Gentiles obtained righteousness by faith; Israel stumbled over the stone laid in Zion (Romans 9:30–33)

Says "The Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it" (9:30–31, BSB). Why not? "Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone" (9:32, BSB), ὡς ἐξ ἔργων (hōs ex ergōn, "as if from works"). On "works" see note.exegetical.Rom.3.27-Rom.3.31.boasting-excluded.

Says "See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame" (9:33, BSB). Paul sets words from Isa 8:14 inside Isa 28:16; his "stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" is nearer the Hebrew of Isa 8:14 than the LXX, and his ἐπʼ αὐτῷ (epʼ autō, "in him") is found in ℵ A Q, not B (note.language.Rom.9.33.isa-28-16-8-14; xref.Rom.9.33.Isa.28.16.heb; xref.Rom.9.33.Isa.8.14.heb). 1 Pet 2:6, 8 joins the same two texts.

Implies The stone is Christ. Grounds: Paul quotes the same line of Isa 28:16 at 10:11, "Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame" (10:11, BSB), where "Him" is the Lord Jesus confessed in 10:9; the object of faith ἐπʼ αὐτῷ is personal; and 1 Pet 2:4–8 applies both texts to Christ. Other readings take the stone as the Torah, or as God himself, as in Isa 8:13–14, where the Lord is the stone; on Paul's reading these are not set against Christ, since faith in him is faith in God.

Implies The stumbling is at Christ, and the failure is not pursuing righteousness by faith (9:32; 10:3–4). This prepares for Romans 10.