ROM 3:23 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. πάντες
2. pas
3. all
4. -
5. 39560
6. S····NMP
7. all
8. all
9. -
10. Y60; F106484; F106490
11. 106480
1. Γάρ
2. gar
3. For/Because
4. because
5. 10630
6. C·······
7. for
8. for
9. S
10. Y60
11. 106481
1. ἥμαρτον
2. hamartaō
3. sinned
4. sinned
5. 2640
6. VIAA3··P
7. sinned
8. sinned
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106482
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. and
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106483
1. ὑστεροῦνται
2. hustereō
3. are being fallen short
4. -
5. 53020
6. VIPP3··P
7. ˓are_being˒ fallen_short
8. ˓are_being˒ fallen_short
9. -
10. Y60; R106480
11. 106484
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106485
1. δόξεως
2. doxis
3. -
4. -
5. 13925
6. N····GFS
7. glory
8. glory
9. -
10. -
11. 106486
1. δόξης
2. doxa
3. glory
4. -
5. 13910
6. N····GFS
7. glory
8. glory
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106487
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 106488
1. Θεοῦ
2. theos
3. of god
4. God
5. 23160
6. N····GMS
7. ˱of˲ god
8. ˱of˲ God
9. GN
10. Y60; Person=God
11. 106489

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)

3:23a

for all have sinned

I say that because everyone has done what is wrong,
because every person has sinned against God,

for: This conjunction introduces the basis for saying “there is no distinction.” For example:

Because (GW)

Some English versions omit this conjunction, perhaps because of the same conjunction occurring in 3:22c. They allow the context to indicate the connection.

all have sinned: This clause indicates that all people have done things that God does not want people to do.

In some languages the translation of sinned is very general and can include “made a mistake.” The context implies that these deeds are sins against people and God. In some languages the implied information must be explicit for the correct meaning. For example:

all have sinned against God

all have sinned against people and God

3:23b

and fall short of the glory of God,

and failed to get the glory/majesty that God gives for the righteous,
and no one gains the glory/honor from God.

fall short of the glory of God: Many English versions translate the literal meaning of the words of this clause. But scholars differ as to what this clause refers. Here are the two common ways to interpret this clause:

Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, had glory from God before they sinned. They lost that glory when they sinned. All people after them are also sinners, so they too do not have that glory.Moo (in TW) says: “the absence of glory involves a declension from the ‘image of God’ in which human beings were first made.”
It indicates that people have sinned, so God no longer approves or praises them.Alford (page 342) says it means “fall short of the praise which comes from God.” Nicoll (page 610) says: “it must be the approbation or praise of God…which God would give to the sinless.”

If possible translate the literal meaning. You may then want to explain it in a footnote. The first example footnote below follows interpretation (1) but the second example footnote explains both.

This clause probably indicates that the first man and woman had glory from God before they sinned. They lost that glory when they sinned. All people after them are also sinners, so they too do not have that glory.

This clause may mean: 1) the first man and woman had glory from God before they sinned. They lost that glory when they sinned. All people after them are also sinners, so they too do not have that glory, or 2) people have sinned, so God no longer approves or praises them.

In some languages people cannot speak of falling short of glory. If that is true in your language, explain its meaning in your translation. For example:

fall short of God’s commands and so have lost the glory that comes from God

we cannot attain/reach God’s goodnessKankanaey Back Translation on TW.

fall short of: This phrase refers to lacking something. People cannot obtain God’s glory. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

lack (NJB)

cannot obtain/get

are not fit/worth to get/obtainUma Back Translation on TW.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πάντες Γάρ ἥμαρτον καί ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ)

For here introduces a reason clause. Paul is giving the reason why “there is no distinction,” as stated in the previous verse. Use a natural way in your language to indicate a reason. Alternate translation: [The reason for this is that]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

πάντες

all

Here Paul uses the adjective all as a noun that refers to all the people who have ever existed or ever will exist. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [all people]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ

˓are_being˒_fallen_short ˱of˲_the glory ¬the ˱of˲_God

Paul speaks of all people as if they were something that fails to reach its destination. He means that they lack or do not attain the glory of God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [lack the glory of God] or [fail to attain the glory of God]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ

˱of˲_the glory ¬the ˱of˲_God

Here the possessive form the glory of God could refer to: (1) the glory that God shared with humans when he created them, but which they lost when the first humans sinned. Alternate translation: [the glory God once gave them] or [the glory from God] (2) glorifying God, as in the similar phrase “the glory of the imperishable God” in [1:23](../01/23.md). Alternate translation: [of glorifying God]

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 3:23

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

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

3:23a

3:23b

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