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ESV“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
NIVWho has ever given to God, that God should repay them?'
NASBOr WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM, THAT IT WOULD BE PAID BACK TO HIM?
CSBAnd who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid?
NLTAnd who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?
KJVOr who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.
The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible Copyright© 1960 - 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.
Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission.
Paul's hymn about how God is vastly unknowable began with a declaration about the depth of three things: His riches, wisdom, and knowledge. That poem continued with three questions about what we can know of God and what He needs from us. The first two of those questions were in the previous verse.
This is the third one, perhaps pulled from Job 41:11: Who has given a gift to God that God needs to pay back? In other words, who could ever give to God anything valuable enough that God would be in their debt? Paul is underlining the hard truth that God simply does not need us. He needs nothing from us, and does not require our existence. He will exist in completeness for eternity no matter what we do or don't do in response to Him. He owes us nothing.
That's not necessarily a comforting thought. This, however, is reassuring: the God who owes us nothing has given to us every good thing (James 1:17). Even better, the God who owes us nothing has given Himself to us in the form of Christ Jesus. In the context of Romans 11, He has shown us baffling mercy instead of the punishment we deserve for our sin, based only on our faith in Christ.
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THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.
The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible Copyright© 1960 - 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.
Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright© 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission.