Romans 11:33–36
Paul stops in awe at the depth of God's wisdom
Study it word by word33O the depth of the riches and of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways!
34For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counselor?
35Or who has given in advance to him so that it will be repaid to him?
36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
In its context
31so they too have now been disobedient, so that, by the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy.
32For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that he may have mercy on all.
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Its words in the original
- ὮŌ· O
O!
- βάθοςbathos· depth
Depth; the deep.
- πλούτουploutou· wealth
Riches, wealth.
- σοφίαςsophias· wisdom
Wisdom.
- γνώσεωςgnōseōs· knowledge
Knowledge.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἀνεξεραύνηταanexeraunēta· unsearchable
Unsearchable: what cannot be searched out to the bottom.
- κρίματαkrimata· judgment
Judgment, verdict; also condemnation.
- ἀνεξιχνίαστοιanexichniastoi· untraceable
Untraceable: what cannot be traced or followed out.
- ὁδοὶhodoi· way, road
Way, road; journey; also way of life.
- ἔγνωegnō· know
Know, come to know, realize. Said of a man and a woman, have sexual relations.
- νοῦνnoun· mind, understanding
Mind, understanding: the ability to think and judge; also a way of thinking or a purpose.
- κυρίουkyriou· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- σύμβουλοςsymboulos· counselor
Counselor, adviser: someone who gives advice.
- ἐγένετοegeneto· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- προέδωκενproedōken· give first
Give first, give in advance to someone.
- ἀνταποδοθήσεταιantapodothēsetai· repay
Repay, give back in return, reward or punish.
- δόξαdoxa· glory
Glory: splendor, honor, the weight of God's presence.
- αἰῶναςaiōnas· age
Age: a long period of the world's time; "forever", literally "into the ages".
- ἀμήνamēn· truly, amen
Amen: a Hebrew word meaning "so it is", "it is firm". Jesus uses it at the start of a saying to affirm what he is about to say: "truly".