God’s Word Translation
Romans 9:31
31The people of Israel tried to gain God’s approval by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings, but they did not reach their goal.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
- New King James Version (NKJV)but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
Context of Romans 9:31
29This is what Isaiah predicted: “If the Lord of Armies hadn’t left us some descendants, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.” 30So 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. The 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. 33As Scripture says, “I am placing a rock in Zion that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive. Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.”
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 9:30So 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.
- Romans 10:2I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided.
- Galatians 3:21Does this mean, then, that the laws given to Moses contradict God’s promises? That’s unthinkable! If those laws could give us life, then certainly we would receive God’s approval because we obeyed them.
- Philippians 3:6When it comes to being enthusiastic, I was a persecutor of the church. When it comes to winning God’s approval by obeying Jewish laws, I was perfect.
- Romans 3:20Not one person can have God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures. These laws show what sin is.
- Romans 4:14If those who obey Moses’ Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless.
- Romans 11:7So what does all this mean? It means that Israel has never achieved what it has been striving for. However, those whom God has chosen have achieved it. The minds of the rest of Israel were closed,
- Galatians 3:10Certainly, there is a curse on all who rely on their own efforts because Scripture says, “Whoever doesn’t obey everything that is written in Moses’ Teachings is cursed.”
- Galatians 5:3Again, I insist that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised must realize that he obligates himself to do everything Moses’ Teachings demand.
- James 2:10If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them.
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
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