Romans 3:5 (YLT)

Passage

And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak)

Nearby Context

Romans 3:3 for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless?

Romans 3:4 let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, `That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.'

Romans 3:5 And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak)

Romans 3:6 let it not be! since how shall God judge the world?

Romans 3:7 for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged?

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "let it not be and let God..." into verse 6's "let it not be since how shall...", so "unrighteousness" and "god's" 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 "god's" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.