ROM 3:21 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:21–31: God makes people righteous when they believe in Jesus

In this section Paul explained God’s plan for rescuing wrongdoers and making them right with himself. God did this by sending Jesus Christ to stand in the place of every wrongdoer and take the punishment that every wrongdoer deserves. So then, when a person believes in Jesus as the one who has taken the punishment on his behalf, God makes that person right with himself. In this way God remains true to his righteous character, for wrongdoing has been punished.

Since God did that, believers cannot boast in themselves. Paul also said that this faith in Jesus supports the law of Moses.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

Righteousness Through Faith (NIV)

How We Are Put Right with God (GNT)

God Gives Us His Approval as a Gift (GW)

God’s Way of Accepting People (CEV)

3:21a

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed,

¶ But now the righteousness from God has been shown that does not depend on the law of Moses,
¶ But recently God has shown how he will make people right with himself. It is not the Jewish law that makes them right.

But now: This phrase introduces a new topic that contrasts with obeying the law of Moses. It may also indicate a new period of time. It introduces Jesus dying on the cross and God resurrecting him, which occurred about twenty-five years before Paul wrote this letter. Consider how to translate that meaning in your language. For example:

But at this timeUma Back Translation on TW.

apart from the law: This phrase indicates that the law of Moses does not help people get this righteousness of God that he has revealed through Jesus. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

It has nothing to do with law (GNT)

without keeping the requirements of the law (NLT)

not on the basis of obeying the laws of Moses

But we do not become straight in his sight from our following the Lord’s Law.Uma Back Translation on TW.

the righteousness of God has been revealed: The word revealed means that, by what Jesus did, God showed people how they can be righteous before God without following the law of Moses.

This clause is passive. Some languages must translate it as an active clause. For example:

God has shown us a way to be made right with him (NLT)

God has a way to make people right with him…and he has now shown us that way (NCV)

the righteousness of God: There are three ways to interpret the Greek word ending that the BSB translates as of:

Here it indicates that God makes people right in their relationship with him. For example:
a way to be made right with him (NLT) (GNT, NJB, NLT, GW, CEV, NCV)
Here it indicates that God enables believers to behave in right ways. For example:
a righteousness from God (NIV84) (NIV84)
Here it refers to the righteousness that God has. This is the natural way to interpret the meaning of the word of in English here. For example:
the righteousness of God (REB) (BSB, ESV, RSV, NIV11, NASB, KJV, NABRE, NET, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because many scholars and versions support it.For example, Cranfield (page 202) says it is “as…in 1:17,…a status of righteousness before God….” Morris (page 173) says it is “the right standing that comes from God.”

Here are other ways to translate this phrase according to interpretation (1):

how God does make us acceptable to him (CEV)

God has a way to make people right with him (NCV)

3:21b

as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

but the law of Moses and the prophets spoke about it.
The books of the Laws of Moses and the Prophets tell about this way of making people right.

as attested by the Law and the Prophets: The Greek is literally “being testified to by the law and the prophets.” The words in the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets) do not help people get the righteousness of God. But some of those words speak about this righteousness.

There is an implied contrast in this phrase. For example:

even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it (GNT)

In some languages it is more natural not to translate the contrast. For example:

to which the Law and the Prophets testify (NIV)

as was promised in the Law and the Prophets

The Law and the Prophets tell of it.

attested: This word means “report what one saw.” The word is often used where the person is expected to be truthful and accurate. Here are other ways to translate this word:

testify (NIV)

told us about (NCV)

the Law and the Prophets: Here this phrase refers to the whole Old Testament. In some languages the meaning of this phrase would not be clear. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain it in the text. For example:

the books of the Laws of Moses and the books of the Prophets

the books of the Laws of Moses and the Prophets

the Prophets: Prophets are people who speak on behalf of God. God’s message may be in words or visions. The prophets then tell the people God’s message. See how you translated this word in 1:2.

This phrase here implies the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament. In some languages it would be more natural or more clear to indicate that. For example:

the writings of…the prophets (NLT)

the writings of the past that God caused…the prophets to writeTagbanwa Back Translation on TW.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

νυνὶ δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: νυνί Δέ χωρίς νόμου δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται μαρτυρουμένη ὑπό τοῦ νόμου καί τῶν προφητῶν)

But now here indicates that what follows is in contrast to Paul’s discussion about the law in [2:1–3:20](../02/01.md). Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: [Yet now]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου, δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases. Alternate translation: [But now, the righteousness of God has been made known apart from the law]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

νόμου & τοῦ νόμου

law & the law

While the first occurrence of the law in this verse refers to the laws that God gave the Jews through Moses, the second occurrence refers to the first five books in the Old Testament that were written by Moses. The ULT shows this difference by using the law and the Law respectively. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [the laws that God gave Israel … the part of Scripture that Moses wrote]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

χωρὶς νόμου

Here, apart from the law could mean: (1) apart from doing what the law requires. Alternate translation: [without having to do what the law requires] (2) outside of what the law says. Alternate translation: [not related to what the law says] or [differently than what the law says]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται

˓the˒_righteousness ˱of˲_God ˓has_been˒_revealed

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 did the action, Paul implies that “God” did it. Alternate translation: [God has made his righteousness visible] or [God has revealed his righteousness]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ

˓the˒_righteousness ˱of˲_God

See how you translated this phrase in [1:17](../01/17.md).

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν

˓being˒_attested (Some words not found in SR-GNT: νυνί Δέ χωρίς νόμου δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται μαρτυρουμένη ὑπό τοῦ νόμου καί τῶν προφητῶν)

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. Alternate translation: [the Law and the Prophets bearing witness]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν

Here Paul uses the Law and the Prophets as if they were people who could witness or testify in a courtroom. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [what God says in the Law and the Prophets is a written testimony to this]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν

Paul is using the name of two parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets, to represent the entire Hebrew Scriptures in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [in your Scriptures]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

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.

OET interlinear ROM 3:21

SR Greek word order

Section 3:21–31: God makes people righteous when they believe in Jesus

3:21a

3:21b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)