Romans 9:32

Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

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

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Wherefore	τί; ti	G5101	an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — accusative singular neuter
Because	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
by	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
faith	πίστεως pisteōs	G4102	persuasion · noun — genitive singular feminine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
were	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
by	ἐξ ex	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
works	ἔργων ergōn	G2041	toil (as an effort or occupation) · noun — genitive plural neuter
law	νόμου· nomou	G3551	law (through the idea of prescriptive usage) · noun — genitive singular masculine
For	γάρ gár	G1063	properly
stumbled	προσέκοψαν prosekopsan	G4350	to strike at · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural
that	λίθῳ lithō	G3037	a stone (literally or figuratively) · noun — dative singular masculine
stumblingstone	προσκόμματος proskommatos	G4348	a stub · noun — genitive singular neuter

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

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
Luke 7:23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a…
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the…
Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to…
1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appoint…
Matthew 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
John 6:27-29 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: f…

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 9:32

Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were--rather simply, "as" by the works of the law--as if it were thus attainable, which justification is not: Since, therefore, it is attainable only by faith, they missed it. for--it is doubtful if this particle was originally in the text. they stumbled at that stumbling-stone--better, "against the stone of stumbling," meaning Christ. But in this they only did.

Adam Clarke on Romans 9:32

Wherefore? - And where lies their mistake? Being ignorant of God's righteousness - of his method of saving sinners by faith in Christ, they went about to establish their own righteousness - their own method of obtaining everlasting salvation. They attend not to the Abrahamic covenant, which stands on the extensive principles of grace and faith; but they turn all their regards to the law of Moses. They imagine that their obedience to that law gives them a right to the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. But, finding that the Gospel sets our special interest in God and the privileges of his Church on a different footing, they are offended, and refuse to come into it.

John Gill on Romans 9:32

Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith,.... The question is asked, why they did not attain to that, which with so much diligence they pressed after? the answer is, because, as they did not seek for righteousness in a right place, or object, they sought for it in the law, and the works of it, where it is never to be found by a sinful creature, and not in Christ, in whom only are righteousness and strength; so they did not seek for it in a right way, by faith in Christ, without which it is impossible to please God, and by which only true righteousness is discerned and received: but as it were by the works of the law; not by works which looked like works of the law, and were not; but t…

The Church Fathers

Paul calls the Lord Christ a stumbling stone because those who did not accept the new covenant in him stumbled over him and by their unbelief fell from the grace of justification which was given to men through him.
— Gennadius of Constantinople, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

The man who sees a stone does not stumble, but the blind man dashes himself against it. This is what happened to the Jews, who were blinded by their hatred and crucified Christ because they did not recognize him.
— Pelagius, PELAGIUS'S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

It is impossible to be justified by the works of the law because it would be necessary to keep the whole law, which is not possible. But anyone who sins (which is inevitable) lies under the judgment of the law.
— Theodore of Mopsuestia, PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

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
Offence · The wicked take, at: The righteousness of faith — The wicked take, at: The righteousness of faith
Predestination · 19:25; — 19:25;
Prophecies Respecting Christ · Fulfilled — Fulfilled
Righteousness · No justification by works of — No justification by works of
Righteousness Imputed · The Jews: Stumble at righteousness by faith — The Jews: Stumble at righteousness by faith
Stumbling · .Stone of — .Stone 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 9:32

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 9:30–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 9:32

Adam Clarke on Romans 9:32

John Gill on Romans 9:32

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Romans 9:32

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Romans 9:30–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Romans 9:32

Adam Clarke on Romans 9:32

John Gill on Romans 9:32

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Romans 9:30–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Romans 9:32-33