the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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New Living Translation
Romans 9:30
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
So, what does all this mean? Even though the outsiders were not following God's code, he still brought them in and made them right with him. It wasn't by following a code. It was by faith.
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, laid hold of righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
What then may we say? That the nations who did not go after righteousness have got righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
What then shall we say? That [they of the] nations, who did not follow after righteousness, have attained righteousness, but [the] righteousness that is on the principle of faith.
What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.
What will we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn't follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith:
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
What shall wee say then? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse, haue attained to righteousnesse, euen the righteousnesse which is of faith:
What then shall we say? That the nations not following after righteousness have taken on righteousness, but a righteousness of faith;
What shal we saye then? This wil we saye: The Heythen which folowed not righteousnes, haue ouertaken righteousnes: but I speake of the righteousnes that commeth of faith.
What shall we hence conclude? that the Gentiles who sought not after justice, have obtained justice, even to that which is by faith:
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness [who did not seek salvation and a right relationship with God, nevertheless] obtained righteousness, that is, the righteousness which is produced by faith;
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith;
What shall we saye then? We saye that the gentyls which followed not rightewesnes have overtaken rightewesnes: I meane the rightewesnes which cometh of fayth.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith:
What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that [is] of faith,
So what does all this mean? Those who are not Jews were not trying to make themselves right with God, but they were made right with God because of their faith.
What shall we say then?—that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith,
What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
What does all of this mean? It means that the Gentiles were not trying to be acceptable to God, but they found that he would accept them if they had faith.
So, what are we to say? This: that Gentiles, even though they were not striving for righteousness, have obtained righteousness; but it is a righteousness grounded in trusting!
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles which folowed not righteousnes, haue attained vnto righteousnes, euen the righteousnes which is of faith.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness; that is, the righteousness which is the result of faith.
What shall we say then? That the Goyim, who didn't follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith.Romans 1:17; 4:11; 10:20;">[xr]
WHAT then shall we say? That the Gentiles who have not followed after righteousness have attained righteousness, but that righteousness which is of faith:
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who ran not after righteousness, have found righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith:
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
What are we to say about these things? The people who are not Jews were not made right with God by the Law. They were made right with God because they put their trust in Him.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:
What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith;
What, then, shall we say? That, they of the nations, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have laid hold of righteousness, - a righteousness, however, which is by faith;
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles who followed not after justice have attained to justice, even the justice that is of faith.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness—even the righteousness that is by faith.
What shall we say then? that the gentiles which folowed not ryghteousnes, haue obtayned righteousnesse: euen the ryghteousnesse which cometh of fayth.
So what does all this mean? It means that people who are not Jews were made right with God because of their faith, even though they were not trying to make themselves right.
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith;
So we say that the Gentiles, who were not trying to put themselves right with God, were put right with him through faith;
Therfor what schulen we seie? That hethene men that sueden not riytwisnesse, han gete riytwisnesse, yhe, the riytwisnesse that is of feith.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
shall: Romans 9:14, Romans 3:5
the Gentiles: Romans 1:18-32, Romans 4:11, Romans 10:20, Isaiah 65:1, Isaiah 65:2, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 2:12, Ephesians 4:17-19, 1 Peter 4:3
followed: Romans 9:31, Proverbs 15:9, Proverbs 21:21, Isaiah 51:1, 1 Timothy 6:11
even the righteousness: Romans 1:17, Romans 3:22, Romans 4:9, Romans 4:11, Romans 4:13, Romans 4:22, Romans 5:1, Romans 10:10, Galatians 3:8, Galatians 5:5, Philippians 3:9, Hebrews 11:7
Reciprocal: Psalms 98:2 - righteousness Isaiah 28:20 - the bed Ezekiel 3:6 - of a strange speech and of an hard language Micah 5:7 - tarrieth Matthew 5:20 - exceed Matthew 19:30 - General Matthew 20:12 - borne Matthew 20:16 - the last Matthew 21:31 - the publicans Mark 10:31 - General Mark 12:9 - and will John 6:29 - This Acts 11:18 - hath Acts 18:6 - from Romans 10:3 - God's righteousness 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Follow Galatians 2:17 - while Galatians 3:12 - the law Galatians 4:21 - ye that Colossians 3:11 - there Titus 3:5 - by works
Gill's Notes on the Bible
What shall we say then?.... To God's calling of a large number of the Gentiles, and only a very few of the Jews, according to his eternal purposes and decrees; what can be objected to it? is he chargeable with any unrighteousness? must it not be referred to his sovereign will and pleasure? is it not an instance of his grace and goodness, that he calls and saves some, when they were all so wicked, that he might in justice have destroyed every individual of them? or what is further to be said, concerning both Jews and Gentiles? or what can be objected to what may be further observed concerning them? as
that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness; the very same persons among them, who are, called by grace, and are vessels of mercy, before their calling were without a righteousness, stout hearted, and far from one; being without Christ, and destitute of his Spirit; they were ignorant of righteousness, of the righteousness of God, and of his law, and consequently of what true righteousness is; they were unconcerned about it, and did not labour after it, as the Jews did. They did not pursue and improve the light of nature, about God and things of a moral kind, as they might have done; but held the light and truth they had in unrighteousness, and indeed were filled with nothing else: and yet these persons
have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. The righteousness they attained unto, was not a righteousness of their own, not the righteousness of works, or a righteousness by the deeds of the law, to which the righteousness which is of faith is always opposed; nor faith itself, which is distinguished from it; but the righteousness of Christ, so called, not because that faith is the cause or condition of it, but because the discovery of it is made to faith; that receives it, lays hold on it, and exercises itself on it; by it the soul renounces its own righteousness, looks to, and depends on Christ's, and rejoices in it. These Gentiles being called by grace, "attained", "comprehended", or "apprehended" this righteousness; not by the light of nature, which makes no discovery, nor gives the least hint of it; but by the light of faith they apprehended it, as revealed in the Gospel; which faith they had not of themselves, but of God; so that the whole of this account is a wonderful instance of the grace of God, and abundantly confirms the observation made before by the apostle, that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy", Romans 9:16; since these persons had nothing in them, disposing and qualifying them for a justifying righteousness, and yet attained one; and the grace appears to be the more distinguishing, by what follows.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
What shall we say then? - What conclusion shall we draw from the previous train of remarks? To what results have we come by the passages adduced from the Old Testament? This question is asked preparatory to his summing up the argument; and he had so stated the argument that the conclusion which he was about to draw was inevitable.
The Gentiles - That many of the Gentiles; or that the way was open for them, and many of them “had actually” embraced the righteousness of faith. This Epistle was written as late as the year 57 (see Introduction), and at that time multitudes of pagans had embraced the Christian religion.
Which followed not after righteousness - The apostle does not mean that none of the pagans had any solicitude about right and wrong, or that there were no anxious inquiries among them; but he intends particularly to place them in contrast with the Jew. They had not made it their main object to justify themselves; they were not filled with prejudice and pride as the Jews were, who supposed that they had complied with the Law, and who felt no need of any other justification; they were sinners, and they felt it, and had no such mighty obstacle in a system of self-righteousness to overcome as the Jew had. Still it was true that they were excessively wicked, and that the prevailing characteristic among them was that they did not follow after righteousness; see Romans 1:0. The word “followed” here often denotes to pursue with intense energy, as a hunter pursues his game, or a man pursues a flying enemy. The Jews had sought righteousness in that way; the Gentiles had not. The word “righteousness” here means the same as justification. The Gentiles, which sought not justification, have obtained justification.
Have attained to righteousness - Have become justified. This was a matter of fact; and this was what the prophet had predicted. The apostle does not say that the sins of the Gentiles, or their indifference to the subject, was any reason why God justified them, or that people would be as safe in sin as in attempting to seek for salvation. He establishes the doctrine, indeed, that God is a sovereign; but still it is implied that the gospel did not have the special obstacle to contend with among the Gentiles that it had among the Jews. There was less pride, obstinacy, self-confidence; and people were more easily brought “to see” that they were sinners, and to feel their need of a Saviour. Though God dispenses his favors as a sovereign, and though all are opposed by nature to the gospel, yet it is always true that the gospel finds more obstacles among some people than among others. This was a most cutting and humbling doctrine to the pride of a Jew; and it is no wonder, therefore, that the apostle guarded it as he did.
Which is of faith - Justification by faith in Christ; see the note at Romans 1:17.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Romans 9:30. What shall we say then? — What is the final conclusion to be drawn from all these prophecies, facts, and reasonings? This: That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, c. This, with the succeeding verses, together with what belongs to the same subject in the beginning of the following chapter, I have explained at large in the notes on Romans 1:17, to which I must refer the reader and shall content myself in this place with Dr. Taylor's general paraphrase. We may suppose the apostle to express himself to the following effect. Thus I have vindicated the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, with regard to the Divine veracity and justice. Now let us turn our thoughts to the true reason and state of the affair considered in itself. And, in the first place, what just notion ought we to have of the calling of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews? I answer: The true notion of the calling or inviting of the Gentiles is this: whereas they had no apprehension of being reinstated in the privileges of God's peculiar kingdom, and consequently used no endeavours to obtain that blessing, yet, notwithstanding, they have attained to justification, to the remission of sins, and the privileges of God's people: not on account of their prior worthiness and obedience, but purely by the grace and mercy of God, received by faith on their part. And so, by embracing the scheme of life published by the Gospel, they are adopted into the family and Church of God. Thus the Gentiles are called or invited.
