Romans 3:4 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Romans 3:2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

Romans 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

Romans 3:4 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.

Romans 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)

Romans 3:6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "justified", "forbid", "true", "liar", "written", "thou", "mightest", and "sayings". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "justified" and "forbid", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For what if some did not believe..." into verse 5's "But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness...", so "justified" and "forbid" 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 "justified" and "forbid" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.