New King James Version
Romans 3:21
21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
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 Living Translation (NLT)But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.
Context of Romans 3:21
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Read all of Romans 3Romans 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 in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
- Romans 5:19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
- Romans 10:3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
- Genesis 15:6And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
- Isaiah 45:24He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.
- Isaiah 46:13I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.
- Isaiah 51:8For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation.”
- Isaiah 54:17No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.
- Isaiah 61:10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
- Jeremiah 23:5“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
- Jeremiah 33:16In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
- Acts 15:11But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:30But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
- 2 Corinthians 5:21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- Galatians 5:5For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries