translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ROM

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “much in every way.”


text: has the γάρ in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity. Grk “first indeed that.”


text: Grk “they were.”


text: The referent of λόγια ( logia , “oracles”) has been variously understood: (1) BDAG 598 s.v. λόγιον takes the term to refer here to “God’s promises to the Jews”; (2) some have taken this to refer more narrowly to the national promises of messianic salvation given to Israel (so S. L. Johnson, Jr., “Studies in Romans: Part VII: The Jews and the Oracles of God,” BSac 130 [1973]: 245); (3) perhaps the most widespread interpretation sees the term as referring to the entire OT generally.


text: Grk “every man”; but ἄνθρωπος ( anqrwpo" ) is used in a generic sense here to stress humanity rather than masculinity.


text: Grk “Let God be true, and every man a liar.” The words “proven” and “shown up” are supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning.


text: Grk “might be justified,” a subjunctive verb, but in this type of clause it carries the same sense as the future indicative verb in the latter part. “Will” is more idiomatic in contemporary English.


text: Or “prevail when you judge.” A quotation from Ps 51:4 .


text: Or “shows clearly.”


text: Grk “That God is not unjust to inflict wrath, is he?”


text: Grk “abounded unto.”


text: Grk “(as we are slandered and some affirm that we say…).”


text: Grk “whose.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, this relative clause was rendered as a new sentence in the translation.


text: Grk “their throat is an opened grave.”


text: Grk “whose mouth is.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “in,” “in connection with.”


text: Grk “because by the works of the law no flesh is justified before him.” Some recent scholars have understood the phrase ἒργα νόμου ( erga nomou , “works of the law”) to refer not to obedience to the Mosaic law generally, but specifically to portions of the law that pertain to things like circumcision and dietary laws which set the Jewish people apart from the other nations (e.g., J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [WBC], 1:155). Other interpreters, like C. E. B. Cranfield (“‘The Works of the Law’ in the Epistle to the Romans,” JSNT 43 [1991]: 89-101) reject this narrow interpretation for a number of reasons, among which the most important are: (1) The second half of v. 20 , “for through the law comes the knowledge of sin,” is hard to explain if the phrase “works of the law” is understood in a restricted sense; (2) the plural phrase “works of the law” would have to be understood in a different sense from the singular phrase “the work of the law” in 2:15 ; (3) similar phrases involving the law in Romans ( 2:13, 14; 2:25, 26, 27; 7:25; 8:4; and 13:8 ) which are naturally related to the phrase “works of the law” cannot be taken to refer to circumcision (in fact, in 2:25 circumcision is explicitly contrasted with keeping the law). Those interpreters who reject the “narrow” interpretation of “works of the law” understand the phrase to refer to obedience to the Mosaic law in general.


text: Grk “is.”


text: Νυνὶ δέ ( Nuni de , “But now”) could be understood as either (1) logical or (2) temporal in force, but most recent interpreters take it as temporal, referring to a new phase in salvation history.


text: Grk “being witnessed by the law and the prophets,” a remark which is virtually parenthetical to Paul’s argument.


text: Or “faith in Christ.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ ( pisti" Cristou ) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in v. 26 ; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:22 ; Eph 3:12 ; Phil 3:9 ) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “ Πίστις Χριστοῦ ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29 ; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52 ; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32 ; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16 ; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17 ; 2 Cor 10:15 ; Phil 2:17 ; Col 1:4; 2:5 ; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10 ; 2 Thess 1:3 ; Titus 1:1 ; Phlm 6 ; 1 Pet 1:9, 21 ; 2 Pet 1:5 ). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ,” SBL Seminar Papers , 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view. sn ExSyn 116, which notes that the grammar is not decisive, nevertheless suggests that “the faith/faithfulness of Christ is not a denial of faith in Christ as a Pauline concept (for the idea is expressed in many of the same contexts, only with the verb πιστεύω rather than the noun), but implies that the object of faith is a worthy object, for he himself is faithful.” Though Paul elsewhere teaches justification by faith, this presupposes that the object of our faith is reliable and worthy of such faith.


text: Or “declared righteous.” Grk “being justified,” as a continuation of the preceding clause. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Or “purposed, intended.”


text: Grk “whom God publicly displayed.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “in his blood.” The prepositional phrase ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι ( ejn tw aujtou {aimati ) is difficult to interpret. It is traditionally understood to refer to the atoning sacrifice Jesus made when he shed his blood on the cross, and as a modifier of ἱλαστήριον ( Jilasthrion ). This interpretation fits if ἱλαστήριον is taken to refer to a sacrifice. But if ἱλαστήριον is taken to refer to the place where atonement is made as this translation has done (see note on the phrase “mercy seat”), this interpretation of ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι creates a violent mixed metaphor. Within a few words Paul would switch from referring to Jesus as the place where atonement was made to referring to Jesus as the atoning sacrifice itself. A viable option which resolves this problem is to see ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι as modifying the verb προέθετο ( proeqeto ). If it modifies the verb, it would explain the time or place in which God publicly displayed Jesus as the mercy seat; the reference to blood would be a metaphorical way of speaking of Jesus’ death. This is supported by the placement of ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι in the Greek text (it follows the noun, separated from it by another prepositional phrase) and by stylistic parallels with Rom 1:4 . This is the interpretation the translation has followed, although it is recognized that many interpreters favor different options and translations. The prepositional phrase has been moved forward in the sentence to emphasize its connection with the verb, and the referent of the metaphorical language has been specified in the translation. For a detailed discussion of this interpretation, see D. P. Bailey, “Jesus As the Mercy Seat: The Semantics and Theology of Paul’s Use of Hilasterion in Romans 3:25 ” (Ph.D. diss., University of Cambridge, 1999).


text: The word ἱλαστήριον ( Jilasthrion ) may carry the general sense “place of satisfaction,” referring to the place where God’s wrath toward sin is satisfied. More likely, though, it refers specifically to the “mercy seat,” i.e., the covering of the ark where the blood was sprinkled in the OT ritual on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This term is used only one other time in the NT: Heb 9:5 , where it is rendered “mercy seat.” There it describes the altar in the most holy place (holy of holies). Thus Paul is saying that God displayed Jesus as the “mercy seat,” the place where propitiation was accomplished. See N. S. L. Fryer, “The Meaning and Translation of Hilasterion in Romans 3:25 ,” EvQ 59 (1987): 99-116, who concludes the term is a neuter accusative substantive best translated “mercy seat” or “propitiatory covering,” and D. P. Bailey, “Jesus As the Mercy Seat: The Semantics and Theology of Paul’s Use of Hilasterion in Romans 3:25 ” (Ph.D. diss., University of Cambridge, 1999), who argues that this is a direct reference to the mercy seat which covered the ark of the covenant.


text: The prepositional phrase διὰ πίστεως ( dia pistew" ) here modifies the noun ἱλαστήριον ( Jilasthrion ). As such it forms a complete noun phrase and could be written as “mercy-seat-accessible-through-faith” to emphasize the singular idea. See Rom 1:4 for a similar construction. The word “accessible” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied to clarify the idea expressed by the prepositional phrase (cf. NRSV: “effective through faith”).


text: Grk “for a demonstration,” giving the purpose of God’s action in v. 25 a. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “because of the passing over of sins previously committed in the forbearance of God.”


text: The words “This was” have been repeated from the previous verse to clarify that this is a continuation of that thought. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “toward a demonstration,” repeating and expanding the purpose of God’s action in v. 25 a.


text: Or “righteous.”


text: Or “of the one who has faith in Jesus.” See note on “faithfulness of Jesus Christ” in v. 22 for the rationale behind the translation “Jesus’ faithfulness.”


text: Although a number of interpreters understand the “boasting” here to refer to Jewish boasting, others (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, “‘The Works of the Law’ in the Epistle to the Romans,” JSNT 43 [1991]: 96) take the phrase to refer to all human boasting before God.


text: Grk “By what sort of law?”


text: Here ἄνθρωπον ( anqrwpon ) is used in an indefinite and general sense (BDAG 81 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 4.a. γ ).


text: See the note on the phrase “works of the law” in Rom 3:20 .


text: Grk “but if indeed God is one.”


text: Grk “render inoperative.”


text: Grk “but” (Greek ἀλλά , alla ).