Grammar Analysis: Romans 3:21-26¶
Text¶
Greek (NA28/TR):
v.21 Νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται, μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, v.22 δικαιοσύνη δὲ Θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν διαστολή· v.23 πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, v.24 δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· v.25 ὃν προέθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι, εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων v.26 ἐν τῇ ἀνοχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὴν ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν δίκαιον καὶ δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ.
KJV: - 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; - 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: - 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; - 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: - 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; - 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Word-by-Word Parsing¶
Verse 21¶
| # | Word | Lemma | Strong's | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Νυνὶ | νυνί | G3570 | ADV | but now |
| 2 | δὲ | δέ | G1161 | CONJ | and/but |
| 3 | χωρὶς | χωρίς | G5565 | ADV | apart from |
| 4 | νόμου | νόμος | G3551 | N-GSM | law (gen.) |
| 5 | δικαιοσύνη | δικαιοσύνη | G1343 | N-NSF | righteousness (nom.) |
| 6 | Θεοῦ | θεός | G2316 | N-GSM | of God (gen.) |
| 7 | πεφανέρωται | φανερόω | G5319 | V-RPI-3S | has been manifested (perf. pass. ind.) |
| 8 | μαρτυρουμένη | μαρτυρέω | G3140 | V-PPP-NSF | being witnessed (pres. pass. ptcp.) |
| 9 | ὑπὸ | ὑπό | G5259 | PREP | by |
| 10 | τοῦ νόμου | νόμος | G3551 | T-GSM + N-GSM | the law |
| 11 | καὶ | καί | G2532 | CONJ | and |
| 12 | τῶν προφητῶν | προφήτης | G4396 | T-GPM + N-GPM | the prophets |
Verse 22¶
| # | Word | Lemma | Strong's | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | δικαιοσύνη | δικαιοσύνη | G1343 | N-NSF | righteousness (nom.) |
| 2 | δὲ | δέ | G1161 | CONJ | and/but |
| 3 | Θεοῦ | θεός | G2316 | N-GSM | of God |
| 4 | διὰ | διά | G1223 | PREP | through |
| 5 | πίστεως | πίστις | G4102 | N-GSF | faith (gen.) |
| 6 | Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ | Ἰησοῦς Χριστός | G2424 G5547 | N-GSM N-GSM | of Jesus Christ |
| 7 | εἰς | εἰς | G1519 | PREP | unto |
| 8 | πάντας | πᾶς | G3956 | A-APM | all (acc.) |
| 9 | τοὺς πιστεύοντας | πιστεύω | G4100 | T-APM + V-PAP-APM | the ones believing (pres. act. ptcp.) |
| 10 | οὐ | οὐ | G3756 | PRT-N | not |
| 11 | γάρ | γάρ | G1063 | CONJ | for |
| 12 | ἐστιν | εἰμί | G1510 | V-PAI-3S | there is |
| 13 | διαστολή | διαστολή | G1293 | N-NSF | distinction |
Verse 23¶
| # | Word | Lemma | Strong's | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | πάντες | πᾶς | G3956 | A-NPM | all (nom.) |
| 2 | γὰρ | γάρ | G1063 | CONJ | for |
| 3 | ἥμαρτον | ἁμαρτάνω | G264 | V-2AAI-3P | sinned (aor. act. ind.) |
| 4 | καὶ | καί | G2532 | CONJ | and |
| 5 | ὑστεροῦνται | ὑστερέω | G5302 | V-PPI-3P | fall short (pres. pass. ind.) |
| 6 | τῆς δόξης | δόξα | G1391 | T-GSF + N-GSF | of the glory (gen.) |
| 7 | τοῦ Θεοῦ | θεός | G2316 | T-GSM + N-GSM | of God |
Verse 24¶
| # | Word | Lemma | Strong's | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | δικαιούμενοι | δικαιόω | G1344 | V-PPP-NPM | being justified (pres. pass. ptcp.) |
| 2 | δωρεὰν | δωρεάν | G1432 | ADV | freely / as a gift |
| 3 | τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι | χάρις | G5485 | T-DSF + P-GSM + N-DSF | by his grace (dat. of means) |
| 4 | διὰ | διά | G1223 | PREP | through |
| 5 | τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως | ἀπολύτρωσις | G629 | T-GSF + N-GSF | the redemption (gen.) |
| 6 | τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ | — | — | T-GSF + PREP + N-DSM N-DSM | that [is] in Christ Jesus |
Verse 25¶
| # | Word | Lemma | Strong's | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ὃν | ὅς | G3739 | R-ASM | whom (rel. pron., acc.) |
| 2 | προέθετο | προτίθημι | G4388 | V-2AMI-3S | set forth / purposed (aor. mid. ind.) |
| 3 | ὁ Θεὸς | θεός | G2316 | T-NSM + N-NSM | God (nom., subject) |
| 4 | ἱλαστήριον | ἱλαστήριος | G2435 | N-ASN | propitiation / mercy seat (acc.) |
| 5 | διὰ πίστεως | πίστις | G4102 | PREP + N-GSF | through faith |
| 6 | ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι | αἷμα | G129 | PREP + T-DSN + P-GSM + N-DSN | in his blood (dat.) |
| 7 | εἰς ἔνδειξιν | ἔνδειξις | G1732 | PREP + N-ASF | for a demonstration |
| 8 | τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ | δικαιοσύνη | G1343 | T-GSF + N-GSF + P-GSM | of his righteousness |
| 9 | διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν | πάρεσις | G3929 | PREP + T-ASF + N-ASF | because of the passing over |
| 10 | τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων | ἁμάρτημα | G265 | T-GPN + V-2RAP-GPN + N-GPN | of the previously committed sins |
Verse 26¶
| # | Word | Lemma | Strong's | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ἐν τῇ ἀνοχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ | ἀνοχή | G463 | PREP + T-DSF + N-DSF + T-GSM + N-GSM | in the forbearance of God |
| 2 | πρὸς τὴν ἔνδειξιν | ἔνδειξις | G1732 | PREP + T-ASF + N-ASF | for the demonstration |
| 3 | τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ | δικαιοσύνη | G1343 | T-GSF + N-GSF + P-GSM | of his righteousness |
| 4 | ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ | καιρός | G2540 | PREP + T-DSM + ADV + N-DSM | at the present time |
| 5 | εἰς τὸ εἶναι | εἰμί | G1510 | PREP + T-ASN + V-PAN | so that [he might] be (articular inf.) |
| 6 | αὐτὸν | αὐτός | G846 | P-ASM | him (acc., subject of inf.) |
| 7 | δίκαιον | δίκαιος | G1342 | A-ASM | just / righteous |
| 8 | καὶ | καί | G2532 | CONJ | and |
| 9 | δικαιοῦντα | δικαιόω | G1344 | V-PAP-ASM | the one justifying (pres. act. ptcp.) |
| 10 | τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ | πίστις | G4102 | T-ASM + PREP + N-GSF + N-GSM | the one of faith in Jesus |
Clause Structure and Syntactic Flow¶
The six-verse paragraph is a single period — one of the most complex syntactic structures in the Pauline corpus. The main clause is in v.21 with every subsequent element dependent on it through participial, relative, prepositional, and infinitival subordination. The structural skeleton:
MAIN CLAUSE (v.21):
Νυνὶ δὲ ... δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται
[Subject: δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ | Verb: πεφανέρωται (perf. pass. ind.)]
├── PARTICIPIAL MODIFIER (v.21b):
│ μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν
│ [pres. pass. ptcp., adjectival, modifying δικαιοσύνη]
│
├── APPOSITIONAL RESTATEMENT (v.22a):
│ δικαιοσύνη δὲ Θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
│ [verbless, restates subject with instrumental qualifier]
│
├── EXTENSION (v.22b): εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας
│ [articular substantival ptcp. = recipients]
│
├── EXPLANATORY γάρ CLAUSES (vv.22c-23):
│ οὐ γάρ ἐστιν διαστολή· πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον
│ καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ
│ [two γάρ clauses grounding the "unto all" claim]
│
├── PARTICIPIAL CONTINUATION (v.24):
│ δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι
│ διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ
│ [pres. pass. ptcp. NPM, linked to πάντες of v.23]
│
├── RELATIVE CLAUSE (v.25a):
│ ὃν προέθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἱλαστήριον
│ [antecedent = Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ from v.24]
│
│ ├── INSTRUMENTAL (v.25b): διὰ πίστεως
│ ├── LOCATIVE (v.25c): ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι
│ │
│ ├── PURPOSE (v.25d): εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ
│ │ └── CAUSAL (v.25e): διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων
│ │ └── TEMPORAL (v.26a): ἐν τῇ ἀνοχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ
│ │
│ ├── PURPOSE RESTATED (v.26b): πρὸς τὴν ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ
│ │ └── TEMPORAL (v.26c): ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ
│ │
│ └── RESULT / PURPOSE (v.26d): εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν δίκαιον
│ καὶ δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ
│ [articular infinitive = telic/ecbatic outcome]
The paragraph flows from one main verb (πεφανέρωται) through layers of participial, prepositional, and infinitival expansion. There is no second finite main verb until the new sentence at v.27. This single-period architecture compresses the entire logic of justification — its source (God's righteousness), channel (faith), ground (Christ's blood), mechanism (propitiation), occasion (the justice problem of the ages), and outcome (God shown to be just and justifier) — into one syntactically unified statement.
Key Grammatical Features¶
1. πεφανέρωται (v.21) — Perfect Passive Indicative of φανερόω¶
- Form: V-RPI-3S — perfect tense, passive voice, indicative mood, third person singular. Reduplication πε- + stem φανερ- + passive ending -ωται.
- Significance: This is the sole finite main verb governing the entire six-verse period. The perfect tense (see tense-perfect) fuses two temporal frames: (1) a past event — God's righteousness was revealed at a point in time — and (2) a present state — it now stands manifested and remains so. The Νυνὶ δέ ("but now") temporal marker exploits this dual reference: the "now" is not merely the moment of the event but the inaugurated era in which the revealed state persists.
- Parser-verified contrast: Of 20+ NT occurrences of φανερόω, only Rom 3:21 uses the perfect tense. All other occurrences are aorist (ἐφανέρωσεν/ἐφανερώθη, punctiliar event) or present/future. Paul's choice of perfect over aorist here is deliberate — he is not narrating a past event (aorist would serve) but asserting a new standing reality. Compare Rom 16:26 φανερωθέντος (aorist passive participle) where Paul narrates the historical event of revelation; here the perfect marks the abiding state produced by that event.
- Passive voice: The unexpressed agent is God (cf. divine-passive). God's righteousness is the grammatical subject, and God himself is the implied agent of the manifestation — a layered divine-passive where God both manifests and is the content of what is manifested.
- Grammar reference: tense-perfect, divine-passive
2. δικαιούμενοι (v.24) — Present Passive Participle of δικαιόω¶
- Form: V-PPP-NPM — present tense, passive voice, participle, nominative plural masculine. This is the adverbial participle modifying the subject πάντες from v.23.
- Significance: The present tense of this participle is grammatically striking against the backdrop of the aorist ἥμαρτον ("sinned," constative aorist covering the whole history of human sin) and present ὑστεροῦνται ("fall short," ongoing present reality). The present passive participle δικαιούμενοι sits between the past-completed universal sin and the ongoing present deficit, characterizing the manner in which the "all" who sinned now relate to God's manifested righteousness — they are "being justified" as an ongoing, present-tense reality.
- Syntactic link: The NPM (nominative plural masculine) concords with πάντες (v.23 A-NPM), creating a participial bridge from v.23 back to the main clause of v.21. The "all who sinned" are the same "all who are being justified" — the universality of sin is grammatically matched by the universality of the justification offer.
- Adverbial modifiers: Three instrumental/means qualifiers stack under this single participle:
- δωρεὰν (ADV) — "freely / as a gift" — adverb of manner
- τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι (dative of means) — "by his grace" — the ground
- διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως (genitive after διά) — "through the redemption" — the mechanism
- Pauline dikaioo morphology: Parser search reveals Paul uses δικαιόω across every tense-voice combination: present passive participle (Rom 3:24), present active participle (Rom 3:26; 4:5; 8:33), aorist passive participle (Rom 5:1, 9), future active indicative (Rom 3:30), future passive indicative (Rom 2:13; Gal 2:16), aorist passive indicative (Rom 4:2; 1 Cor 6:11), perfect passive indicative (Rom 6:7; 1 Cor 4:4). The morphological variety itself is theologically productive: justification appears as past event (aorist), present process (present), and future consummation (future).
- Word study link: G1344-dikaioo
3. προέθετο (v.25) — Aorist Middle Indicative of προτίθημι¶
- Form: V-2AMI-3S — second aorist, middle voice, indicative mood, third person singular. Subject: ὁ Θεός (nominative, explicitly stated).
- Significance: The middle voice of προτίθημι carries two possible nuances, both parser-verified across its 3 NT occurrences (Rom 1:13; 3:25; Eph 1:9):
- (a) "Set forth publicly" — middle with display/presentation sense: God publicly exhibited Christ as ἱλαστήριον. The middle conveys that God did this for his own purposes / of his own initiative.
- (b) "Purposed / planned beforehand" — middle with deliberative-reflexive sense (cf. Rom 1:13 προεθέμην "I purposed"; Eph 1:9 προέθετο "he purposed"). God determined within himself to present Christ.
- Double accusative construction: ὃν (relative pronoun, accusative — direct object, antecedent = Christ Jesus) + ἱλαστήριον (predicate accusative) — God set forth him [as] a propitiation/mercy-seat. The ἱλαστήριον functions as an object complement.
- ἱλαστήριον (G2435): Parser-verified NT usage: only Rom 3:25 and Heb 9:5. In Heb 9:5 it explicitly denotes the mercy seat (כַּפֹּרֶת, the gold lid of the Ark where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement, Lev 16:14-15). Whether Paul uses the term as "mercy seat" (cultic furniture metaphor) or "means of propitiation" (abstract) is an exegetical question, but the lexical link to the Day of Atonement ritual is grammatically unavoidable given the Heb 9:5 parallel and the LXX use of ἱλαστήριον for כַּפֹּרֶת (Exo 25:17-22; Lev 16:2, 13-15).
- Word study link: G2435-hilasterion, G129-haima
4. Prepositional Phrase Architecture (vv.22-26)¶
The passage deploys an unusually dense sequence of prepositional phrases, each with a distinct grammatical function:
| Preposition | Phrase | Case | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| χωρίς + gen. | χωρὶς νόμου (v.21) | Genitive | Separation — "apart from law" |
| διά + gen. | διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (v.22) | Genitive | Means/channel — "through faith of/in Jesus Christ" |
| εἰς + acc. | εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας (v.22) | Accusative | Direction/extent — "unto all who believe" |
| διά + gen. | διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως (v.24) | Genitive | Means — "through the redemption" |
| ἐν + dat. | ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ (v.24) | Dative | Sphere/location — "in Christ Jesus" |
| διά + gen. | διὰ πίστεως (v.25) | Genitive | Means — "through faith" |
| ἐν + dat. | ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι (v.25) | Dative | Sphere/instrument — "in his blood" |
| εἰς + acc. | εἰς ἔνδειξιν (v.25) | Accusative | Purpose — "for a demonstration" |
| διά + acc. | διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν (v.25) | Accusative | Cause — "because of the passing over" |
| ἐν + dat. | ἐν τῇ ἀνοχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ (v.26) | Dative | Temporal/circumstantial — "in/during God's forbearance" |
| πρός + acc. | πρὸς τὴν ἔνδειξιν (v.26) | Accusative | Purpose — "with a view to the demonstration" |
| ἐν + dat. | ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ (v.26) | Dative | Temporal — "at the present time" |
| εἰς + acc. | εἰς τὸ εἶναι (v.26) | Accusative | Purpose/result — "so that he might be" |
| ἐκ + gen. | ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ (v.26) | Genitive | Source/basis — "of faith in Jesus" |
Critical grammatical distinction — διά + genitive vs. διά + accusative: Paul uses διά four times in this passage. Three times with the genitive (διὰ πίστεως ×2, διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως) denoting means/instrumentality. Once with the accusative (διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν, v.25) denoting cause/reason. This is a standard Koine distinction (Wallace 368-369; BDF §222-223), but it is exegetically load-bearing here: the πάρεσις is the cause that necessitated the demonstration of God's righteousness, not the means by which it was accomplished. The grammar encodes the justice problem directly.
5. πάρεσις (v.25) — NT Hapax and the Justice Problem¶
- Form: N-ASF — accusative singular feminine of πάρεσις (G3929). Parser-verified as NT hapax legomenon — it occurs only in Rom 3:25.
- Significance: πάρεσις must be distinguished from the more common ἄφεσις (G859, "forgiveness/remission," 17 NT occurrences). πάρεσις is not forgiveness but passing over — a temporary letting-go or overlooking without full settlement. The KJV renders it "remission" but this obscures the lexical distinction Paul is drawing. God's πάρεσις of sins committed in former times (τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων, with perfect active participle προγεγονότων [V-2RAP-GPN of προγίνομαι G4266] marking sins as having-occurred-and-standing-as-historical-fact) created a justice problem: if sins were merely "passed over" rather than dealt with, then God's δικαιοσύνη was open to question.
- Grammatical encoding of the problem: The causal prepositional phrase (διὰ + accusative = "because of") structurally subordinates πάρεσις to the purpose clause εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ. The syntax reads: [God set forth Christ as ἱλαστήριον] for the purpose of demonstrating his righteousness, because of the passing over of formerly committed sins. The ἔνδειξις (demonstration, proof, display — G1732, parser-verified 4 NT occurrences, 2 in this very passage) was necessitated by the πάρεσις. The justice problem generated the atonement, not the other way around.
- Word study link: G1732-endeixis
6. εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν δίκαιον καὶ δικαιοῦντα (v.26) — Articular Infinitive + Participial Climax¶
- Form: εἰς (PREP) + τὸ (T-ASN, neuter article) + εἶναι (V-PAN, present active infinitive of εἰμί) + αὐτόν (P-ASM, accusative subject of infinitive) + δίκαιον (A-ASM, predicate adjective) + καί (CONJ) + δικαιοῦντα (V-PAP-ASM, present active participle of δικαιόω, accusative agreeing with αὐτόν).
- Significance: The articular infinitive (εἰς τὸ + infinitive) is a standard Pauline purpose/result construction (BDF §402; Wallace 590-592). It provides the telic climax of the entire paragraph — the ultimate aim of God's setting forth Christ as ἱλαστήριον.
- The double predication: The climax consists of two predications joined by καί:
- δίκαιον (adjective, accusative) — "just/righteous" — God's own character is vindicated
- δικαιοῦντα (present active participle, accusative) — "justifying / the one who justifies" — God's saving action toward believers
The grammar requires both predicates to be simultaneously true of the same subject (αὐτόν = God). This is the resolution of the justice problem identified by πάρεσις: the articular infinitive clause asserts that the cross enables God to be both just (his righteousness vindicated) and justifier (his mercy extended) without contradiction. The coordinating καί is not merely additive but resolves what appeared to be a disjunction. - δίκαιος / δικαιόω paronomasia: The adjective δίκαιον (G1342) and the verb δικαιοῦντα (G1344) share the same root δικ-, creating a rhetorical wordplay (paronomasia/polyptoton): the just one and the justifier, the righteous one and the one who makes-righteous. This wordplay is present in the Greek and irreproducible in most translations. - τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ — the direct object of δικαιοῦντα is an articular prepositional phrase functioning as a substantive: "the one [who is] of faith in Jesus." The article τὸν nominalizes the entire ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ phrase, identifying the class of persons whom God justifies. - Word study links: G1342-dikaios, G1344-dikaioo, G4102-pistis
7. ἥμαρτον / ὑστεροῦνται (v.23) — Aorist-Present Tense Pair¶
- Forms: ἥμαρτον = V-2AAI-3P (second aorist, active, indicative, 3rd plural of ἁμαρτάνω G264); ὑστεροῦνται = V-PPI-3P (present, passive, indicative, 3rd plural of ὑστερέω G5302).
- Significance: The shift from aorist to present within the same clause is aspectually significant. The constative/summary aorist ἥμαρτον ("sinned") views the totality of human sin as a completed historical reality — a single action encapsulating all human transgression from Adam forward. The present passive ὑστεροῦνται ("fall short / are lacking") then shifts to an ongoing state: the result of having sinned is a present, continuing deficit. The aorist looks backward; the present looks at the current condition. Together they establish the problem that justification must solve: a past deed (sin) producing a present state (deficiency before God's glory).
- Genitive object: τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ — genitive after ὑστερέω (standard genitive of separation or objective genitive with verbs of lacking: "fall short of the glory of God"). The double genitive chain (δόξης → Θεοῦ) identifies the standard against which the deficit is measured.
- Word study link: G1391-doxa
8. μαρτυρουμένη (v.21b) — Present Passive Participle of μαρτυρέω¶
- Form: V-PPP-NSF — present tense, passive voice, participle, nominative singular feminine, agreeing with δικαιοσύνη.
- Significance: This adjectival participle modifying δικαιοσύνη creates a grammatical paradox with the main clause: the righteousness of God is manifested apart from law (χωρὶς νόμου) yet is simultaneously being witnessed by the law (μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου). The preposition ὑπό + genitive marks the law and prophets as the agent of the witnessing — an expressed agent, making this a standard passive with agent rather than a divine passive. The present tense of the participle (vs. the perfect of the main verb) suggests the witnessing is ongoing — the OT Scriptures continue to testify to this reality.
- Word study link: G3140-martyreo
Discourse Architecture: The δικ- Root Saturation¶
The passage is saturated with the δικ- word-group, creating a tight lexical chain that binds the entire paragraph together:
| Verse | Form | Lemma | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:21 | δικαιοσύνη | G1343 | Subject of main clause |
| 3:22 | δικαιοσύνη | G1343 | Appositional restatement |
| 3:24 | δικαιούμενοι | G1344 | Present passive participle — the act of justifying |
| 3:25 | δικαιοσύνης | G1343 | Object of ἔνδειξις — what is demonstrated |
| 3:26 | δικαιοσύνης | G1343 | Repeated in purpose restatement |
| 3:26 | δίκαιον | G1342 | Predicate adjective — God's attribute |
| 3:26 | δικαιοῦντα | G1344 | Present active participle — God's activity |
Seven δικ- words in six verses. Three members of the word-family appear: the noun (δικαιοσύνη, God's righteousness as attribute), the adjective (δίκαιος, God as righteous person), and the verb (δικαιόω, God's act of declaring righteous). The passage moves from the attribute (v.21-22) through the crisis (v.23-25) to the resolution that holds attribute and action together (v.26).
Cross-References¶
Grammar Library Links¶
- tense-perfect — Perfect tense theory (πεφανέρωται as intensive/resultative perfect)
- divine-passive — Theological passive construction (πεφανέρωται as divine passive; cf. δικαιούμενοι as soteriological passive)
- participle-perfect-passive-state — Stative function of perfect passive participles (relevant for προγεγονότων)
Word Study Links¶
- G1342-dikaios — δίκαιος ("just/righteous")
- G1343-dikaiosyne — δικαιοσύνη ("righteousness")
- G1344-dikaioo — δικαιόω ("to justify")
- G4102-pistis — πίστις ("faith")
- G129-haima — αἷμα ("blood")
- G2435-hilasterion — ἱλαστήριον ("propitiation/mercy-seat")
- G629-apolytrosis — ἀπολύτρωσις ("redemption")
- G1391-doxa — δόξα ("glory")
- G1732-endeixis — ἔνδειξις ("demonstration/proof")
- G463-anoche — ἀνοχή ("forbearance")
- G3140-martyreo — μαρτυρέω ("to witness/testify")
Gaps Flagged¶
- Word studies needed: G3929 πάρεσις (NT hapax, "passing over" vs. ἄφεσις "forgiveness"), G5319 φανερόω ("to manifest/reveal"), G4388 προτίθημι ("to set forth/purpose"), G4266 προγίνομαι ("to happen before"), G5302 ὑστερέω ("to fall short/lack"), G1432 δωρεάν ("freely/as a gift"), G5485 χάρις ("grace"), G1293 διαστολή ("distinction/difference")
- Grammar entries needed: greek/articular-infinitive-purpose (εἰς τὸ + infinitive construction), greek/dia-genitive-vs-accusative (means vs. cause distinction), greek/present-passive-participle-adverbial (manner/means participle), greek/paronomasia-polyptoton (same-root wordplay across parts of speech)