Is Romans 1:17 ambiguous?

Question

ESV:

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The NIV and KJV read similarly. I have always understood the prepositional phrase "by faith" to describe a manner or means of living (I think the English allows both). However, reading the SBLGNT:

17 δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν, καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται'.

my intuition would be to interpret it closer to the RSV rendering:

...“He who through faith is righteous shall live.”

where I understand "through faith" to describe a means or a cause of righteousness. Dan Wallace (1) lists the basic uses of εκ + genitive: source, separation, temporal, cause, partitive, means. Therefore, if the former reading is correct, I think "through faith" must describe a means of living. However, I'm curious as to others' thoughts about whether "through faith" is equally plausibly a means of righteousness.

Regarding the referent verse Habakkuk 2:4:

1) The LXX confuses me even further:

ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται.

The addition of μου, whether subjective or objective (Brenton and NETS both make it subjective), would seem to point more towards ἐκ πίστεώς modifying ζήσεται.

2) Every English translation of the Hebrew I can find also seems to indicate that faith/faithfulness modifies "live." I don't speak Hebrew so please help here. I'm also curious about how helpful this is to interpret Paul, and accordingly am posting another question here.

My questions:

1) Is the Greek of Paul in fact ambiguous?

2) Is the Hebrew of Habakkuk more clear?

3) Any comments on how this has been interpreted historically? (I'm thinking particularly of Luther as an important thinker on this verse, but interested in others as well.)

1. Wallace, Daniel B. 1996. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Zondervan.

Answer 1

Not ambiguous, but inclusive in meaning

Ambiguity implies two or more possible meanings that are unclear as to which it is, or more broadly simply being unclear. I do not believe that is the situation here at all.

Examining the statements

Let's start with the basically undisputed OT reference Paul is using in Romans.

Habakkuk 2:4

The (very literal) Hebrew of Habakkuk 2:4 is (read the English "groupings" backwards for each < since Hebrew is reversed from English):¹

    הִנֵּ֣ה          עֻפְּלָ֔ה              לֹא־יָשְׁרָ֥ה           נַפְשׁ֖וֹ        בּ֑וֹ 
  in him <  his soul  <  she be not right  <  she has swollen  < behold
                        [soul]               [soul]

      וְצַדִּ֖יק               בֶּאֱמוּנָת֥וֹ            יִחְיֶֽה
  he be living < by his faithfulness < but the righteous

MINE: Behold, his soul in him has swollen, [his soul in him] be not right, but the righteous by his faithfulness he be living.

ESV: Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

NKJV: Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

"she has swollen, she be not right, his soul in him"

Hebrew uses the feminine gender for many things besides simply a reference to an actual female person. One of those things commonly associated to the feminine is abstract concepts,² and so the idea of the "soul" or "life" of a person is such. So the subject of the two verbs is the "she," the "soul" in the verse. This soul is of the generic "man," it is "his soul in him."

The first verb is a rare verb, having reference to swollen or enlarged things (tumors, or a derivative word for mound/hill, etc.). It is in the pual perfect, the perfect in context referring to a state or condition,³ while the pual is a passive form of the piel, that here is probably resultative.⁴ This swelling of the soul has resulted in a state of "being not right."

"but the righteous by his faithfulness he be living"

The וְ (waw) here prefixed is often translated "and," but the context here of the contrast is why it is translated "but." So the phrase in question for you is in contrast with the preceding. This one who is not right because of a swelled up soul is contrasted to one who is simply stated as already being "righteous," and of this one, "by/in/with/through his faithfulness," there is a relationship to the fact that "he shall be living" (a qal imperfect, giving the idea of an incomplete event at present and/or future).⁵

The preposition בֶּ (b) can have the same flexibility as English or Greek.

So what is Habakkuk saying? (And thus Paul later.)

Habakkuk is lamenting the success of the wicked in Israel, who even "surround the righteous" (NKJV, v.4; all quotes from NKJV), and he is questioning God's actions of not judging them (1:1-4). God replies for Habakkuk to wait, the Chaldeans (Babylonians) are being prepared to come and bring swift judgment (1:5-11; referring to the coming destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian captivity).

In reply, Habakkuk knows and trusts his Holy God, and affirms "we shall not die" (1:12), but questions (1:12-17) why God would suffer the wicked Chaldeans to "continue to slay nations without pity" (v.17). But Habakkuk knows to question his God so, he will be corrected in his misunderstandings (2:1).

God replies to "write the vision ... for an appointed time," because it is not yet, but "will surely come" (2:2-3).

Enter v.4, the verse in question. It is a summary answer of God to Habakkuk. It is stating a general truth that basically is this:

(1) The proud are not righteous in their soul

(2) Those righteous in their soul (not proud, and thus humble, and thus faithful)

(3) by means of having faith (i.e. faithfulness) shall live

In the context of the judgement passage, it is a reference to the righteous one avoiding judgment that is bringing an impending death by being faithful. Thus the imperfect here is a future idea of preservation of life.

God continues in describing the proud and all the ways they lift themselves by their sin (2:5-19). In this passage specifically, however, it states "the glory of the LORD" is coming (v.14), and the "cup of the LORD's right hand will be turned against you" (v.16), which without going into detail means his judgment. This will defeat the glory of the proud (v.16). Indeed, there is none in "all the earth" that can speak against His ways (v.20).

Romans 1:17

Notice how the context is the same as Habakkuk. Paul is speaking of the faithful (1:7-16), in contrast to the wicked who are impending judgment (1:18-32; and even following that).

The verse is often considered the key verse to the book of Romans, because the book organizes around expanding upon that statement. This is not the place to expand the discussion fully to that level, but some expansion needs to be done.

So the translation of the Greek is best as you give above by the ESV, NIV, KJV, "the just/righteous shall live by faith" or more literally, "the just by faith shall live." It is stating that one will "live" (future, as ζήσεται is explicitly future tense in the Greek, unlike the Hebrew imperfect which has a broader range of meaning) if one is faithful (has faith), which only the righteous evidences.

The Meaning

This idea that to live one must have faith and be righteous is what Paul is expanding upon from the OT. One is only considered righteous by having faith, (Gen 15:6; Rom ch. 4) and faith is only in the humble (for the proud trust in themselves, not God). There is none righteous of themselves (Job 9:2-3; Ps 14:1-3, 53:1-3, 143:2; Eccl 7:20; Rom 3:10-18), so all under wrath and are deserving of death (Hab 2:16; Rom 1:18, 32).

But God does in fact "in wrath remember mercy" as Habakkuk prayed (3:2), for those of the wicked who humble themselves before God (i.e. have faith), righteousness itself is accounted, and thus the righteousness that comes by faith (which is what qualifies one to be called "righteous" in God's sight), by that same faith is what brings life to that righteous one, of which Paul is speaking of eternal life (Rom ch. 5).

This faith that brings life will also be lived out in one's life--thus my title to this answer, "by means of faith he shall be living" is inclusive in meaning that (1) the righteous person will continue in the future to evidence faith, as that is a quality only the righteous have, and (2) the righteous person will find eternal life, free from future judgment, by means of that faith that accounted them righteous to begin with.

Conclusion

So Rom 1:17 is not itself ascribing righteousness by faith, that is found in the other OT and NT passages that do explicitly teach how one is accounted righteous.

Rather, Rom 1:17 is assuming that one is already righteous by that means, and by that same faith, that one will live through God's wrath, the second death that is coming, because they are not trusting in their own prideful, unrighteous works which do lead to death (Isa 64:6; Rom 4:3-5; Gal 2:16; Rev 20:12-15).

Historical Interpretation

If I get time (I've spent a number of hours on this already), I'll dig up some historical info.

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NOTES

¹ Word definitions for translation come from the appropriate words referenced in either/both of (1) Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 2000), hereafter BDB; (2) Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, M. E. J. Richardson, and Johann Jakob Stamm The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill, 1999), hereafter HALOT.

² Christo Van der Merwe, Jackie Naudé, and Jan Kroeze A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999), §24.2.2.2.a; hereafter BHRG.

³ BHRG, §19.2.2.

⁴ BHRG, §16.5.2.1 and §16.4.2.2; it probably has repetitive or intensifying idea as well. See Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, edited by E. Kautzsch and Sir Arthur Ernest Cowley, 2d English ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910).

⁵ BHRG, §15.2.

Answer 2

The explanation is not contradictory. First we see how Paul expands the meaning of Habakkuk 2:4 in the relevant verse here in Romans -

Romans 1:17 (GNT)
δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν, καθὼς γέγραπται, Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται.

The key in this verse is that we live "from faith to faith" (ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν). That is, we live "from faith" (believing the promises of the Word of God) "to faith" (living based on those same promises). So salvific faith is not only believing, but actual living (the same faith upon which one believed).

We see this tension when we compare Rom 4:3-5 to James 2:21-23 -

Romans 4:3-5 (NASB)
³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. ⁵ But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

Paul thus captures the "from faith" (ἐκ πίστεως) aspect of his own expanded view of Habakkuk 2:4.

James 2:21-23 (NASB)
²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.

James thus captures the "to faith" (εἰς πίστιν) aspect of what was Paul's expanded view of Habakkuk 2:4.

What is interesting is that Paul does not refer in Romans to the sacrifice of Isaac as the "perfecting" of Abraham's faith, but instead he refers to Abraham receiving the sign of circumcision (Rom 4:10-12). So while James refers to the sacrifice of Isaac as "closing the loop," Paul instead focuses on Abraham's receiving circumcision from the Lord. Thus circumcision, while in no way provides self-righteousness to Abraham, is the specific "sign" of faith for Abraham (in the same way that the offering of Isaac was the specific "sign" of faith for Abraham according to James). The same dichotomy ("from faith to faith") is the motif of the great chapter of faith, which is found in Hebrews 11:1-40. In that chapter is found a litany of behaviors ("to faith") by Old Testament believers whose faith was predicated on explicit promises ("from faith").

Now we can understand the nuance of what Paul was trying to convey when he interpreted Habakkuk 2:4. In the Masoretic Hebrew we read the verse in Habakkuk as follows:

Habakkuk 2:4 (MT)
הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה, לֹא-יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ; וְצַדִּיק, בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה.

The NIV provides an accurate translation:

  "See, the enemy is puffed up;
   his desires are not upright—
   but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness."

The Hebrew word for faithfulness is אֱמוּנָה, which emphasizes the εἰς πίστιν aspect of faith. Waltke and O'Connor (1990) indicate that this use of beth (as in the phrase בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ) is the instrument by which an action is completed: thus the righteous person will live by means of the instrument of his faithfulness to the Lord. (Please click here with the Google Chrome browser.) The following verse that now occurs in Habakkuk (Hab 2:5) then goes on to mention the unrighteous, whose wine disinhibits his moral values so that he commit sins, which result in death. In other words, when the unrighteous get drunk, their lives evidence the dissipation of what is within them, which is proud vanity. The righteous person on the other hand will live by means of the instrument of his faithfulness to the Lord (or the εἰς πίστιν aspect of faith, which is בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ in Hebrew).

Now to close the loop.

In the LXX we read the same passage as follows:

Habakkuk 2:4 (LXX)
⁴ ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται.

Whamo! The LXX closes the loop. The translators of the LXX were very gracious to expand from Hebrew what Paul later captured in his epistle to the Romans -- that is, the Hebrew version of this verse emphasizes the εἰς πίστιν, but the LXX version complements and emphasizes the ἐκ πίστεώς. (Did the LXX translators infer that particular nuance from the allusions and comparisons in Habakkuk 2:4-5 of the unrighteous, whose wine "flowed out" of him to demonstrate his unrighteousness???) Under this line of reasoning, what was the possessive personal masculine pronoun (third person singular) suffix in Hebrew (בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ), which in the Masoretic text reads "his faithfulness," now becomes the possessive personal pronoun (first person singular) suffix in Greek (ἐκ πίστεώς μου), which in the LXX reads "from my faith(fullness)," which is God's word, which is the object of our faith. Thus the flagship Book of Romans is the capturing of this nuance between the Hebrew Bible and the LXX, and of course the New Testament epistles carry the same thought further as noted by the earlier reference to the Epistle of James.

In conclusion, we see one sad note in the Book of Revelation in the context of this discussion.

Revelation 3:2-3 (NASB)
² Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ³ So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

The believers in Sardis, while familiar with the ἐκ πίστεως of their faith, were "sleeping", because they were not living the εἰς πίστιν of their faith. This is only passage in the entire Christian New Testament that makes the strongest allusion to the blotting of some believer's name from the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev 3:5). In other words, even Paul admonishes believers who have embraced the ἐκ πίστεως aspect of their faith to consider and ensure that the εἰς πίστιν of their faith is real (cf. Gal 5:20-21; 1 Cor 6:8-10). Jesus was saying to the believers in Sardis what James was saying, and that was that the ἐκ πίστεως will be complemented (or "perfected") by the εἰς πίστιν when it is salvific. Of course, as noted, Paul would agree, because he had already interpreted Habakkuk 2:4 to mean that the righteous will live "from faith to faith."

REFERENCE:
O'Connor, M. and Bruce K. Waltke. Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 196-197.

Answer 3

Peace.

I am thinking that the Greek of Paul is not ambiguous and the Hebrew also accurately conveys the same message.

It is the message though that has been misinterpreted .

Romans 1:14-17 KJV (14) I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. (15) So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. (16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Just (the Just One = the appearing eternal life of Jesus Christ in us) shall live by our faith….our inner faith that His manifested life is to be revealed outwardly in our redeemed, mortal body.

With that faith, His life shall appear for all to see in due time. He that is coming shall arrive and not delay.

When the life of Jesus is made manifest in our outer mortal flesh, those who know us in the outside world that does not profess faith shall then see and believe.

We have faith…belief…without seeing this outward manifestation of the eternal life of Jesus yet. We are to be the first to trust in Christ (without seeing His manifested life yet) after hearing the good news of our mortal salvation….the redeemed purchased possession which is the mortal body.

When He does arrive ( as we are to believe Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh…His life being manifested through our mortal flesh), then the outside world shall see and believe (faith). They will tangibly see what it means to truly do the will of God.

From faith (our faith without seeing) into faith (the faith of the world which is only by seeing )….those who see in this world will then believe.

Seeing is believing for the outside world….but we believe without seeing.

From faith (our) into faith (the outside world’s). The nations will then see what it means to do His righteousness through us who will have His manifested eternal life.

(17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Our faith….of those who first trust in Christ… is the things hoped for (the manifestation of the eternal life of Jesus in our mortal flesh). Our faith is the evidence of things not seen. But our expectation will be fulfilled by those things hoped for. We shall see Him in the flesh....our mortal flesh.

Hebrews 11:1 KJV (1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This is why Jesus said : Blessed (happy) are they that have not seen and yet have believed.

The world….like Thomas…will only praise God (my Lord and my God) only when they see with their own literal eyes His eternal life being made manifest in us.

From “faith to faith” = our faith (without seeing) to the outside world’s faith when they finally see the life of Jesus being made outwardly made manifest through us. Seeing is believing to the outside nations of this world.

John 20:28-29 KJV (28) And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. (29) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

We…the first fruits…believe without seeing His eternal life yet.

But when He shall appear, then some of those of the outside world will see His life appear in us and will then believe. Seeing is believing for them. They …the seeing and believing of those of the outside world….are Christ’s at His coming through us.

1 Corinthians 15:23 KJV (23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

We (that believe without seeing) are to have patience that after we have done the will of God, we should receive the promise of His manifested eternal life in our redeemed, mortal bodies. The “promise” is the obtaining of the eternal life of Jesus in this earth.

Hebrews 10:35-39 KJV (35) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (36) For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

For yet a little while, He (the Just One) that IS COMING will arrive and will not tarry.

(37) For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

The Just One (the Holy One….Jesus Christ) shall live by our faith (the faith without seeing His manifested life yet).

His life that will appear outwardly though can “shrink back” out of sightif we lose our faith in this. It will not be made manifest if we fear what others will say about our faith in this. If the Son of man "goes away"...withdraws out of sight because our faith is lost as a result of fear of persecutions... we then will mortally perish from this earth.

(38) Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We shall suffer persecutions by the unbelievers…family, friends, other churchgoers… in this. Our persecuted souls shall be “saved” though when He shall arrive giving us immense joy of which no man can then take away.

(39) But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Persecutions shall arrive and some will shrink back out of fear. They will be tripped up by it and His eternal life never appears. The Just One shall live by our faith in His appearing…..the hoping for things not seen…yet.

Mark 4:16-17 KJV (16) And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; (17) And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Write the vision (the sight of the eternal life of Jesus in our mortal flesh) and make it plain upon tables (the fleshly tables of the heart) so that he may run that reads it.

Habakkuk 2: KJV (2) And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

The nations of the world shall then run to us when they see the manifestation of the eternal life of Jesus in us who first trusted in Christ.

We shall be known and read by ALL as it will be manifestly clear what it means to do the righteousness of God. We shall be the manifestly declared the letter of Christ to all. They…the outside world… will see His appearing eternal life in us and then run to us.

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 KJV (2) Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: (3) Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Again, the nations shall run unto us because of the LORD our God and for the Holy One (the manifestation of the eternal life of Jesus in us). He will have then glorified us.

Isaiah 55:4-5 KJV (4) Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. (5) Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

When Christ who is our life….our eternal life in this earth shall “appear”, then we shall also appear with Him in glory for His eternal life is made manifest outwardly in our mortal flesh to this dark and dying world who then see the Light through us and praise God above. They will read the letter of Christ in us and they will run to us because of God and His Holy One.

Colossians 3:2-4 KJV (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Yet, in these last days scoffers of this shall say “where is the promise of His coming”? Where is this manifested eternal life of Jesus in this earth for all things continue (people are still dying) as they have from the beginning of the creation. Without seeing the evidence, some church leaders will not believe.

2 Peter 3:3-4 KJV (3) Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Yet, we are told in Habakkuk 2 that the vision (the sight) is yet for an appointed time. There is no lie about this so we are to be patient while others will scoff.

“At the end it shall speak”….that is, to “puff” or scoff. In other words, people will scoff at this notion in the last days (at the end) that His eternal life shall appear in due time if we persist in our faith in this.

Though it tarry, wait for it because He IS COMING in the flesh….our mortal flesh for all to see. It will not tarry but arrive.

Habakkuk 2: KJV (3) For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Those who will “scoff”…puff at the hearing of the promise of His coming of which they see no evidence of….will continue to follow after their own lusts. His soul (of the one “puffing”…scoffing) is not upright in him.

But the Just One shall live by our faith in this. We shall not scoff but believe…persisting in faith even in the face of scoffers who will persecute us for believing.

(4) Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

They who will trouble us for our faith in this then will be shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power when He shall come to be glorified in His saints as His eternal life shall be made manifest outwardly in those who did believe the testimony.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 KJV (6) Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; (7) And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (8) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (10) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.