Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

Romans 9:18

Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

KJV

ἄρα οὖν ὃν θέλει ἐλεεῖ, ὃν δὲ θέλει σκληρύνει.

Greek NT

Ergo cujus vult miseretur, et quem vult indurat.

Vulgate

So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.

ASV

Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will. And whom he will, he hardeneth.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

7 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
θέλω
thelo
verb · 208×
οὖν
oun
conjunction · 489×
σκληρύνω
skleruno
verb · 6×
ἄρα
ara
particle · 36×
ἐλεέω
eleeo
verb · 31×
ὅς
os
relative_pronoun · 1404×

Historic Christian voices

11 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren. Calvin shows Paul's anguish over Israel's rejection, but insists that God's word has not failed. Not all who descend from Israel are Israel. God's purpose according to election stands: Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. The potter has power over the clay to make one vessel unto honour and another unto d…
God foreknows nothing contingently, but He foresees, purposes, and does all things according to His own immutable, eternal and infallible will. This thunderbolt throws free will flat, and utterly shatters it. Those who want to assert free will must either deny this thunderbolt, or pretend not to notice it, or find some other way of dodging it.
God said to Moses: "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." Here God is said to harden when He does not soften, but rather continues to act upon the already hard heart. God does not work evil in us — that is, He does not create fresh evil — but He carries along by His omnipotence the evil will which He finds in us. Since God moves and actuates all in all, He necessarily moves and acts …
Preface of Rufinus. Reader, remember me in your prayers, that we too may deserve to be made emulators of the spirit. The two former books on The Principles I translated not only at your instance, but even under pressure from you during the days of Lent; but as you, my devout brother Macarius, were not only living near me during that time, but had more leisure at your command th…
Canons of Dort · 2 passages
The fact that some receive from God the gift of faith within time, and that others do not, stems from his eternal decree. "Known to God from eternity are all his works" (Acts 15:18). "He who works out everything according to the counsel of his will" (Eph. 1:11). In accordance with this decree God graciously softens the hearts, however hard, of the elect and inclines them to bel…
The Synod rejects the errors of those who teach that it was not on the basis of his just will alone that God decided to leave anyone in the fall of Adam and in the common state of sin and condemnation or to pass anyone by in the communication of grace necessary for faith and conversion. For these words stand firm: "He has mercy on whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills" (R…
God has decreed in Himself from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things whatsoever come to pass. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glorious grace; others being left to act in their s…

Cross-references

  • 2Thess 2:10 — And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
  • Acts 19:9 — But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
  • Acts 28:26 — Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
  • Deut 2:30 — But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.
  • Deut 7:7 — The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
  • Exod 4:21 — And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not le
  • Exod 4:21 — And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not le
  • Exod 7:13 — And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
  • Isa 43:13 — Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
  • Isa 63:17 — O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
  • John 12:40 — He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
  • Josh 11:20 — For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, a
  • Josh 11:20 — For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, a
  • Rom 1:24 — Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
  • Rom 3:5 — But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
  • Rom 5:20 — Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
  • Rom 9:15 — 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.
  • Rom 9:15 — 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.
  • Rom 9:21 — Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
  • Rom 11:7 — What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
  • Rom 11:7 — What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.