Romans 9:31

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
Israel	Ἰσραὴλ Israēl	G2474	Israel (i.e. Jisrael) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a place
after	διώκων diōkōn	G1377	compare the base of G1169 (δειλός) and G1249 (διάκονος)) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
law	νόμον nomon	G3551	law (through the idea of prescriptive usage) · noun — accusative singular masculine
righteousness	δικαιοσύνης dikaiosunēs	G1343	equity (of character or act) · noun — genitive singular feminine
hath	ἔφθασεν. ephthasen	G5348	to be beforehand · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
attained	φθάνω phthánō	G5348	to be beforehand
to	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
law	νόμον nomon	G3551	law (through the idea of prescriptive usage) · noun — accusative singular masculine
righteousness	δικαιοσύνη dikaiosýnē	G1343	equity (of character or act)

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

Romans 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
James 2:10-11 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Romans 10:2-4 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Galatians 5:3-4 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
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 4:14-15 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Galatians 3:10-11 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things whi…

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,…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 9:31

But Israel, which followed--"following" after the law of righteousness, hath not attained--"attained not" unto the law of righteousness--The word "law" is used here, we think, in the same sense as in Rom 7:23, to denote "a principle of action"; that is, "Israel, though sincerely and steadily aiming at acceptance with God, nevertheless missed it."

Adam Clarke on Romans 9:31

But Israel, which followed after - But the Jews, who have hitherto been the people of God, though they have been industrious in observing a rule by which they supposed they could secure the blessings of God's peculiar kingdom, yet have not come up to the true and only rule by which those blessings can be secured.

John Gill on Romans 9:31

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness,.... The Israelites, the far greater part of the Jews, who were not called by the grace of God, were all very zealous of the law, called "the law of righteousness"; because the matter of it was righteous, it was so in its own nature; and because perfect obedience to it is righteousness; as also because they sought for righteousness by the deeds of it. They very violently and eagerly pursued after it, they tugged and toiled, and laboured with all their might, as persons in running a race, to get up to the law, and the righteousness of it; and yet Israel, with all the pains and labour taken, hath not attained to the law of righteousnes…

The Church Fathers

Paul explains once again why the Jews did not find righteousness. Having wrongly gloried in their works they refused to believe and rejected grace on the ground that they were righteous already.
— Pelagius, PELAGIUS'S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Faith is the fulfilling of the law. It is because the Gentiles have faith that they appear to fulfill the whole law. But the Jews, who out of envy did not believe in the Savior, because they claimed the righteousness which is commanded in the law, i.e., the sabbath, circumcision, etc., did not come to the law. In other words, they did not fulfill the law, and those who do not fulfill the law are guilty of it.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

"But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law." This passage too, as we said above must be observed, names "law" in different senses within one and the same verse. For it is certain that Israel pursued the law of righteousness according to the letter, but did not attain to the law. What law? Without doubt, that of the spirit. For the Apostle would not say this, that they did not attain to the law which they pursued and held and possessed.
— Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

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

Faith · 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13; — 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13;
Justification · 23:6; — 23:6;
Justification Before God · Under law: Man cannot attain to — Under law: Man cannot attain to
Law Of Moses, The · The Jews: From regard to, rejected Christ — The Jews: From regard to, rejected Christ
Predestination · 19:25; — 19:25;
Righteousness · No justification by works of — No justification by works of
Unbelief · 5:12-14; — 5:12-14;

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).

Romans 9:31

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 9:30–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 9:31

Adam Clarke on Romans 9:31

John Gill on Romans 9:31

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Romans 9:31

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 9:30–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 9:31

Adam Clarke on Romans 9:31

John Gill on Romans 9:31

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Romans 9:30–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Romans 9:31