In keeping with the demands of English discourse structure, a pronominal reference in Greek (literally “those ones”) is made explicit by the Good News Translation: the Jews (see Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible).

The phrase abandon their unbelief (literally, “no longer remains in unbelief”) may be rendered as “no longer refuse to believe” or “give up not believing.” On the other hand, this may also be expressed positively as “return and believe” or “change and believe.”

Will be put back in the place where they were is literally “will be grafted in.” See the comments on grafting at verse 17.

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 .

Everyone translates a Semitic idiom (literally “every soul”). Paul’s viewpoint in these verses expresses the normal Jewish attitude toward government. State authorities (Phillips “civil authorities”; Moffatt “government authorities”; Revised Standard Version “governing authorities”) is more literally rendered by An American Translation* and the New American Bible as “the authorities that are over him” (see New English Bible “supreme authorities”). Recently some interpreters have taken authorities to indicate the invisible angelic powers that lie behind the visible state powers. It is true that the word is used elsewhere by Paul in such a sense, but his attitude toward angelic authority elsewhere intimates that he understands these powers to be more nearly demonic than working for good. Historically, scholars have understood this phrase as a reference to the state authorities of Paul’s day (specifically, the Roman government), and there is no valid reason for departing from this viewpoint.

Obligation as expressed by everyone must obey may be more naturally expressed as an imperative in some languages—for example, “all of you should obey” or “all of you obey.”

In many languages the state authorities are simply “the rulers,” “those that have the power,” or as in some languages, idiomatically, “those who have their hands on the stick.”

Without God’s permission (literally “except by God”; Revised Standard Version “except from God”) is rendered by An American Translation* as “without the permission of God.” The second clause of verse 1 may be translated as “no one has power to rule unless God permits him to have it” or “only if God permits a person to rule does he have such power.”

The last clause in this verse, the existing authorities…, though translated in a variety of ways, has essentially the same meaning in all modern translations. In some languages this clause may be translated as “if there is a ruler, then God is the one who has made him such,” “only God has given power to those who rule,” or “those who have power rule because God has made it so.”

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 .

The phrase because of food may require some amplification in order to indicate that it is the eating of certain kinds of food, not merely food itself, which is involved—for example, “Simply because you think that any kind of food can be eaten, do not therefore destroy what God has done” or “For the sake of being able to eat any kind of food, do not destroy what God has done.”

What God has done (literally “the work of God”) may be a reference either to the weak brother (v. 15) or in a more general sense to the church, which is the result of God’s work through Jesus Christ.

All foods may be eaten is literally “all things are clean,” but it should be taken in the specific sense that the Good News Translation employs (see New American Bible “all foods are clean”).

But it is wrong to eat anything that will cause someone else to fall into sin translates a clause which is obscure in Greek. A literal translation is “it is bad for the man who eats through stumbling.” Most exegetes understand this as a reference to the man who is strong in faith and who may cause someone else to fall into sin by what he eats. A few take this as a reference to the man who is weak in faith and who by eating injures his own conscience and so causes himself to fall into sin (New American Bible “but it is wrong for a man to eat when the food offends his conscience”). Most translations are explicit in the way in which they interpret these words, and the New American Bible is apparently the only modern English translation that follows the second interpretation.

The final portion of verse 20 may be restructured as conditional: “If someone else is caused to fall into sin because of what you eat, then this is wrong.”

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 .

In Greek verses 30-32 are all one sentence. I urge you translates the same verb used in 12.1, I make this appeal. It is also used in 12.8 with the meaning of to encourage.

The Greek phrase “love of the Spirit” must be taken with the meaning the love that the Spirit gives (New English Bible “the love that the Spirit inspires”).

It is not easy to specify precisely how the phrases by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit gives are to be related to the verb urge. The Greek preposition dia indicates primarily “through” or “by means of,” but this does not imply agency. In other words, it would not be correct to say: “our Lord Jesus Christ is the one who causes me to urge you.” It would seem that the most satisfactory way of defining the relation in this clause is to consider by our Lord Jesus Christ as stating the underlying basis for Paul’s urging the believers at Rome to pray to God for him. Perhaps this can be most satisfactorily rendered as “because of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of the love that the Spirit has given us, I urge you to pray with me very earnestly to God for me.”

Join me in praying fervently (An American Translation* “join me in most earnest prayer”; Phillips “to stand behind me in earnest prayer”) is rendered “to strive together with me in your prayers” (Revised Standard Version). The verb rendered “to strive together with” (Revised Standard Version) is a metaphor alluding to warfare (note New English Bible “be my allies in the fight”), but it is best taken figuratively with the meaning of “to join together fervently (in praying).” The New English Bible (“be my allies in the fight; pray to God for me that…”) takes this phrase as describing two actions, but this is not the sense in which the Greek would normally be understood.

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 .

Over the Gentiles is not an actual part of the Greek text, but it is assumed in Paul’s argument, and is made explicit in the Good News Translation. Perhaps it should be noted also, that whereas the Greek has the singular “Jew,” the Good News Translation renders by a plural Jews, because in English discourse structure this is more natural. Or is there any value in being circumcised? means “What good does it do for the Jews to be circumcised?”

This first section in Romans 3 (vv. 1-8) involves a number of structural problems, primarily because of the question-answer structure. For languages in which rhetorical questions are permitted, this is a very effective means of highlighting an issue and then providing a satisfactory response. However, for languages which do not employ this rhetorical device, it is not easy to find an appropriate and satisfactory equivalent. While it is true that some languages do not permit a rhetorical question such as Do the Jews have any advantage over the Gentiles, then?, they do permit rhetorical questions which begin with some such introductory phrase as “Do you think therefore that…?” or “Do you suppose that…?” Such a question borders on the rhetorical type of interrogation, but it is often regarded as perfectly appropriate, since it would seem natural that Paul might himself ask his audience in Rome about their reactions to such issues. It is also possible to deal with such rhetorical questions by introducing them in another manner—for example, “Someone may ask, Do the Jews have any advantage over the Gentiles?” Placing the question into the speech of someone else frequently makes it completely admissible, and it is precisely this type of question which is important in a passage such as this, in which very definite responses to the question are included in the text.

It is not always easy to find a ready equivalent to the expression have any advantage over. However, there are always ways in which the same concept may be expressed, often in an idiomatic form—for example, “how do the Jews go ahead of the Gentiles?” or “how are the Jews lifted up higher than the Gentiles?” Any value in being circumcised? may be translated as “any good to be circumcised?” or “does it help at all to be circumcised?”

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 .

The rendering of this verse in the Good News Translation is much longer than in the Greek text, because it is necessary to make explicit certain elements which the original readers understood clearly, but which would be easily missed by present-day readers. The question which Paul raises in this verse indicates an important transition in his argument, because according to certain Jewish rabbis the blessings described in Psalm 32 applied only to the people of Israel. Paul must now show that the happiness referred to in the psalm applies not only to the Jewish people but to the Gentiles as well. The Good News Translation explains this happiness by the words that David spoke of in order to make clear the fact that Paul has reference to the quotation from the psalm made in the previous verse.

In translation it is often necessary either to transform rhetorical questions into statements or to make explicit the expected answer, as the Good News Translation here does: No. It belongs also to those who are not circumcised.

We have quoted the scripture is literally “for we are saying.” In this context the particle “for” is evidently used for the sake of furthering Paul’s argument and of tying it to what he has previously said. In order to make his argument even stronger, Paul returns again to the passage in Genesis 15.6.

The initial rhetorical question and response may, of course, be rendered as an emphatic negative—for example, “This happiness that David spoke of does not belong merely to the circumcised” or “It is not merely those who are circumcised who experience this happiness that David spoke of.” In some languages belongs … to may be more effectively rendered as “applies to” or “includes.”

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 .

As in verse 15, so here many men is equivalent in meaning to “all men.”

Were made translates the same verb used in Acts 7.27 (who made you ruler and judge?). It is best understood in the sense of “make (someone) to be (something).” The phrase were made sinners has its parallel in will be put right with God (Revised Standard Version “will be made righteous”). It is important to understand the context in which Paul is speaking. He looks upon Adam as the father of the human race and the one who introduced sin into the world. From this perspective many men were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man. Paul does not intend to imply that men are held responsible for the sin that Adam committed, as is made clear by looking at the other aspect of Paul’s thought in this verse. Paul also affirms that in the same way many will be put right with God as the result of the obedience of the one man. In the same way that Adam is looked upon as being the head of the old human race, so Christ is the head of the new humanity. And as Adam’s disobedience brought sin into the world and made it possible for every man to sin, so Christ’s obedience makes it possible for every man to be put right with God. Yet Adam’s sin not only introduced sin into the world, but it meant that all of his descendants were born into a race which had separated itself from God. So then, when Paul says that many men were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man, he has in mind two things: (1) Adam is the one who brought sin into the world, and (2) all men are descendants of Adam and are born into a race of people who are already separated from God. Jesus Christ stands in sharp contrast to Adam: by his obedience to God Jesus Christ brought “righteousness” into the world and so made it possible for every man to be put right with God.

The phrases as the result of the disobedience of one man and as the result of the obedience of the one man must both be transformed into clauses of cause in many languages—for example, “and just as people because sinners because one man disobeyed God, in the same way God puts people right with himself because the one man obeyed God.” It may be necessary to specify that “the one man” is “Jesus Christ.”

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 .