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Romans 9:15

“For to Moses he says: I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.”

Romans 9:15 · direct translation from the Greek
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With the Greek beneath

15

Quotation · Exodus 33:19

Go to Exodus 33:19

Paul quotes the second half of Exodus 33:19. Where the Hebrew says “I will show favor” and “I will have mercy,” Romans says “I will have mercy” and “I will have compassion.”

Formula: τῷ Μωϋσεῖ γὰρ λέγει “for to Moses he says” (Romans 9:15)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: τῷ Μωϋσεῖ γὰρ λέγει Ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ καὶ οἰκτιρήσω ὃν ἂν οἰκτίρω

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כָּל טוּבִי עַל פָּנֶיךָ וְקָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם יְהוָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם

Septuagint (Exodus 33:18-19 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ λέγει ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτόν. καὶ εἶπεν Ἐγὼ παρελεύσομαι πρότερός σου τῇ δόξῃ μου, καὶ λαλήσω ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου κύριος ἐναντίον σου· καὶ ἐλεήσω ὅν ἄν ἐλεῶ, καὶ ὃν ἀν’ οἰκτείρω.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “Ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ καὶ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Romans 9:15, word by word

to MosesΜωϋσεῖMōysei

Moses

Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt and received God's law.

Where else “Mōysei” appears
he saysλέγειlegei

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “legei” appears
I will have mercyἘλεήσωEleēsō

have mercy

Show mercy, take pity; in the passive, receive mercy.

Where else “Eleēsō” appears
I will have compassionοἰκτιρήσωoiktirēsō

have compassion

Have compassion, take pity on someone.

Where else “oiktirēsō” appears

Translation note

Exodus 33:19, according to the Greek.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Exodus 33:19

Paul quotes the second half of Exodus 33:19. Where the Hebrew says “I will show favor” and “I will have mercy,” Romans says “I will have mercy” and “I will have compassion.”

See them side by side

Romans 9:15

15For to Moses he says: I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.

Exodus 33:19

19And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of YHWH before you; and I will favor whom I favor, and I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.”

The context

14What then shall we say? There is no unrighteousness with God, is there? By no means!

15 · This verse (above)

16So then, it depends not on the one who wants nor on the one who runs, but on God who has mercy.

Read all of Romans 9

To study Romans 9 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    What does Paul feel for his people, the Israelites, and what does he say about them? (vv. 1-5)

  2. 2. What it means

    What does Paul's sorrow show us about how he saw his people? (vv. 1-3)

  3. 3. How I live it

    Paul grieved for people he loved. How can you accompany with care and respect someone you love who sees faith differently?

How to use it