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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

Romans 9:15

God said to Moses, "I will have loving-kindness and loving-pity for anyone I want to."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God Continued...;   Grace of God;   Predestination;   Quotations and Allusions;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Election;   Mercy of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Election;   Jonah;   Mission;   Pharaoh;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Compassion;   Covenant;   Jonah, Theology of;   Mercy;   Providence of God;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Calvinists;   Decrees of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sovereignty;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Lot (1);   Old Testament;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Compassion;   Election;   Justification;   Mercy, Merciful;   Predestination;   Romans, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Evil;   Paul the Apostle;   Plagues of Egypt;   Predestination;   Romans, Epistle to the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Election;   Mercy;   Mercy ;   Pity Compassion;   Repentance;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Elect;   Esau;   Plagues of egypt;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Compassion;   Predestination;   Quotations, New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
King James Version (1611)
For hee saith to Moses, I will haue mercy on whom I wil haue mercie, and I will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion.
King James Version
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
English Standard Version
For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
New American Standard Bible
For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOMEVER I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL SHOW COMPASSION TO WHOMEVER I SHOW COMPASSION."
New Century Version
God said to Moses, "I will show kindness to anyone to whom I want to show kindness, and I will show mercy to anyone to whom I want to show mercy."
Amplified Bible
For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOMEVER I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOMEVER I HAVE COMPASSION."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."
Legacy Standard Bible
For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
Berean Standard Bible
For He says to Moses: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
Contemporary English Version
The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to.
Complete Jewish Bible
For to Moshe he says, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will pity whom I pity."
Darby Translation
For he says to Moses, I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy, and I will feel compassion for whom I will feel compassion.
Easy-to-Read Version
God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I want to show mercy to. I will show pity to anyone I choose."
Geneva Bible (1587)
For he saith to Moses, I wil haue mercy on him, to whom I wil shew mercie: and wil haue compassion on him, on who I wil haue copassion.
George Lamsa Translation
For he said to Moses also, I will have mercy on him whom I love, and I will have compassion on him whom I favor.
Good News Translation
For he said to Moses, "I will have mercy on anyone I wish; I will take pity on anyone I wish."
Lexham English Bible
For to Moses he says, "I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion."
Literal Translation
For He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will pity whomever I will pity." Ex. 33:19
American Standard Version
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
Bible in Basic English
For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and pity on whom I will have pity.
Hebrew Names Version
For he said to Moshe, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
International Standard Version
For he says to Moses, "I will be merciful to the person I want to be merciful to, and I will be kind to the person I want to be kind to."Exodus 33:19">[fn]Exodus 33:19;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
behold, also, he said unto Musha, I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.
Murdock Translation
Behold, to Moses also he said: I will have pity, on whom I will have pity; and I will be merciful, to whom I will be merciful.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For he sayth to Moyses: I wyll shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy: And wyll haue compassion, on whom I haue compassion.
English Revised Version
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
World English Bible
For he said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Weymouth's New Testament
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
God forbede. For he seith to Moyses, Y schal haue merci on whom Y haue merci; and Y schal yyue merci on whom Y schal haue merci.
Update Bible Version
For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
Webster's Bible Translation
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
New English Translation
For he says to Moses: " I will have mercy on whom I have mercy , and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion ."
New King James Version
For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." Exodus 33:19">[fn]
New Living Translation
For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose."
New Revised Standard
For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, unto Moses, he saith - I will have mercy upon whomsoever I can have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whomsoever I can have compassion.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For he saith to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy.
Revised Standard Version
For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For he sayth to Moses: I will shewe mercye to who I shewe mercy: and will have compassion on whom I have copassion.
Young's Literal Translation
for to Moses He saith, `I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For he sayeth vnto Moses: I shewe mercy, to whom I shewe mercy: and haue copassion,
Mace New Testament (1729)
God forbid. for he saith to Moses, "I will show favour to whom I will show favour, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Simplified Cowboy Version
God said to Moses, "I'll show mercy to whoever I want. I'll give compassion to anyone I choose."

Contextual Overview

14 What about it then? Can we say that God is not fair? No, not at all! 15 God said to Moses, "I will have loving-kindness and loving-pity for anyone I want to." 16 These good things from God are not given to someone because he wants them or works to get them. They are given because of His loving-kindness. 17 The Holy Writings say to Pharaoh, "I made you leader for this reason: I used you to show My power. I used you to make My name known over all the world." 18 So God has loving-kindness for those He wants to. He makes some have hard hearts if He wants to. 19 But you will ask me, "Why does God blame men for what they do? Who can go against what God wants?" 20 Who are you to talk back to God? A pot being made from clay does not talk to the man making it and say, "Why did you make me like this?" 21 The man making the pots has the right to use the clay as he wants to. He can make two pots from the same piece of clay. One can have an important use. The other one can be of little use. 22 It may be that God wants to show His power and His anger against sin. He waits a long time on some men who are ready to be destroyed. 23 God also wanted to show His shining-greatness to those He has given His loving-kindness. He made them ready for His shining-greatness from the beginning.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will have: Romans 9:16, Romans 9:18, Romans 9:19, Exodus 33:19, Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7, Isaiah 27:11, Micah 7:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:16 - the Lord Nehemiah 9:17 - gracious Psalms 31:16 - save Psalms 101:1 - I will sing Ecclesiastes 7:13 - who Isaiah 30:18 - therefore Lamentations 3:37 - saith Ezekiel 16:6 - Live Matthew 20:13 - I do Matthew 20:15 - it Luke 4:25 - many Acts 9:6 - Arise Acts 11:17 - as God Ephesians 2:4 - his 2 Timothy 1:18 - mercy Hebrews 10:28 - without James 1:18 - his own

Cross-References

Genesis 9:8
Then God said to Noah and his sons,
Genesis 9:10
and with every living thing that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every animal of the earth, of all that came out of the large boat, every living thing on earth.
Exodus 28:12
Put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the linen vest, as stones for the family groups of Israel to be remembered. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the Lord, to be remembered.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know then that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God. He keeps His promise and shows His loving-kindness to those who love Him and keep His Laws, even to a thousand family groups in the future.
1 Kings 8:23
He said, "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below. You are keeping Your agreement and are showing loving-kindness to Your servants who walk in Your ways with all their heart.
Nehemiah 9:32
"So now, our God, the great and powerful God, honored with fear, Who keeps His agreement and loving-kindness, do not let all this trouble look small in Your eyes which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our religious leaders, our men who tell what will happen, our fathers, and on all Your people since the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
Psalms 106:45
He remembered His agreement because of them, and took pity on them by the greatness of His loving-kindness.
Jeremiah 14:21
For the good of Your name do not hate us. Do not put to shame the throne of Your shining-greatness. Remember and do not break Your agreement with us.
Ezekiel 16:60
"But I will remember My agreement which I made with you when you were young. And I will make an agreement with you that lasts forever.
Luke 1:72
He would show loving-kindness to our early fathers. He would remember His holy promise.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For he saith to Moses,.... That is, God said to Moses. The apostle goes on to answer to the above objections, by producing some testimonies out of the writings of Moses, in favour of both branches of predestination; showing, that the doctrine he had advanced, was no other than what God himself had delivered to Moses, whose name and writings were in great esteem with the Jews, whereby the apostle might hope to give full satisfaction in this point. The first passage he cites, is in Exodus 33:19.

And will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. This is produced, in favour of special, particular, and personal election, and to clear it from any charge of unrighteousness; and by it, it appears, that God bestows his grace and mercy in time, on such persons he has willed and determined from all eternity to bestow it; this, is clear from hence, for since all this is dependent on his will, it must be as this was his will from eternity, seeing no new will can possibly arise in God, God wills nothing in time, but what he willed before time; that this grace and mercy are shown only to some persons, and that the only reason of this is his sovereign will and pleasure, and not the works and merits of men; wherefore since this grace and mercy rise out of his own free good will and pleasure, and are by no means the creature's due, it most clearly follows, that God in determining to bestow his grace and mercy, and in the actual doing of it, whilst he determines to deny it, and does deny it to others, cannot possibly be chargeable with any unrighteousness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For he saith to Moses - Exodus 33:19.

I will have mercy - This is said by God when he declared expressly that he would make all his goodness pass before Moses Exodus 33:19, and when, therefore, it was regarded, not as a proof of stern and inexorable justice, but as “the very proof of his benevolence,” and the highest which he thought proper to exhibit. When people, therefore, under the influence of an unrenewed and hosthe heart, charge this as an unjust and arbitrary proceeding, they are resisting and perverting what God regards as the very demonstration of his benevolence. The sense of the passage clearly is, that he would choose the objects of his favor, and bestow his mercies as he chose. None of the human race deserved his favor; and he had a right to pardon whom he pleased, and to save people on his own terms, and according to his sovereign will and pleasure.

On whom I will have mercy - On whom I choose to bestow mercy. The mode he does not explain. But there could not be a more positive declaration of these truths,

  1. That he does it as a sovereign, without giving an account of the reason of his choice to any.

(2)That he does it without regard to any claim on the part of man; or that man is regarded as destitute of merit, and as having no right to his mercy.

(3)That he will do it to any extent which he pleases, and in whatever time and manner may best accord with his own good pleasure.

(4)That he has regard to a definite number and that on that number he intends to bestow eternal life; and,

  1. That no one has a right to complain.

It is proof of his benevolence that any are saved; and where none have a claim, where all are justly condemned, he has a right to pardon whom he pleases. The executive of a country may select any number of criminals whom he may see fit to pardon, or who may be forgiven in consistency with the supremacy of the laws and the welfare of the community and none has a right to complain, but every good citizen should rejoice that any may be pardoned with safety. So in the moral world, and under the administration of its holy Sovereign, it should be a matter of joy that any can be pardoned and saved; and not a subject of murmuring and complaint that those who shall finally deserve to die shall be consigned to woe.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 9:15. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy, c.] The words of God to Moses, Exodus 33:19, show that God has a right to dispense his blessings as he pleases for, after he had declared that he would spare the Jews of old, and continue them in the relation of his peculiar people, when they had deserved to have been cut off for their idolatry, he said: I will make all my goodness pass before thee; and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. As if he had said: I will make such a display of my perfections as shall convince you that my nature is kind and beneficent; but know, that I am a debtor to none of my creatures. My benefits and blessings are merely from my own good will: nor can any people, much less a rebellious people, challenge them as their due in justice or equity. And therefore I now spare the Jews; not because either you, who intercede for them or they themselves have any claim upon my favour, but of my own free and sovereign grace I choose to show them mercy and compassion. I will give my salvation in my own way and on my own terms. He that believeth on my Son Jesus shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned. This is God's ultimate design; this purpose he will never change; and this he has fully declared in the everlasting Gospel. This is the grand DECREE of reprobation and election.


 
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