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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Rom C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
Rom 3 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31
OET (OET-LV) Because by works of_law, not will_be_being_justified any flesh before him, because/for through the_law is the_knowledge of_sin.
OET (OET-RV) No human will be declared guiltless in front of God by their keeping the law, because it’s the law that teaches what sin is.
In this section, Paul used quotations from the Old Testament to show that the Jews sin against God. They are not better than the Gentiles. God will hold them responsible for their sins. Paul also said that when someone follows the law of Moses, that does not make God say he is righteous.
Here are other possible headings for this section:
Both Jews and Gentiles sin
No One is Righteous (NIV)
Everyone has sinned
Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law.
because not one person will be declared right before God/him by his own efforts in following the laws of Moses,
For God/he will not call any person righteous/upright because that person has done what those laws require.
Therefore: There are three ways to interpret the Greek word here:
It introduces an explanation or a reason here. For example:
because (NCV) (ESV, RSV, GNT, NASB, NABRE, NLT, NET, REB, NCV)
It introduces a result. For example:
Therefore (NIV) (BSB, NIV, KJV)
It introduces something loosely connected to 3:19. For example:
So then (NJB) (NJB)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Moo (on TW) says: “This verse may give the reason why the whole world is accountable to God, or it may serve to confirm this accountability. The latter suggestion is best.” Morris (on TW) says: “Paul is not drawing a conclusion from the preceding (which would require ‘therefore’), but giving a reason for it (‘for’).” BDAG, Barrett, and Schreiner also support interpretation (1).
no one: The Greek is literally “not…all flesh.” Here “flesh” refers to people.
will be justified in His sight: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause here. For example:
that God/Jesus will justify
justified in His sight: The word justified indicates that God decides that a person is acceptable to him. He makes their relationship right. Here are other ways to translate this word:
put right in God’s sight (GNT)
made right with God (NLT)
declared righteous before him (NET)
See how you translated the word justified in 2:13, where the BSB translates it as “declared righteous.”
in His sight: This phrase is a figure of speech that indicates here that God considers believers to be right with him. It does not refer to God looking at someone. Some languages must translate without this figure of speech or with a different figure of speech. For example:
by him/God
before him (NET)
by works of the law: This phrase refers to a person’s own efforts to obey their laws. It probably refers to the Jews and the Laws of Moses.Moo, Morris, Cranfield, and Dunn understand it this way. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
doing what the Law requires (GNT)
with/by obeying the Laws of Moses
For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
for knowledge of sin/wrongdoing is by means of the laws.
Indeed, we know that we are sinful because we fail so often to obey the law.
For: The Greek conjunction here is usually translated as For. Here it introduces information that supports what Paul said in 3:20a.As Moo states in TW. Some scholars say it introduces the reason. But knowledge of sin or the fact that it comes through the law is not the basis or reason for not being justified through the law. For example:
since (ESV)
the law merely brings awareness of sin: The law of Moses shows people that they are sinners because they know that they do not obey it fully. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
knowledge of sin comes by means of the law
The law…shows us how sinful we are. (NLT)
brings: There is no Greek verb here. A Greek clause with no verb usually implies the verb “is/be” in an English translation. Here the clause indicates that people hear or read the law and realize how many ways there are to sin. See the examples above.
In this division Paul showed that God has made a way to rescue people from being punished for wrongdoing and put them in a right relationship with himself.
Here are other possible headings for this division:
God makes his people right with him
Our relationship with God because of Jesus
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
διότι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Διότι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὒ δικαιωθήσεται πάσα σάρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ διά γάρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας)
Here. because introduces a reason clause. Paul is stating the reason why all humanity is “accountable to God,” as stated in the previous verse. Use a natural way in your language to indicate a reason clause. You may need to begin a new sentence, as in the UST. Alternate translation: [The reason for this is that] or [As a result,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σὰρξ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Διότι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὒ δικαιωθήσεται πάσα σάρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ διά γάρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας)
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who will do the action, Paul implies that “God” will do it. Alternate translation: [God will not justify any flesh] or [God will not make any flesh righteous]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche
σὰρξ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Διότι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὒ δικαιωθήσεται πάσα σάρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ διά γάρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας)
Paul uses flesh figuratively to refer to a human being, who is made of flesh. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [human being]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
ἐξ ἔργων νόμου & διὰ & νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας
by works ˱of˲_law & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Διότι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὒ δικαιωθήσεται πάσα σάρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ διά γάρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας)
In this verse Paul speaks of the law as if it were a person who could justify someone or give them full awareness. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [by doing what God requires in his law … God gives full awareness of sin through his law]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
ἐξ ἔργων νόμου
by works ˱of˲_law
See how you translated a similar phrase in [2:15](../02/15.md).
Note 6 topic: grammar-collectivenouns
νόμου & νόμου
˱of˲_law & ˓the˒_law_‹is›
In this verse law is a singular noun that refers to a group of laws that God gave Israel by dictating them to Moses. It does not refer to the entire Old Testament, as in the previous verse. See how you translated this use of law in [2:12](../02/12.md).
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ
before him
Here, before him is an idiom meaning “in his presence.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom or use plain language. Alternate translation: [in his presence]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας
˓the˒_knowledge ˱of˲_sin
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of full awareness and sin, you could express the same ideas in a different way. Alternate translation: [fully aware of being sinful]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας
˓the˒_knowledge ˱of˲_sin
Paul is using the possessive form to describe full awareness about the sin a person has committed. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [full knowledge about sin]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
διὰ & νόμου
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Διότι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὒ δικαιωθήσεται πάσα σάρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ διά γάρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας)
Here, through law indicates the means by which a person becomes fully aware of sin. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [by means of law]
3:20 By doing what the law commands refers to obeying the requirements of the law of Moses. While this phrase refers to Jews, the principle extends to all people. If Jews cannot be put in right relationship with God by obeying the law God gave them, certainly other people cannot establish such a relationship through good deeds.
OET (OET-LV) Because by works of_law, not will_be_being_justified any flesh before him, because/for through the_law is the_knowledge of_sin.
OET (OET-RV) No human will be declared guiltless in front of God by their keeping the law, because it’s the law that teaches what sin is.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.