God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
God forbid {G3361}{G1096}: yea {G1161}, let {G1096} God {G2316} be {G1096} true {G227}, but {G1161} every {G3956} man {G444} a liar {G5583}; as {G2531} it is written {G1125}, That {G3704} thou mightest {G302} be justified {G1344} in {G1722} thy {G4675} sayings {G3056}, and {G2532} mightest overcome {G3528} when {G1722} thou {G4571} art judged {G2919}.
Heaven forbid! God would be true even if everyone were a liar! — as the Tanakh says,
“so that you, God, may be proved right in your words
and win the verdict when you are put on trial.”
Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.
-
Psalms 51:4
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest. -
Psalms 116:11
I said in my haste, All men [are] liars. -
Galatians 2:17
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, [is] therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. -
Hebrews 6:18
That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: -
Deuteronomy 32:4
[He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he. -
Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; -
Job 36:3
I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
Romans 3:4 (KJV): "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."
Context
Romans Chapter 3 continues Paul's argument regarding the universal need for justification through faith, regardless of whether one is Jew or Gentile. Verses 1-2 address potential objections about the advantage of being Jewish, while verse 3 acknowledges that some Jews were unfaithful. Verse 4 is a strong rebuttal to the idea that human unfaithfulness could somehow nullify or diminish God's faithfulness or truth. It emphatically asserts God's absolute truthfulness against the backdrop of universal human untrustworthiness, quoting from the Old Testament (specifically, Psalm 51:4, from the Septuagint translation) to support this claim about God's vindication.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "God forbid" translates the Greek mē genoito, a very strong negative interjection meaning "May it never be!" or "Certainly not!" It powerfully dismisses the possibility that human unfaithfulness could negate God's truth. The contrast between "let God be true" and "every man a liar" uses the Greek word alēthēs (true) for God and pseustēs (liar) for man, highlighting the fundamental difference between divine fidelity and human deceitfulness or unreliability.
Reflection
Romans 3:4 provides a foundational truth for our faith: God's character is unchangingly true and faithful, regardless of our circumstances or the unfaithfulness of others. This offers immense security and hope. It reminds us that while we are flawed and often fail, God remains steadfastly true to His promises and His nature. This truth is crucial for understanding our need for a Savior, because if "every man is a liar," then no human source of truth or righteousness is sufficient; our hope must rest entirely on the truth and faithfulness of God himself, demonstrated perfectly in Jesus Christ.