read all of Romans 3

Romans 3:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Empero si la verdad de Dios por mi mentira creció á gloria suya, ¿por qué aun así yo soy juzgado como pecador?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car si la vérité de Dieu dans mon mensonge a abondé pour sa gloire, pourquoi moi aussi suis-je encore jugé comme pécheur?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn wenn die Wahrheit Gottes durch meine Lüge überströmender geworden ist zu seiner Herrlichkeit, warum werde ich auch noch als Sünder gerichtet?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si enim veritas Dei in meo mendacio abundavit in gloriam ipsius: quid adhuc et ego tamquam peccator judicor?