Romans 9:30 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Romans 9:30
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — accusative singular neuter
say
ἐρέωeréō
G2046
an alternate for G2036 (ἔπω) in certain tenses
then
οὖνoun
G3767
(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
That
ὅτιhoti
G3754
demonstrative · conjunction
Gentiles
ἔθνηethnē
G1484
a race (as of the same habit) · noun — nominative plural neuter
followed
διώκονταdiōkonta
G1377
compare the base of G1169 (δειλός) and G1249 (διάκονος)) · verb — present active participle, nominative plural neuter
not
μὴmē
G3361
(adverb) not · particle — negative
after
διώκωdiṓkō
G1377
compare the base of G1169 (δειλός) and G1249 (διάκονος))
righteousness
δικαιοσύνηνdikaiosunēn
G1343
equity (of character or act) · noun — accusative singular feminine
to
κατέλαβενkatelaben
G2638
to take eagerly · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
righteousness
δικαιοσύνην,dikaiosunēn
G1343
equity (of character or act) · noun — accusative singular feminine
even
δὲde
G1161
but · conjunction
righteousness
δικαιοσύνηνdikaiosunēn
G1343
equity (of character or act) · noun — accusative singular feminine
is
τὰta
G3588
the (sometimes to be supplied · article — nominative plural neuter
of
ἐκek
G1537
literal or figurative · preposition
faith
πίστεως·pisteōs
G4102
persuasion · noun — genitive singular feminine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnes…
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that w…
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he c…
Romans 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be th…
Romans 10:20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Isaiah 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit…
Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Romans 9:30–end
The apostle comes here at last to fix the true reason of the reception of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jews. There was a difference in the way of their seeking, and therefore there was that different success, though still it was the free grace of God that made them differ. He concludes like an orator, What shall we say then? What is the conclusion of the whole dispute?
I. Concerning the Gentiles observe, 1. How they had been alienated from righteousness: the followed not after it; they knew not their guilt and misery, and therefore were not at all solicitous to procure a remedy. In their conversion preventing grace was greatly magnified: God was found of those that sought him not,…
What shall we say then?--"What now is the result of the whole?" The result is this--very different from what one would have expected.
That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained--"attained"
to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith--As we have seen that "the righteousness of faith" is the righteousness which justifies (see on Rom 3:22, &c.), this verse must mean that "the Gentiles, who while strangers to Christ were quite indifferent about acceptance with God, having embraced the Gospel as soon as it was preached to them, experienced the blessedness of a justified state."
Adam Clarke on 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, etc. 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 Rom 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 though…
God is the true and lasting righteousness, if he is acknowledged. For what is more righteous that to know God the Father, from whom all things come, and Christ his Son, through whom all things come? Therefore the first part of righteousness is to acknowledge the Creator, and the next part is to keep what he commands.
If this is spoken in the person of the apostle, Paul here once again imagines that the Jews might say: "If it is not true, as we say, that it does not depend on the one who wills or on the one who runs, why have the Gentiles found righteousness, which they never sought before, while Israel could not find it, although they have always sought it?" But if the whole of the above thought belongs to the objectors, the apostle is here replying and summarizing the issue by saying: "What shall I say to these objections which are presented to us except that the Gentiles believed as soon as they were called and that the Jews refused to believe?" Righteousness is by faith, and the Jews refused to believe.
"What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness." Here at last is the clearest answer. For since he had used a proof as well from facts ("for they are not all Israel that are of Israel") as from the case of the forefathers Jacob and Esau, and from the prophets Hosea and Isaiah, he further gives the most decisive answer, after first adding to the perplexity. The points discussed, then, are two; one that the Gentiles attained, and the other that they attained it without following after it, that is, without taking pains about it. And again in the Jews' case also there are two difficulties of the same kind; one that Israel attained not, the other that, though they took pains, they attained not. Whence also his use of words is more emphatical. For he does not say that they had, but that they "attained to righteousness." For what is especially new and unusual is, that they who followed after it attained not, but they which followed not after it attained.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Gentiles · CONVERSION OF — CONVERSION OF
Justification · 23:6; — 23:6;
Predestination · 19:25; — 19:25;
Righteousness · The wicked: Follow not after — The wicked: Follow not after
Righteousness Imputed · Described as: The righteousness of faith — Described as: The righteousness of faith
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Gill on Romans 9:30
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,…
Romans 9:30-33
30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
30. Quid ergo dicemus? Quod gentes quae non sectabantur justitiam, adeptae sunt justitiam, justi-tiam autem ex fide:
31. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
31. Israel autem sectando legem justitiae, ad legem justitiae non per-venit.
32. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
32. Quare? Quid non ex fide, sed quasi ex operibus; offenderunt enim ad lapidem…
