The place of these verses in Paul’s argument is to underscore the fact that a man does not have the right to question God’s actions.

My friend (so also An American Translation*, cf. New American Bible) is literally “O man” (cf. 2.1).

But who are you … to talk back to God? may be rendered as “but who do you think you are that you can talk back to God?” or “but how is it that you think you are so big (or important) that you can talk back to God?” or “… that you can object to what God has decided?”

Has the right may be translated as “is permitted to” or “is allowed to.” In some languages this may be equivalent to some form of the auxiliary “can” or “may,” both of which in English express certain aspects of permission and possibility.

The phrases for special occasions and for ordinary use are rendered in a number of ways in different translations, but the contrast is between a pot that is reserved for some special function and one in everyday use.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .