Romans 9:30

Romans 9:30 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
• New International Version (NIV)What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
• English Standard Version (ESV)What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
• New King James Version (NKJV)What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;

Context of Romans 9:30

28The Lord will carry out his sentence on the land, completely and decisively.” 29This is what Isaiah predicted: “If the Lord of Armies hadn’t left us some descendants, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.” So what can we say? We can say that non-Jewish people who were not trying to gain God’s approval won his approval, an approval based on faith. 31The people of Israel tried to gain God’s approval by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings, but they did not reach their goal. 32Why? They didn’t rely on faith to gain God’s approval, but they relied on their own efforts. They stumbled over the rock that trips people.

Romans 9:30 word by word

Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὅτι ἔθνη τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην κατέλαβεν δικαιοσύνην, δικαιοσύνην δὲ τὴν ἐκ πίστεως·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• shall we sayἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• Thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• which followedδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• notμήmē · notG3361
• righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• have attained toκαταλαμβάνωkatalambanō · to graspG2638
• evenδέde · thenG1161
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for Romans 9:30

• Romans 9:14What can we say—that God is unfair? That’s unthinkable!
• Romans 3:5But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I’m arguing the way humans would.)
• Romans 1:18God’s anger is revealed from heaven against every ungodly and immoral thing people do as they try to suppress the truth by their immoral living.
• Romans 4:11Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God.
• Romans 10:20Isaiah said very boldly, “I was found by those who weren’t looking for me. I was revealed to those who weren’t asking for me.”
• Isaiah 65:1I was ready to answer those who didn’t ask. I was found by those who weren’t looking for me. I said, “Here I am! Here I am!” to a nation that didn’t worship me.
• 1 Corinthians 6:9Don’t you know that wicked people won’t inherit God’s kingdom? Stop deceiving yourselves! People who continue to commit sexual sins, who worship false gods, those who commit adultery, homosexuals,
• Ephesians 2:12Also, at that time you were without Christ. You were excluded from citizenship in Israel, and the pledges ⌞God made in his⌟ promise were foreign to you. You had no hope and were in the world without God.
• Ephesians 4:17So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord’s name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things.
• 1 Peter 4:3You spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. You were promiscuous, had sinful desires, got drunk, went to wild parties, and took part in the forbidden worship of false gods.
• Romans 9:31The people of Israel tried to gain God’s approval by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings, but they did not reach their goal.
• Proverbs 15:9The way of wicked people is disgusting to the Lord, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.
• Proverbs 21:21Whoever pursues righteousness and mercy will find life, righteousness, and honor.
• Isaiah 51:1Listen to me, you people who pursue what is right and seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were dug.
• 1 Timothy 6:11But you, man of God, must avoid these things. Pursue what God approves of: a godly life, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
• Romans 1:17God’s approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.”

Commentaries on Romans 9:30

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 30What shall we say then? - What is the final conclusion to be drawn from all these prophecies, facts, and reasonings? This: That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, etc. This, with the succeeding verses, together with what belongs to the same subject in the beginning of the following chapter, I have explained at large in the notes on Romans 1:17, to which I must refer the reader; and shall content myself in this place with Dr. Taylor's…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. 1-33n this section, Paul addresses a serious question. Many Jews did not believe in Jesus. If God had promised salvation to Israel, how could Jesus truly fulfill God’s plan when so few Jews believed (9:1–5)? In response, Paul uses the Old Testament to show that God always planned to save only a remnant, that is, a smaller group within Israel (9:6–29). Paul also explains that many Jews did not accept Christ because they refused to trust in him (9:30–10:21)…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. 3030. What then, etc. That he might cut off from the Jews every occasion of murmuring against God, he now begins to show those causes, which may be comprehended by human minds, why the Jewish nation had been rejected. But they do what is absurd and invert all order, who strive to assign and set up causes above the secret predestination of God, which he has previously taught us is to be counted as the first cause. But as this is superior to all other causes…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 9:30

• Gentiles
• Justification
• Predestination
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Continual
• Fault
• Resist
• Attain
• Bible, the
• Election
• Paul, the Apostle
• Romans, Epistle to the
• Salvation

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