language · Rom 9:19; Rom 9:20; Rom 9:21; Rom 9:22; Rom 9:23; Rom 9:24 · ✓ Approved

τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι … ὁ κεραμεύς … σκεύη ὀργῆς κατηρτισμένα (9:19–24)

Says The objector asks why God still finds fault, τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν; "For who can resist His will?" (9:19, BSB; lex.G1013, lex.G436). Paul answers with a question: who are you to talk back to God (ἀνταποκρινόμενος, 9:20; lex.G470)?

Says The potter (ὁ κεραμεύς, kerameus) has authority over the clay (τοῦ πηλοῦ) to make from the same lump (φύραμα, phyrama) one vessel (σκεῦος) for honor and another for dishonor (9:21; lex.G2763, lex.G4081, lex.G5445, lex.G4632).

Uncertain μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι (9:20; lex.G4110, lex.G4111) is the LXX wording of Isa 29:16, where Swete's text adds αὐτό (vol. 3, p. 152, scan; ℵ A Q Γ omit it); compare Isa 45:9. An echo is likely but not certain; see the Hebrew records.

Says God endured σκεύη ὀργῆς (skeuē orgēs, "vessels of wrath") with much patience (9:22; lex.G3709, lex.G3115), to make known his glory on σκεύη ἐλέους, ἃ προητοίμασεν εἰς δόξαν, "whom He prepared in advance for glory" (9:23, BSB), from Jews and Gentiles (9:24).

Uncertain κατηρτισμένα εἰς ἀπώλειαν (katērtismena, 9:22; lex.G2675), a perfect participle, can be middle, "having prepared themselves," or passive, "prepared for destruction" (BSB), agent unnamed; Abbott-Smith lists it as passive. Wesley and Arminius take the self-prepared sense, Augustine and Calvin God's preparing. It differs from the active προητοίμασεν with God as subject (9:23; lex.G4282). The form settles neither who prepares nor the theological conclusion; the team takes no lean. Views: note.language.Rom.9.14-Rom.9.18.eleos-sklerynei.

Claims

SaysThe objector asks why God still blames, since no one resists his will; Paul answers that the one formed may not talk back to the one who formed it (9:19–20).
SaysThe potter has authority to make from the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor (9:21).
UncertainWhether 9:20 echoes Isa 29:16 (and 45:9), whose LXX wording it shares; lean: it does.
SaysGod endured vessels of wrath with patience and prepared vessels of mercy beforehand for glory, from Jews and Gentiles (9:22–24).
UncertainWhether κατηρτισμένα is middle ('having prepared themselves') or passive ('prepared'), set against the active προητοίμασεν; no team lean on the theological conclusion.

Citations

Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. καταρτίζω (Ro 9:22) — to prepare
LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Isa 29:16 (vol. 3, p. 152, checked on the scan; overlay ovl.lxx-swete.Isa.29.16.2) — μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι (LXX (Swete), CC BY-SA 4.0)
Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain on Rom 9:22, p. 405 (by reference; not quoted) (self-prepared sense)
Arminius, Works 3 (1853) public domain Analysis of Romans 9, vol. 3, p. 563 (by reference; not quoted) (self-prepared sense)
Augustine, C. du. ep. Pel. (NPNF¹ 5) public domain C. duas ep. Pel. II.15, p. 398 (by reference; not quoted) (God's preparing)
Calvin, Romans (Owen) public domain section "Romans 9:22-23" (by reference; not quoted) (God's preparing)

Sources SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain BSB public domain LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Arminius, Works 3 (1853) public domain Augustine, C. du. ep. Pel. (NPNF¹ 5) public domain Calvin, Romans (Owen) public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-11-04

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