What Does Romans 3:21 Mean?
But now the alignment of God, apart from the instruction, has come into sight, being witnessed to by the instruction and the prophets.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;THE KEY
God’s alignment appears apart from law, yet the law and prophets themselves bear witness to it.
THE MEANING
God’s alignment is present beyond law as its source, while instruction and prophetic witness attest to it. What appears apart from law is still held within the testimony of scripture.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that alignment must be produced by compliance with law, or that what appears apart from law has no scriptural witness.
THE ROOT
δικαιοσύνη
dikaiosynē
GROWS FROM
δικ
dik
Rightness or justice; being in the right.
This word opens beyond a moral score into alignment: being set in the right. The verse says that alignment is made visible apart from law, while the law and prophets testify to it.
ALSO GROWS
dikaios: just, right
δίκαιος
The related adjective describes the person or thing marked by rightness.
dikaioō: justify, declare right
δικαιόω
The related verb shows this word family can name the recognition of someone as aligned.
μαρτυρουμένη
martyroumenē
GROWS FROM
μαρτυρ
martyr
Witness or testimony.
“witnessed to” in this verse is martyroumenē. The verse’s witness language makes the law and prophets attest to the alignment appearing here; they are testimony to it. The Greek word belongs to the same family as the words for a witness and testimony.
ALSO GROWS
martys: witness
μάρτυς
The related noun names one who gives testimony, clarifying the role of the law and prophets in this verse.
martyria: testimony, witness
μαρτυρία
The related noun makes explicit that what is being offered is testimony about the alignment.
THE PATTERN
Scripture bears witness to alignment received through trust across the story, rather than treating law as its source.
And he leaned his weight on the LORD, and he counted it to him as alignment.Behold, his living soul is swollen, and it is not straight within him, but the aligned one shall live by the lean of his full weight.For what does the scripture say? Abraham leaned his full weight on God, and it was counted to him for alignment.THE THREAD
For what does the scripture say? Abraham leaned his full weight on God, and it was counted to him for alignment.The Greek word translated “righteousness” shares the δικ root with the word in this verse. Romans 4:3 shows the alignment named here being counted through trust, while scripture bears witness to it.
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