Romans 10:9

Authorized King James Version

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That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Original Language Analysis

ὅτι That G3754
ὅτι That
Strong's: G3754
Word #: 1 of 23
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
ἐὰν if G1437
ἐὰν if
Strong's: G1437
Word #: 2 of 23
a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty
ὁμολογήσῃς thou shalt confess G3670
ὁμολογήσῃς thou shalt confess
Strong's: G3670
Word #: 3 of 23
to assent, i.e., covenant, acknowledge
ἐν in G1722
ἐν in
Strong's: G1722
Word #: 4 of 23
"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc
τῷ G3588
τῷ
Strong's: G3588
Word #: 5 of 23
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
στόματί mouth G4750
στόματί mouth
Strong's: G4750
Word #: 6 of 23
the mouth (as if a gash in the face); by implication, language (and its relations); figuratively, an opening (in the earth); specially, the front or e
σου thine G4675
σου thine
Strong's: G4675
Word #: 7 of 23
of thee, thy
κύριον the Lord G2962
κύριον the Lord
Strong's: G2962
Word #: 8 of 23
supreme in authority, i.e., (as noun) controller; by implication, master (as a respectful title)
Ἰησοῦν Jesus G2424
Ἰησοῦν Jesus
Strong's: G2424
Word #: 9 of 23
jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites
καὶ and G2532
καὶ and
Strong's: G2532
Word #: 10 of 23
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
πιστεύσῃς shalt believe G4100
πιστεύσῃς shalt believe
Strong's: G4100
Word #: 11 of 23
to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e., credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to ch
ἐν in G1722
ἐν in
Strong's: G1722
Word #: 12 of 23
"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc
τῇ G3588
τῇ
Strong's: G3588
Word #: 13 of 23
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καρδίᾳ heart G2588
καρδίᾳ heart
Strong's: G2588
Word #: 14 of 23
the heart, i.e., (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle
σου thine G4675
σου thine
Strong's: G4675
Word #: 15 of 23
of thee, thy
ὅτι That G3754
ὅτι That
Strong's: G3754
Word #: 16 of 23
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
ὁ G3588
ὁ
Strong's: G3588
Word #: 17 of 23
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
θεὸς God G2316
θεὸς God
Strong's: G2316
Word #: 18 of 23
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
αὐτὸν him G846
αὐτὸν him
Strong's: G846
Word #: 19 of 23
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ἤγειρεν hath raised G1453
ἤγειρεν hath raised
Strong's: G1453
Word #: 20 of 23
to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e., rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from
ἐκ from G1537
ἐκ from
Strong's: G1537
Word #: 21 of 23
a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct
νεκρῶν the dead G3498
νεκρῶν the dead
Strong's: G3498
Word #: 22 of 23
dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun)
σωθήσῃ· thou shalt be saved G4982
σωθήσῃ· thou shalt be saved
Strong's: G4982
Word #: 23 of 23
to save, i.e., deliver or protect (literally or figuratively)

Analysis & Commentary

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved—This is Christianity's most famous conversion formula. Homologeō (ὁμολογέω) means "confess, acknowledge publicly, declare allegiance." The confession's content: kyrion Iēsoun (κύριον Ἰησοῦν, "Jesus is Lord")—the earliest Christian creed (1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11). "Lord" (kyrios, κύριος) is the LXX translation of Yahweh; confessing Jesus as kyrios is a declaration of His deity and universal sovereignty.

Pisteuō en tē kardia (πιστεύω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, "believe in the heart") is internal conviction, not mere intellectual assent (James 2:19). The heart (kardia, καρδία) in Hebraic thought is the volitional center—mind, will, affections united. The belief's content: that God hath raised him from the dead—the historical Resurrection as objective fact (1 Cor 15:14-17). Faith and confession are distinguished but inseparable—genuine heart-belief inevitably produces mouth-confession. Thou shalt be saved (sōthēsē, σωθήσῃ)—future passive, emphasizing God's saving action in response to faith-confession.

Historical Context

"Jesus is Lord" was a politically dangerous confession in the Roman Empire, where Caesar claimed divine honors and "Lord" (kyrios) was an imperial title. Christians faced persecution for refusing to say "Caesar is lord" and burn incense to the emperor. This confession cost many their lives (Rev 2:13; martyrdom accounts). In Jewish contexts, calling Jesus "Lord" (Yahweh) was blasphemy to unbelievers but the heart of Christian orthodoxy. The early church's baptismal liturgies centered on this confession.

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