It is generally agreed that the word Law in this passage refers to the entire Old Testament, the content of which Paul has summarized in verses 10-18. Paul reminds the Jews among his readers that the Law applies (literally “speaks”) to those who live under the Law, that is, to the Jews; and so this means that the Jews themselves are guilty of the sins described in the previous verses. It has already been concluded that the Gentiles stand under God’s judgment, and now the Jews also are shown to be guilty in God’s sight, so the purpose of the Law is clearly to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God’s judgment. In order to stop all human excuses (see New English Bible “so that no one may have anything to say in self-defence”) translates another Semitic expression which is rendered literally by An American Translation* (“so that every mouth may be shut”).

Everything in the Law may be rendered as “everything which is written in the Law” or “all the words of the Law.” Applies to those may be translated as “speaks about those,” “tells about those,” or “relates to those.”

The phrase under the Law is difficult to translate. In fact, rendered literally, it may convey a wrong meaning. For example, in some languages it indicates “the underworld” or “those who live in utter disregard of the Law.” Under the Law may, however, be translated as “those who are obliged to keep the Law” or “those who bind themselves to behave according to the Law.”

It is particularly important that the purpose clause beginning with in order to be related to the main verb of the first clause, namely, applies to rather than to any verb expression involved in the clause who live under the Law. In order to make this perfectly clear, one may have to translate: “the Law exists in order to stop all human excuses” or “… in order to prevent people from making all kinds of excuses.”

The final phrase bring the whole world under God’s judgment may be rendered in some languages as “cause everyone in the world to be subject to God’s judgment,” “cause that God’s judgment will apply to all people,” or “show that God will judge everyone in the world.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .