Romans 3:21

Romans 3:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
• New International Version (NIV)But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
• New King James Version (NKJV)But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

Context of Romans 3:21

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed – 22namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:21 word by word

νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ πεφανέρωται μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• nowνυνίnuni · nowG3570
• the righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• withoutχωρίςchōris · withoutG5565
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• is manifestedφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• being witnessedμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• byὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396

Cross-references for Romans 3:21

• Romans 1:17For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.”
• Romans 5:19For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous.
• Romans 10:3For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
• Genesis 15:6Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty.
• Isaiah 45:24they will say about me, “Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’” All who are angry at him will cower before him.
• Isaiah 46:13I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away; I am bringing my salvation near, it does not wait. I will save Zion; I will adorn Israel with my splendor.”
• Isaiah 51:8For a moth will eat away at them like clothes; a clothes moth will devour them like wool. But the vindication I provide will be permanent; the deliverance I give will last.”
• Isaiah 54:17No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed; you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. This is what the Lord will do for his servants – I will vindicate them,” says the Lord.
• Isaiah 61:10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; I will be overjoyed because of my God. For he clothes me in garments of deliverance; he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would; I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.
• Jeremiah 23:5“I, the Lord, promise that a new time will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David. He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land.
• Jeremiah 33:16Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety and Jerusalem will live in security. At that time Jerusalem will be called “The Lord has provided us with justice.”
• Daniel 9:24“Seventy weeks have been determined concerning your people and your holy city to put an end to rebellion, to bring sin to completion, to atone for iniquity, to bring in perpetual righteousness, to seal up the prophetic vision, and to anoint a most holy place.
• Acts 15:11On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:30He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
• 2 Corinthians 5:21God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.
• Galatians 5:5For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness.

Commentaries on Romans 3:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21But now the righteousness of God - God's method of saving sinners is now shown, by the Gospel, to be through his own mere mercy, by Christ Jesus; without the law - without any right or claim which might result from obedience to the law; and is evidently that which was intended by God from the beginning; for it is witnessed by the law and the prophets - the rites and ceremonies of the one, and the preachings and predictions of the others, all bearing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21But now - The apostle, having shown the entire failure of all attempts to be justified by the “Law,” whether among Jews or Gentiles, proceeds to state fully the plan of justification by Jesus Christ in the gospel. To do this, was the main design of the Epistle, Romans 1:17. He makes, therefore, in the close of this chapter, an explicit statement of the nature of the doctrine; and in the following parts of the Epistle he fully proves it, and illustrates…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-26Verses 21-26 Must guilty man remain under wrath? Is the wound for ever incurable? No; blessed be God, there is another way laid open for us. This is the righteousness of God; righteousness of his ordaining, and providing, and accepting. It is by that faith which has Jesus Christ for its object; an anointed Saviour, so Jesus Christ signifies. Justifying faith respects Christ as a Saviour, in all his three anointed offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-22After a long discussion about the power of sin (1:18–3:20), Paul returns to the main idea in 1:17, which is how to be in a right relationship with God (literally the righteousness of God). In 1:17, “the righteousness of God” is the way that God puts people in right relationship with himself. apart from the law: The old covenant looked ahead to God’s righteousness being revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ. Through Christ, God fulfilled the law for us…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2621-23. But now the righteousness of God--(See on Ro 1:17). without the law--that is, a righteousness to which our obedience to the law contributes nothing whatever (Ro 3:28; Ga 2:16). is manifested, being witnessed--attested. by the law and the prophets--the Old Testament Scriptures. Thus this justifying righteousness, though new, as only now fully disclosed, is an old righteousness, predicted and foreshadowed in the Old Testament.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 3:21

• Bigotry
• Boasting
• Catholicity
• Justification
• Law
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Boasting
• Conclude
• Destruction
• Establish
• Faith
• Justifier
• Overcome
• Sin

Commentaries on Romans 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• 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