ROM 3:3 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) But what if some didn’t believe? Wouldn’t the unbelief of Jews make faith that comes from God worthless?

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT For what if some were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

UST So you might say, “Some of these Jews were certainly unfaithful to God! How unfaithful those people are certainly cannot invalidate how faithful God is!”

BSB What if some did not have faith? {Will} their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

BLB What if indeed some disbelieved? Will their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?

AICNT What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God?

OEB What follows then? Some, no doubt, showed a want of faith; but will their want of faith make God break faith? Heaven forbid!

WEBBE For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?

LSV for what, if certain were faithless? Will their faithlessness make the faithfulness of God useless?

FBV What if some of them didn't trust in God? Does their lack of trust in God obliterate the trustworthiness of God?

TCNT Now what if some of them were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God?

T4T Many Jews did not obey God as they promised that they would. So someone might ask, “Does their not being faithful mean that God will not bless us Jews as he promised that he would?”

LEB _⌊What is the result_⌋[fn] if some refused to believe? Their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

3:3 Literally “for what”

BBE And if some have no faith, will that make the faith of God without effect?

Moff Even supposing some of them have proved untrustworthy, is their faithlessness to cancel the faithfulness of God?

Wymth For what if some Jews have proved unfaithful? Shall their faithlessness render God's faithfulness worthless?

ASV For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God?

DRA For what if some of them have not believed? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.

YLT for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless?

Drby For what? if some have not believed, shall their unbelief make the faith of [fn]God of none effect?

3.3 Elohim

RV For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God?

SLT For what if some disbelieved? their unbelief will not leave inactive the faith of God.

Wbstr For what if some did not believe? will their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

KJB-1769 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

KJB-1611 For what if some did not beleeue? shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God without effect?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps What then though some of them dyd not beleue? Shal their vnbeliefe make the fayth of God without effect?
(What then though some of them did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?)

Gnva For what, though some did not beleeue? shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God without effect?
(For what, though some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? )

Cvdl But where as some of them dyd not beleue theron, what then? Shulde their vnbeleue make the promes of God of none effecte?
(But where as some of them did not believe thereon, what then? Should their unbelief make the promes of God of none effect?)

TNT What then though some of them did not beleve? shall their vnbeleve make the promes of god with out effecte?
(What then though some of them did not believe? shall their unbeleve make the promes of god with out effect? )

Wycl And what if summe of hem bileueden not? Whethir the vnbileue of hem hath auoidid the feith of God?
(And what if some of hem believed not? Whether the unbelief of hem hath/has avoidid the faith of God?)

Luth Daß aber etliche nicht glauben an dasselbige, was liegt daran? Sollte ihr Unglaube Gottes Glauben aufheben?
(That but several not believe at/to the_same, what/which lies(v) to_it? Shoulde you(pl)/their/her Unglaube God’s faith lift?)

ClVg Quid enim si quidam illorum non crediderunt? numquid incredulitas illorum fidem Dei evacuabit? Absit.[fn]
(What because when/but_if some of_them not/no they_believed? is_it incredulitas of_them faith of_God evacuabit? Absit. )

3.3 Nunquid incredulitas. AMBR. Non, inquit, quia aliqui credere noluerunt, præjudicabitur cæteris Judæis, ne digni dicantur accipere quod Deus promisit fidelibus, quippe cum sic facta sit promissio ut credentibus proficeret. Fidem. ORIG. Eam intelligimus quam habet Deus cum his quibus credit eloquia sua, vel eam qua quidam credunt Deo.

3.3 Nunquid incredulitas. AMBR. Non, he_said, because some to_believe they_didn't_want, beforeyudicabitur the_rests To_the_Jews, not worthy let_them_be_called to_receive that God promised to_the_faithful, indeed/sure when/with so facts be promise as to_believers proficeret. Faith. ORIG. Eam we_understand how has God when/with his to_whom he_believes words his_own, or her which some they_believe to_God.

UGNT τί γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες? μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν, τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει?
(ti gar ei aʸpistaʸsan tines? maʸ haʸ apistia autōn, taʸn pistin tou Theou katargaʸsei?)

SBL-GNT τί γάρ; εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες, μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργήσει;
(ti gar; ei aʸpistaʸsan tines, maʸ haʸ apistia autōn taʸn pistin tou theou katargaʸsei;)

RP-GNT Τί γὰρ εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες; Μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργήσει;
(Ti gar ei aʸpistaʸsan tines; Maʸ haʸ apistia autōn taʸn pistin tou theou katargaʸsei;)

TC-GNT Τί γὰρ εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες; Μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει;
(Ti gar ei aʸpistaʸsan tines; Maʸ haʸ apistia autōn taʸn pistin tou Theou katargaʸsei; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–8: God is faithful and righteous

In chapter two, Paul spoke about some wrong ideas that the Jews had. In this section, Paul spoke to someone, probably a Jew, who might think that Paul implied that God was unfaithful to his covenant with the Jews. Paul showed that regardless of how God’s people had behaved, God was always faithful to what he said.

Keep in mind that Paul himself was a Jew. He knew how Jews thought, and he knew how to answer their objections.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

God is faithful to his covenant even if his people are not

God keeps his word and does what is right

3:3a–b

What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?: The Greek New Testament punctuates this verse so that it reads: “What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God?” The beginning two words are the same as in Philippians 1:18. Many scholars support this punctuation, but few English versions do. Many English versions support the punctuation as in the BSB.

3:3a

What if some did not have faith?

What if some of them did not keep their agreement with God?
Some Jews broke their promise to God, what about them/that?

What if some did not have faith?: This is a rhetorical question. It introduces the fact that some Jews were unfaithful. Paul’s readers knew that. But it causes the readers to think about that fact. Translate it with that meaning. Here are some ways:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
But what if some of them were not faithful? (GNT)
As a statement. For example:
some of them were unfaithful (NLT)

did not have faith: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as did not have faith:

It means be unfaithful or fail to act in a loyal way here. The Jews made a covenant with God but some of them later broke that promise and stopped following it. For example:
were not faithful (GNT) (ESV, RSV, NIV11, GNT, NJB, NABRE, NLT, GW, REB, NCV)
It means do not believe. Some Jews refused to believe in God’s message (3:2c). For example:
did not believe (NASB) (BSB, NIV84, NASB, CEV, NET, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the contrast in 3:3–4 is between God being faithful to his promises, and the Jews not being faithful to theirs.Moo, Schreiner, and Morris support interpretation (1).

3:3b–4a

Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Certainly not!: 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 was. Here are some ways to translate this:

As a rhetorical question and its answer. For example:
Will their lack of faith cancel the faithfulness of God? ⁴Certainly not! (REB)
As a statement. You will need to combine 3:3 and 3:4. For example:
^3–4What if some lacked faith? Their lack of faith certainly does not cancel/nullify the faithfulness of God.…

3:3b

Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?

Will their unfaithfulness cancel God’s faithfulness?
Them breaking their promise to God does not cause God to break his promises.

Will their lack of faith: The word that the BSB translates as lack of faith is the noun form of the word translated “did not have faith” in 3:3a. You should follow the same interpretation choice here as in 3:3a. For example:

Does the fact that they were not faithful

nullify: This word means “to make ineffective/useless.” Some Jews broke their promises, but that did not make God break his promises. Here are other ways to translate this word:

cancel (NJB)

destroy/ruin

But even so, God nonetheless stayed/remained keeping his word/promise.Uma Back Translation on TW.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γάρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησαν τινές Μή ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τήν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει)

For here indicates that what follows is a response to what Paul said in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [If these things are true, then]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί & εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες? μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν, τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει?

what & if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησαν τινές Μή ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τήν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει)

In this verse Paul is not asking for information, but is using these two questions here to express the objections that a Jew might have to what Paul said in the previous verse. 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: [But some of them were unfaithful! Their unfaithfulness surely cannot nullify the faithfulness of God!]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

τί γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες? μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν, τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει?

what (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησαν τινές Μή ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τήν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει)

In this verse Paul is speaking as if he himself were a non-Christian Jew arguing against Paul. It may be helpful to your readers to indicate this by setting off all of this material with quotation marks or with whatever punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate a quotation.

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

τινες

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησαν τινές Μή ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τήν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει)

The pronoun some refers to some Jewish people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [some Jewish people]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν, τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησαν τινές Μή ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τήν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει)

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of unfaithfulness or faithfulness, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [The fact that they are unfaithful will not nullify God’s faithful acts, will it]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τί Γάρ εἰ ἠπίστησαν τινές Μή ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τήν πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει)

Paul is using the possessive form to describe the faithfulness that characterizes God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [the faithfulness that characterizes God]

Parallel ROM 3:3

Section 3:1–8: God is faithful and righteous

3:3a–b

3:3a

3:3b–4a

3:3b