English Standard Version
Romans 9:31
31but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
Romans 9:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
- New International Version (NIV)but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.
- New King James Version (NKJV)but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.
Context of Romans 9:31
29And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah." 30What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
Read all of Romans 9Romans 9:31 word by word
Ἰσραὴλ δὲ διώκων νόμον δικαιοσύνης εἰς νόμον οὐκ ἔφθασεν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 9:31
- Romans 9:30What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
- Romans 10:2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
- Galatians 3:21Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.
- Philippians 3:6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
- Romans 3:20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
- Romans 4:14For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
- Romans 11:7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
- Galatians 3:10For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them."
- Galatians 5:3I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
- James 2:10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
Commentaries on Romans 9:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31But Israel, which followed after - But the Jews, who have hitherto been the people of God, though they have been industrious in observing a rule by which they supposed they could secure the blessings of God's peculiar kingdom, yet have not come up to the true and only rule by which those blessings can be secured.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 30-33Verses 30-33 The Gentiles knew not their guilt and misery, therefore were not careful to procure a remedy. Yet they attained to righteousness by faith. Not by becoming proselytes to the Jewish religion, and submitting to the ceremonial law; but by embracing Christ, and believing in him, and submitting to the gospel. The Jews talked much of justification and holiness, and seemed very ambitious to be the favourites of God. They sought, but not in the right…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31who pursued a law of righteousness: The phrase law of righteousness is an idiom. It means trying to become righteous by obeying the law. Paul is describing people who believed that careful law-keeping could put them in a right relationship with God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 30-3130-31. What shall we say then?--"What now is the result of the whole?" The result is this--very different from what one would have expected. That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained--"attained" to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith--As we have seen that "the righteousness of faith" is the righteousness which justifies (see on Ro 3:22, &c.), this verse must mean that "the Gentiles, who while strangers to Christ…Read the comment
- Calvin’s Commentaries · v. 3131. But Israel, by pursuing, etc. Paul openly states what seemed incredible, — that it was no wonder that the Jews gained nothing by sedulously following after righteousness; for by running out of the way, they wearied themselves in vain. But in the first place it seems to me that the law of righteousness is here an instance of transposition, and means the righteousness of the law; (There seems to be no necessity for this transposition. “A law (not the…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 9:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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