Bible Strands
Romans 11:36
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Roman church at the close of his extended argument on Israel’s temporary hardening and God’s sovereign mercy in Romans 11. He immediately follows verse 35’s rhetorical question about who could give to God first by declaring divine sovereignty over all creation.
The words — The text uses ἐξ (ex, from), δι᾽ (di, through), and εἰς (eis, to) to frame every created thing as originating in, sustained by, and directed toward Him. ὅτι (hoti) introduces this declaration as the logical conclusion to the preceding argument.
The thread — The text explicitly links to 1 Corinthians 8:6 (from whom and for whom we exist) and Hebrews 2:10 (for whom and through whom all things exist). These passages share the same structural pattern of tracing all things to God as source, means, and end.
Why it lands — The text states that no action precedes God’s initiative and that every outcome ultimately returns to Him. It requires the reader to abandon claims of prior merit and respond with worship that matches the preceding argument about unmerited mercy.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Cross-references
- Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- 1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.
- Hebrews 2:10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- 1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
- Romans 16:27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
- Acts 17:28 ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
- 1 Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all.
- Acts 17:25 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
- Jude 1:25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
- Psalms 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness.