Romans 3:5 (DBY)

Passage

But if our unrighteousness commend God's righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak according to man.

Nearby Context

Romans 3:3 For what? if some have not believed, shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?

Romans 3:4 Far be the thought: but let God be true, and every man false; according as it is written, So that thou shouldest be justified in thy words, and shouldest overcome when thou art in judgment.

Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness commend God's righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak according to man.

Romans 3:6 Far be the thought: since how shall God judge the world?

Romans 3:7 For if the truth of God, in my lie, has more abounded to his glory, why yet am *I* also judged as a sinner?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "unrighteousness", "commend", "god's", "shall", "inflicts", and "wrath". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "unrighteousness" and "commend", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Far be the thought but let God..." into verse 6's "Far be the thought since how shall...", so "unrighteousness" and "commend" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "unrighteousness" and "commend" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.