Romans 10 3

Romans 10:3 kjv

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Romans 10:3 nkjv

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Romans 10:3 niv

Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Romans 10:3 esv

For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Romans 10:3 nlt

For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

Romans 10 verses

Romans 10 3 Meaning

Romans 10:3 explains why many in Israel failed to achieve righteousness with God. They were unaware of or misunderstood the righteousness God provides (a righteousness found in Christ by faith) and instead, diligently pursued a righteousness based on their own efforts, primarily through adherence to the Law. Consequently, they resisted and refused to subject themselves to the divine standard of righteousness established by God, which is available through faith.

Romans 10 3 Context

Romans 10:3 is a pivotal statement within Paul's discourse on Israel's unbelief, found in Romans chapters 9-11. Chapter 9 establishes God's sovereign choice and justice, even in allowing Israel to stumble. Chapter 10 shifts focus to Israel's culpability and responsibility. Verse 2 immediately precedes, stating Israel has "a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." This verse then explains how that zeal went astray: by rejecting God's provided path to righteousness in favor of their own self-achieved one. Paul is lamenting their missed opportunity for salvation and seeking to clarify the correct path. Historically, many Jews believed salvation was maintained through diligent adherence to the Mosaic Law and traditional customs. This emphasis on human effort and observance led them to miss the radical concept of righteousness as a divine gift received through faith in the Messiah. Paul is directly countering the widespread Jewish belief in self-meritorious righteousness.

Romans 10 3 Word analysis

• For they: Referring primarily to "Israel" or "my people" from Rom 9:3 and the "brothers" mentioned in Rom 10:1, highlighting the specific audience for this diagnosis.

• being ignorant: (Greek: ἀγνοοῦντες - agnoountes) This is an active participle, implying more than mere lack of information. It suggests a wilful non-acknowledgment, a failure to perceive or understand something available to them, possibly due to preoccupation or a predisposition against it. It's a state of not knowing despite proximity to truth.

• of God's righteousness: (Greek: τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην - tēn tou theou dikaiosynēn) This refers to the righteousness that God initiates, provides, and grants. It is not an attribute of God in Himself here, but rather God's way of making humans righteous (justification), a status freely given by divine grace through faith in Jesus Christ, entirely apart from human works.

• and going about to establish: (Greek: καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν στῆσαι - kai tēn idian stēsai) The phrase "going about" indicates effort and diligent pursuit. "Establish" (στῆσαι) means to set up, to make to stand, to bring into existence. It points to a human attempt to construct, prove, or validate a system of righteousness.

• their own righteousness: (Greek: τὴν ἰδίαν [δικαιοσύνην] - tēn idian [dikaiosynēn]) This stands in direct contrast to "God's righteousness." It signifies a righteousness derived from human effort, merit, and performance, typically adherence to the Law as interpreted by Rabbinic tradition. It's a self-generated, self-dependent righteousness.

• have not submitted themselves: (Greek: οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν - ouch hypetagēsan) This verb signifies active non-submission or refusal to yield, to place oneself under, or obey. It's a deliberate act of resistance, not passive ignorance, demonstrating an inherent rebellion against God's method of salvation. This word implies a prior awareness of what was being rejected.

• unto the righteousness of God: (Greek: τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ - tē dikaiosynē tou theou) This reiterates the divine system of righteousness that they actively rejected. It is the righteousness that God approves, which is received by faith, contrasting with a humanly-conceived and performed righteousness.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness": This phrase captures the core dilemma. Their misunderstanding of how God provides righteousness directly propelled them to pursue an alternative, human-centric way. Ignorance led to misguided zeal and self-reliance, defining their spiritual path.
  • "establish their own righteousness" contrasted with "not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God": This highlights the deep theological chasm. Their relentless effort to secure righteousness by personal merit fostered an unwillingness to accept and submit to the righteousness that comes solely as a gift from God. The former requires pride and human performance; the latter demands humility and faith.

Romans 10 3 Bonus section

The repeated phrase "righteousness of God" (τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην) emphasizes God's authorship and nature of true righteousness, setting it distinctly apart from human achievement. The Law, while holy and good (Rom 7:12), was given not as a means for earning righteousness, but to expose sin and demonstrate humanity's need for a Savior (Rom 3:20). Israel’s error was converting a divine diagnostic tool into a supposed ladder to heaven. This struggle is not unique to ancient Israel; it reflects a universal human tendency to prefer self-reliance and merit-based systems over divine grace, often out of a misguided sense of control or earning potential with God. The tension between divine provision and human striving for righteousness is a recurring theme throughout biblical theology.

Romans 10 3 Commentary

Romans 10:3 dissects Israel's fundamental spiritual error. Their fervent devotion, acknowledged in the preceding verse, was critically misdirected. They misunderstood God's means of justifying people, seeing righteousness as an achievement through legal adherence rather than a divine gift. This misconception bred a zealous but futile self-effort, where they sought to create and maintain their own righteous standing before God through works of the Law. Such a pursuit inevitably resulted in a proud resistance to God's revealed method—the righteousness found through humble faith in Christ. Their active non-submission reveals that the issue was not just an intellectual oversight, but a failure of will, an unwillingness to yield their self-made systems to God's gracious, sovereign plan. It serves as a perennial warning against self-righteousness, illustrating that spiritual ignorance coupled with human effort, however well-intentioned, prevents salvation through God's ordained path.