God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be {e} justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome {f} when thou art judged.

(e) That your justice might be plainly seen.

(f) Seeing that you showed forth an true token of your righteousness, steadfastness and faith, by preserving him who had broken his covenant.

People's New Testament

3:4 God forbid. The Greek means, literally, Not so. It does not follow that God is unfaithful, because he rejects unbelieving Israel, for his covenant with Israel and his promise to Abraham were conditional.

Let God be true, but every man a liar. That is, Let us believe all men to have broken their word, rather than God his.

As it is written. See Ps 51:4. One of the penitential psalms, in which David mourns over his own sins.

That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings. God's sayings, his threatenings, are justified by his judgments. They were in the case of David. They were also in the rejection of the Jewish nation, in spite of the promise, when it had rejected the Holy One of Israel.

Wesley's Notes

3:4 Psalm 2:4.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. God forbid-literally, "Let it not be," that is, "Away with such a thought"-a favorite expression of our apostle, when he would not only repudiate a supposed consequence of his doctrine, but express his abhorrence of it. "The Scriptures do not authorize such a use of God's name as must have been common among the English translators of the Bible" [Hodge].

yea, let God be-held

true, and every man a liar-that is, even though it should follow from this that every man is a liar.

when thou art judged-so in Ps 51:4, according to the Septuagint; but in the Hebrew and in our version, "when thou judgest." The general sentiment, however, is the same in both-that we are to vindicate the righteousness of God, at whatever expense to ourselves.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:1-8 The law could not save in or from sins, yet it gave the Jews advantages for obtaining salvation. Their stated ordinances, education in the knowledge of the true God and his service, and many favours shown to the children of Abraham, all were means of grace, and doubtless were made useful to the conversion of many. But especially the Scriptures were committed to them. Enjoyment of God's word and ordinances, is the chief happiness of a people. But God's promises are made only to believers; therefore the unbelief of some, or of many professors, cannot make this faithfulness of no effect. He will fulfil his promises to his people, and bring his threatened vengeance upon unbelievers. God's judging the world, should for ever silence all doubtings and reflections upon his justice. The wickedness and obstinate unbelief of the Jews, proved man's need of the righteousness of God by faith, and also his justice in punishing for sin. Let us do evil, that good may come, is oftener in the heart than in the mouth of sinners; for few thus justify themselves in their wicked ways. The believer knows that duty belongs to him, and events to God; and that he must not commit any sin, or speak one falsehood, upon the hope, or even assurance, that God may thereby glorify himself. If any speak and act thus, their condemnation is just.