Audio commentary on this verse

Note 6 at Rom. 3:4: This is the first of ten times that Paul uses this expression in the book of Romans (here; Rom. 3:6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11). He also uses this expression three other times in his other epistles (1 Cor. 6:15; Gal. 2:17; 6:14).

The Greek words that are used are "me ginomai" meaning "let it not be! far be it! God forbid!" and express emphatic denial of the false conclusion that someone might draw from his teaching.

Note 7 at Rom. 3:4: This phrase "let God be true, but every man a liar" is given in response to the question of verse 3 (see note 5 at Rom. 3:3, above). Paul is stating that God and His promises are always true even if men don't believe Him. However, there can be other applications of this truth which will benefit us greatly.

When anyone or anything contradicts a promise to us in God's Word, we need to reckon God to be true and that person or thing to be lying. We need to believe that what God's Word says about our prosperity is true (2 Cor. 8:9; 3 Jn. 2) instead of what our checkbook says. We need to believe that we [were] healed by His stripes (Isa. 53:5; Mt. 8:17; 1 Pet. 2:24) instead of believing what the x-rays show. In every aspect of our lives, we need to believe God's Word above what we see or hear.

Note 8 at Rom. 3:4: This is a quotation from David out of Psalm 51:4 when he was repenting of his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. David was admitting his sinfulness and proclaiming God's complete justification in judging his sin in whatever way He saw fit. David's sin had not made God unholy, it made him unholy. In David's sinfulness, he now saw the holiness of God clearer than ever.

This is what Paul is drawing from this Old Testament passage. He was saying that in a similar manner, God retained His holiness even when His people were unholy. It was the Jews who suffered from not believing God's Word, not God.