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OET (OET-LV) Therefore is where the boasting?
It_was_excluded.
Through what law?
Of_ The _works?
No, but through a_law of_faith.
OET (OET-RV) So where does that leave boasting? It’s not in the picture. How come? Through obeying the Mosheh’s laws? No, through a law about faith.
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)
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.
¶ Therefore, is there anything for us to be proud of? No, there is nothing.
¶ Since that is true, it is pointless/worthless to boast about us being right with/before God.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded: This is a rhetorical question and its answer. The rhetorical question causes the reader to think of what might be the answer. Paul then told what the answer is. Here are some ways to translate this:
As a rhetorical question and its answer. For example:
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. (ESV)
As a statement. For example:
Therefore we cannot boast.
So God does not consider our boasts when he justifies us.
Therefore it is absolutely impossible for us to boast of our righteousnessKankanaey Back Translation on TW.
Also see examples below.
Where…is boasting?: The Greek is literally “where (is) the boasting?” Here this phrase refers to boasting about being righteous or good. But God does not justify someone because of what he or she has done or who he or she is or any boasts he or she says about those things. Here are other ways to translate these words:
Where…is boasting? (NET)
What occasion is there…for boasting? (NABRE)
there’s nothing that anyone can boast about.Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation on TW.
then: The Greek word that the BSB translates as then is usually translated “therefore.” But here it is more natural in English to translate it as then.
It is excluded: This phrase indicates that God does not allow any boasting by us to change his mind. God does not think better about us if we were to boast about being right with him. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
Bragging has been eliminated. (GW)
They are nothing.
No! (NCV)
On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith: The first question is a rhetorical question. It leads to the second question. The second question is also a rhetorical question. Paul answered it with No, but on that of faith. Here are some ways to translate this:
Using questions. For example:
On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. (RSV)
Using statements. For example:
It is not by a law/principle of works, but by the law/principle of faith.
For God does not receive us because of our good behavior. He receives us because of our faith in the Lord Yesus.Uma Back Translation on TW.
These three clauses are incomplete. “It is excluded” is implied each time. In some languages the implied words must be repeated here. For example:
It is excluded on what principle? Is it excluded on the principle of a law of works? No, it is excluded by the principle of the law of faith.
It is not excluded by a law/principle of works, but it is excluded by the law/principle of faith.
On what principle? On that of works?
What is the principle/basis for this? It is on the principle of doing good deeds?
It is pointless/worthless to boast about us always doing good deeds because that does not make us right with/before God.
On what principle?: Here the word principle refers to any rule or law. Here are other ways to translate the Greek words:
By what kind of law? (ESV)
It/Boasting is excluded according to what rule/law?
On that of works?: The Greek is only “Of works?” The BSB phrase that of implies the words “a principle” from the previous question, so that the meaning is “On a principle of works?”
works: The word works refers to someone’s deeds. It is not limited to what one does for a paying job. God does not make people right with him because of what they do. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
On the principle of works? (RSV)
By following the rule of good deeds?
Is it/boasting excluded according to a principle/lifestyle of doing what God wants us to do?
No, but on that of faith.
No, it is on the principle of us believing in Jesus.
Rather God makes us right before him when we believed in Jesus.
but on that of faith: God says that a person is righteous when that person believes in Christ. That is a rule/principle that God uses. That excludes us from boasting that we are righteous, because it is something God did, not we ourselves. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
but on the principle of faith (RSV)
it/boast is excluded because of the rule that God makes us righteous because we believe in Jesus
it/boasting is excluded according to a principle/rule of God makes us righteous because of our faith
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
οὖν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
Here, then indicates that what follows is a response to what Paul said in [3:21–26](../03/21.md). If it might be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly, inserting a parenthetical phrase between commas. Alternate translation: [, if it is God who makes people righteous through faith in Jesus,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
ποῦ οὖν ἡ καύχησις?
where (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
Paul is not asking for information, but is using this question to express an objection that a Jew might have to what Paul said in [3:21–26](../03/21.md). If you would not use rhetorical questions for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [There then is no grounds for boasting!]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ποῦ οὖν ἡ καύχησις
where (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
Here Paul speaks of boasting as if it were an object that could be in a location. He means that no one can boast, because only God makes people righteous. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Then can anyone boast]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ποῦ οὖν ἡ καύχησις
where (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of boasting, you could express the same idea with a different form. Alternate translation: [Who then can boast]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐξεκλείσθη
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
In this sentence Paul responds to the rhetorical question in the previous sentence. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [I would respond by saying, “It is excluded!”]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ἐξεκλείσθη
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [God has excluded it] or [God does not allow it]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
διὰ ποίου νόμου? τῶν ἔργων? & διὰ νόμου πίστεως
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
Paul is leaving out some of the words that these sentences would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: [Through what kind of law is a person made righteous? Is a person made righteous through the works of the law? … a person is made righteous through a law of faith]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
διὰ ποίου νόμου? τῶν ἔργων?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
In these two sentences Paul is not asking for information, but is using these two questions to express the objections that a Jew might have to what Paul said in the previous sentence and in [3:21–26](../03/21.md). If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [Surely through a kind of law! Surely through the works!] or [Surely a person is made righteous through a kind of law! Surely a person is made righteous through works!]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τῶν ἔργων?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
Paul is using the possessive form to describe a law that is characterized by works. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [Through a law characterized by works?] or [By doing what the law requires?]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
οὐχί, ἀλλὰ διὰ νόμου πίστεως
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
In this sentence Paul responds to the rhetorical questions in the previous two sentences. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [I would respond by saying, “No! But through a law of faith.”]
Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations
οὐχί
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
No! is an exclamation that communicates a strong contrast to the previous statement. Use an exclamation that is natural in your language for communicating a strong contrast. Alternate translation: [Not at all!]
Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
διὰ νόμου πίστεως
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποῦ Οὖν ἡ καύχησις Ἐξεκλείσθη Διά ποίου νόμου Τῶν ἔργων Οὐχί ἀλλά διά νόμου πίστεως)
Paul is using the possessive form to describe a law that is characterized by faith. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [through a law characterized by faith] or [by doing what faith requires]
Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
πίστεως
˱of˲_faith
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of faith, you could express the same idea with a different form. Alternate translation: [of trusting in God]
OET (OET-LV) Therefore is where the boasting?
It_was_excluded.
Through what law?
Of_ The _works?
No, but through a_law of_faith.
OET (OET-RV) So where does that leave boasting? It’s not in the picture. How come? Through obeying the Mosheh’s laws? No, through a law about faith.
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.