Romans 9:31-33

9:31 but Israel even though pursuing ¹  a law of righteousness ²  did not attain it. ³  9:32 Why not? Because they pursued ⁴  it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. ⁵  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ⁶  9:33 just as it is written,

“Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble

and a rock that will make them fall, ⁷ 

yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ⁸ 

¹ tn Or “who pursued.” The participle could be taken adverbially or adjectivally.

² tn Or “a legal righteousness,” that is, a righteousness based on law. This translation would treat the genitive δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosunh") as an attributed genitive (see ExSyn 89-91).

³ tn Grk “has not attained unto the law.”

⁴ tn Grk “Why? Because not by faith but as though by works.” The verb (“they pursued [it]”) is to be supplied from the preceding verse for the sake of English style; yet a certain literary power is seen in Paul’s laconic style.

⁵ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (א² D Ψ 33 Ï sy), read νόμου (nomou, “of the law”) here, echoing Paul’s usage in Rom 3:20, 28 and elsewhere. The qualifying phrase is lacking in א* A B F G 6 629 630 1739 1881 pc lat co. The longer reading thus is weaker externally and internally, being motivated apparently by a need to clarify.

⁶ tn Grk “the stone of stumbling.”

⁷ tn Grk “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”

⁸ sn A quotation from Isa 28:16; 8:14.