10:3a–c
This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “for.” Here, this conjunction indicates that not submitting to God’s righteousness was the reason that the Jews had zeal without proper knowledge (10:2). The Berean Standard Bible leaves this connection implicit. Consider how you might introduce this kind of reason in your language.
Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness: The main point here is they did not submit to God’s righteousness. The rest of this verse (they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own) are reasons that contributed to not submitting.
In some languages the connections will be more clear if the reason comes after the result. For example:
They did not submit to God’s righteousness, because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own
10:3a
Because: Here this word introduces the reason for the Jews’ misguided zeal.
they were ignorant of: There are several ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were ignorant of :
(1) Here it means not knowing what something is. For example:
they did not know (New International Version)
(New International Version, Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version)
(2) Here it means seeing something but not being clear about what it is or what it does. For example:
don’t understand (New Living Translation (2004))
(New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version)
(3) Here it means seeing something but then paying no attention to it. For example:
ignoring (NET Bible)
(NET Bible, Revised English Bible)
(4) Here it means seeing something but not knowing what it is. For example:
Not recognizing (New Jerusalem Bible)
(New Jerusalem Bible)
(5) Here it means not knowing that something exists. For example:
being ignorant of (Revised Standard Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, King James Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it seems like the best fit here.
God’s righteousness: There are several ways to interpret these words:
(1) Here they refer to God giving someone the status of righteous. For example:
the righteousness that comes from God (NET Bible)
(Revised Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
(2) Here they refer to God being righteous. For example:
God’s righteousness (New American Standard Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011), New American Standard Bible, King James Version, English Standard Version)
(3) Here they refer to God making someone’s relationship with him right. For example:
God’s way of making people right with himself (New Living Translation (2004))
(Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it is opposite to the Jews trying to make themselves righteous (10:3b).
10:3b
sought: This word here refers to making an effort to accomplish something. The Jews worked hard to establish a righteousness that they thought was right. Here are other ways to translate this word:
strove-after
-or-
worked hard
establish their own: Here the word establish refers to setting something up as permanent. Here the words their own refers to a righteousness that they decided was the right kind. Here are other ways to translate this word:
set up their own way (Good News Translation)
-or-
make themselves right in their own way (New Century Version)
-or-
enact their own plan for that
-or-
make their own road/way to their own righteousness
10:3c
submit: This word refers to putting oneself under the command of another. Here are other ways to translate this word:
humbled (lit. lowered) themselves
-or-
give themselves
God’s righteousness: There are two ways to interpret these words:
(1) Here they refer to God being righteous. For example:
God’s righteousness (NET Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
(2) Here they refer to God making a person’s relationship with him right. For example:
God’s way of putting people right (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it works best with the word “submit.” This is a different meaning for righteousness than in 10:3a. Paul sometimes used the same word or phrase with different meanings (for example, “Israel” in 9:6).
This clause indicates that the Jews did not humble themselves under God’s righteous ways.
In some languages the verb “submit” cannot naturally connect to a quality like God being right. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain the connection in your language. For example:
they did not submit to the right ⌊ways⌋ of God
-or-
they did not submit to God, ⌊who/he is⌋ ⌊always⌋ righteous
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