Romans 9:31

31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.

Romans 9:31 in Other Translations

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

31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousnessdid not succeed in reaching that law.

31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.

31 And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it.

31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at [that] law.

31 The people of Israel tried to gain God's approval by obeying Moses' Teachings, but they did not reach their goal.

31 But Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the law.

31 Israel did look for a law that could make them right with God. But they didn't find it.

Romans 9:31 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 9:31

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness,
&c.] 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 righteousness:
some of them fancied they had, supposing an external conformity to it, to be all that it insisted upon; not knowing the spirituality of it, that it required truth and holiness in the inward parts; and that he that offended in one point of it, was guilty of all, and therefore could not be justified by it.

Romans 9:31 In-Context

29 It is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”

30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.

32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 6:25; Isaiah 51:1; Romans 10:2,3; Romans 11:7
• 2. Galatians 5:4