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Selected Verse: Romans 9:31 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ro 9:31	Strong Concordance	But [1161] Israel [2474], which followed [1377] after the law [3551] of righteousness [1343], hath [5348] not [3756] attained [5348] to [1519] the law [3551] of righteousness [1343].
	King James	But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
But Israel, which followed--"following" after the law of righteousness, hath not attained--"attained not" unto the law of righteousness--The word "law" is used here, we think, in the same sense as in Rom 7:23, to denote "a principle of action"; that is, "Israel, though sincerely and steadily aiming at acceptance with God, nevertheless missed it."

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

But Israel, which followed--"following"

after the law of righteousness, hath not attained--"attained not"

unto the law of righteousness--The word "law" is used here, we think, in the same sense as in Rom 7:23, to denote "a principle of action"; that is, "Israel, though sincerely and steadily aiming at acceptance with God, nevertheless missed it."

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
But Israel - The Jews. The apostle does not mean to affirm that none of the Jews had obtained mercy, but that "as a people," or acting according to the prevalent principles of the nation to work out their own righteousness, they had not obtained it. Which followed after the law of righteousness - The phrase, "the law of righteousness," means the law of justice, or "the just law." That Law demands perfect purity; and even its external observance demanded holiness. The Jews supposed that they rendered such obedience to that Law as to constitute "a meritorious" ground of justification. This they had "followed after," that is, pursued zealously and unremittingly. The reason why they did not obtain justification in that way is fully stated in Rom. 1-3 where it is shown that the Law demands perfect compliance with its precepts; and that Jews, as well as Gentiles, had altogether failed in rendering such compliance. Hath not attained to the law of righteousness - They have not come to yield true obedience to the Law, even though imperfect; not such obedience as to give evidence that they have been justified. We may remark here, (1) That no conclusion could have been more humbling to a Jew than this. It constituted the whole of the prevalent religion, and was the object of their incessant toils. (2) as they made the experiment fully, and failed: as they had the best advantages for it, and did not succeed, but reared only a miserable and delusive system of self-righteousness Phi 3:4-9; it follows, that all similar experiments must fail, and that none now can be justified by the Law. (3) thousands fail in the same attempt. They seek to justify themselves before God. They attempt to weave a righteousness of their own. The moral man does this. The immoral man attempts it as much as the moral man, and is as confident in his own righteousness. The troubled sinner does this; and this it is which keeps him so long from the cross of Christ. All this must be renounced; and man must come as a poor, lost, ruined sinner, and throw himself upon the mere mercy of God in Christ for justification and life.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

But Israel - The Jews. The apostle does not mean to affirm that none of the Jews had obtained mercy, but that "as a people," or acting according to the prevalent principles of the nation to work out their own righteousness, they had not obtained it.

Which followed after the law of righteousness - The phrase, "the law of righteousness," means the law of justice, or "the just law." That Law demands perfect purity; and even its external observance demanded holiness. The Jews supposed that they rendered such obedience to that Law as to constitute "a meritorious" ground of justification. This they had "followed after," that is, pursued zealously and unremittingly. The reason why they did not obtain justification in that way is fully stated in Rom. 1-3 where it is shown that the Law demands perfect compliance with its precepts; and that Jews, as well as Gentiles, had altogether failed in rendering such compliance.

Hath not attained to the law of righteousness - They have not come to yield true obedience to the Law, even though imperfect; not such obedience as to give evidence that they have been justified. We may remark here,

(1) That no conclusion could have been more humbling to a Jew than this. It constituted the whole of the prevalent religion, and was the object of their incessant toils.

(2) as they made the experiment fully, and failed: as they had the best advantages for it, and did not succeed, but reared only a miserable and delusive system of self-righteousness Phi 3:4-9; it follows, that all similar experiments must fail, and that none now can be justified by the Law.

(3) thousands fail in the same attempt.

They seek to justify themselves before God. They attempt to weave a righteousness of their own. The moral man does this. The immoral man attempts it as much as the moral man, and is as confident in his own righteousness. The troubled sinner does this; and this it is which keeps him so long from the cross of Christ. All this must be renounced; and man must come as a poor, lost, ruined sinner, and throw himself upon the mere mercy of God in Christ for justification and life.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
righteousness (See Scofield) - (Rom 10:3).

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
But Israel, which followed after - But the Jews, who have hitherto been the people of God, though they have been industrious in observing a rule by which they supposed they could secure the blessings of God's peculiar kingdom, yet have not come up to the true and only rule by which those blessings can be secured.

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²³ But [1161] I see [991] another [2087] law [3551] in [1722] my [3450] members [3196], warring against [497] the law [3551] of my [3450] mind [3563], and [2532] bringing [163] me [3165] into captivity [163] to the law [3551] of sin [266] which [3588] is [5607] in [1722] my [3450] members [3196].

⁴ Though [2539] I [1473] might [2192] also [2532] have [2192] confidence [4006] in [1722] the flesh [4561]. If any [1536] other man [243] thinketh [1380] that he hath whereof he might trust [3982] in [1722] the flesh [4561], I [1473] more [3123]:
⁵ Circumcised [4061] the eighth [3637] day, of [1537] the stock [1085] of Israel [2474], of the tribe [5443] of Benjamin [958], an Hebrew [1445] of [1537] the Hebrews [1445]; as touching [2596] the law [3551], a Pharisee [5330];
⁶ Concerning [2596] zeal [2205], persecuting [1377] the church [1577]; touching [2596] the righteousness [1343] which [3588] is in [1722] the law [3551], [1096] blameless [273].
⁷ But [235] what things [3748] were [2258] gain [2771] to me [3427], those [5023] I counted [2233] loss [2209] for [1223] Christ [5547].
⁸ Yea [235] doubtless [3304], and [2532] I count [2233] all things [3956] but loss [2209] for [1511] [1223] the excellency [5242] of the knowledge [1108] of Christ [5547] Jesus [2424] my [3450] Lord [2962]: for [1223] whom [3739] I have suffered the loss [2210] of all things [3956], and [2532] do count [2233] them [1511] but dung [4657], that [2443] I may win [2770] Christ [5547],
⁹ And [2532] be found [2147] in [1722] him [846], not [3361] having [2192] mine own [1699] righteousness [1343], which [3588] is of [1537] the law [3551], but [235] that which [3588] is through [1223] the faith [4102] of Christ [5547], the righteousness [1343] which [3588] is of [1537] God [2316] by [1909] faith [4102]:

³ For [1063] they being ignorant [50] of God's [2316] righteousness [1343], and [2532] going about [2212] to establish [2476] their own [2398] righteousness [1343], have [5293] not [3756] submitted themselves [5293] unto the righteousness [1343] of God [2316].