Romans 9:31
 
Romans 9:31
(KJV) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
(1611 KJV) But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse, hath not attained to the Law of righteousnes.
(1587 Geneva Bible) But Israel which followed the Lawe of righteousnes, could not arteine vnto the Law of righteousnes.
(1526 Tyndale) But Israel which folowed the lawe of rightewesnes coulde not attayne vnto ye lawe of rightewesnes.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
(1901 ASV) but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
(NIV) but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
(NASV) but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
(THE MESSAGE) And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it.
(AMP) Whereas Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law [for the securing] of righteousness (right standing with God), actually did not succeed in fulfilling the Law.
(NLT) But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.
(ESV) but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
(CEV) It also means that the people of Israel were not acceptable to God. And why not?
(NCV) The people of Israel tried to follow a law to make themselves right with God. But they did not succeed,
(HCSB) But Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the law.
(NIRV) but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.
(RSV) but that Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based on law did not succeed in fulfilling that law.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) but that Israel, who pursued the law of righteousness, did not attain to that law?
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) but Israel, although pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain to the law.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
ισραηλ δε διωκων νομον δικαιοσυνης εις νομον δικαιοσυνης ουκ εφθασεν
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
ισραηλ δε διωκων νομον δικαιοσυνης εις νομον ουκ εφθασεν
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Fourth century
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Fourth century - Corrected
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omit “of righteousness”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Affected Teaching
Israel had rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and it was only through Him that salvation could be attained. Instead of embracing the Lord Jesus Christ, they had attempted to attain salvation by keeping the law of righteousness. Now there is no one on this earth which could keep the law perfectly. If there was a way to keep the law perfectly, then the cross would not have been needed. However, we know that keeping the law right down to the most minute detail is impossible for any human. This verse teaches that Israel had set before itself the impossible mission of keeping the law of righteousness to attain righteousness, which would be salvation. Their goal had eluded them with every sin they committed and were never able to attain the law of righteousness. Without the imputed righteousness of Christ, there would be no way a person could stand righteous before God. The minority text versions omit the goal which was the law of righteousness and just leave a nebulous law on the end of their verse. One could ask, what law? The Modern Literal and the King James versions keeps the specific law in the text and we know that trying to attain the law of righteousness by keeping the law of righteousness is an impossible task. There are many laws in God’s law that a person can attain but they must keep every single law and therein lies the inability of any person to be able to do so. The only way we can attain the law of righteousness is in Christ who fulfilled the demands of God’s holy law in its entirety. The Modern Literal and the King James versions once again shows it deals with specifics and does not keep a person guessing as to the meaning of a verse.

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