Rom 3:20 and Ps 143:2 (LXX 142:2)
Says Ps 143:2 (LXX 142:2) prays וְאַל־תָּבוֹא בְמִשְׁפָּט אֶת־עַבְדֶּךָ (ve'al-tavo' vemishpat et-'avdekha, "do not enter into judgment with your servant"), כִּי לֹא־יִצְדַּק לְפָנֶיךָ כָל־חָי (ki lo'-yitsdaq lefaneykha khol-khay, "for no one living is righteous before you"; BDB p. 311). Swete's LXX reads ὅτι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν.
Says Rom 3:20, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, follows the psalm, though Paul's wording differs from the LXX.
Paul's changes are treated in note.language.Rom.3.19-Rom.3.20.hypodikos-erga-nomou.
Says The psalmist does not plead his own righteousness. He appeals to God's: בֶּאֱמֻנָתְךָ עֲנֵנִי בְּצִדְקָתֶךָ (be'emunatekha 'aneni betsidqatekha, "in your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness," 143:1).
Implies If no one living is righteous before God's judgment, works of the law cannot gain that verdict, and righteousness must come from God (3:21–22).
What "works of the law" denotes is treated at 3:28.
Claims
- SaysMT Ps 143:2 יִצְדַּק לְפָנֶיךָ כָל־חָי; LXX 142:2 ὅτι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν.
- SaysRom 3:20 follows Ps 143:2, though Paul's wording differs from the LXX.
- SaysThe psalmist appeals to God's faithfulness and righteousness, not his own (Ps 143:1).
- ImpliesIf no one living is righteous before God's judgment, works of the law cannot gain that verdict; righteousness must come from God (3:21–22).
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Ps 143:1–2
- BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. khay (H2416), p. 311, entry h.cd.ab
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Ps 142:2. LXX checked against Swete scan, vol. 2 (1896), p. 406.
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 3:20–22
- TVTMS CC BY 4.0 Ps 143:2 = LXX 142:2
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-10-30
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