OrthJBC - Romans - 3

3:1  What then is the advantage of the Yehudi? Or what is the value of the bris milah?

3:2  Much in every way! Beikar, koidem kol (in the first place), they are entrusted with the Divrei HaElohim (the oracles, the words of G-d).

3:3  So, where does that leave us? If some have disbelieved, has their lack of emunah annulled the ne'emanut (faithfulness, trustworthiness, reliability) of Hashem?

3:4  Chas v'shalom (G-d forbid!) Let G-d be true and KOL HAADAM KOZEV ("every man a liar"--Tehillim 116:11). Even as it is written, L'MA'AN TITZDAK B'DAVRECHA ("in order that you might be vindicated when you speak and shall overcome when you judge" Tehillim 51:4[6].

3:5  But if our unrighteousness brings out and highlights the Tzedek Olamim, the Tzidkat Hashem (the righteousness of G-d), what shall we say? Rhetorically speaking, is G-d unjust in inflicting Charon Af Hashem (1:18)? (I speak from a human standpoint.)

3:6  Chas v'shalom! (G-d forbid!) For then how could Hashem be HaShofet kol ha'arets (Bereshis 18:25)?

3:7  "But if the Emes Hashem (truth of G-d) has by my sheker overflowed to His kavod (glory), why am I still judged as a rashah (an evildoer)?"

3:8  Why do we not say, as some speakers of lashon hora slanderously report us to say, "Let us do resha that hatov might come of it"? The gezar din (verdict) of ashem (guilty) on them is well deserved. KI ADAM EIN TZADDIK BA'ARETZ (KOHELET 7:20): BOTH YEHUDIM AND GOYIM ARE UNDER THE POWER OF CHET KADMON, THE ENTRANCE OF WHICH INTO OLAM HAZEH HAS DRAGGED ALL UNDER THE GEZAR DIN OF ASHEM; A CATENA OF PASSAGES FROM TEHILLIM AND YESHAYAH IN THE TARGUM HASHIVIM AND THE TANACH

3:9  What then? Are we (Yehudim) better off? Not altogether. For we have now charged both Yehudim and non-Jews as all alike under HaChet (sin),

3:10  as it is written, EIN TZADDIK BA'ARETZ (KOHELET 7:20), ("There is none righteous, not even one"--Tehillim 14:1-3).

3:11  "There is none who understands, there is none who seeks out G-d.

3:12  All have turned aside, they have together become worthless; there is none who does good, there is none, not so much as one."

3:13  "Their throat is an open grave, they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."

3:14  "Whose mouth is full of curses and bitterness."

3:15  "Their feet are swift when it comes to shedding blood,

3:16  ruin and wretchedness are in their ways,

3:17  and the derech Shalom (the way of peace) they have not known."

3:18  "There is no yirat Shomayim (fear of G-d) before their eyes." (See Tehillim 13:1-3; 14:1-3; 5:9,10; 139:4; 140:3; 9:28; 10:7; Yeshayah 59:7-8; Tehillim 36:1; Mishle 1:16; Tehillim 35:2.) WITHOUT BELITTLING THE MA'ASIM MITZVOT HATORAH TO WHICH MOSHIACH'S SHLIACH SHA'UL IS STILL LOYAL (ACTS 21:21-25), A FURTHER ARGUMENT SHOWS THAT THE TORAH ITSELF FUNCTIONS AS THE TOVE'A KELALI (PUBLIC PROSECUTOR) TO BRING THE OLAM HAZEH BEFORE HASHEM AS ASHEM AND IN NEED OF MOSHIACH GO'ELEINU; AND NO ONE SHALL BE ACQUITTED OR BE YITZDAK IM HASHEM (IYOV 25:4) BY CHUKIM OF THE TORAH, FOR, BECAUSE OF CHET KADMON'S ENTRANCE INTO THE OLAM HAZEH, ALL HAVE FALLEN FROM AND LACK THE ILLUMINATION BY HASHEM'S KAVOD THAT ADAM ONCE KNEW AND NOW ALL NEED THE GEULAH THROUGH THE KORBAN PESACH OF MOSHIACH, THE DAMI (BLOODY) ZEVACH PESACH (PASCHAL SACRIFICE) OF MOSHIACH, WHERE THE TZIDKAT HASHEM IS UPHELD, YITZDAK IM HASHEM IS CREDITED TO EMUNAH, AND THE NEW EXODUS OF THE GEULAH REDEMPTION IS EFFECTED

3:19  Now we know that whatever the Torah says it says to those under the Torah, in order that every mouth might be stopped and kol HaOlam Hazeh become liable to the Mishpat Hashem.

3:20  For by ma'asei HaTorah (statutory works of the Torah) shall KOL CHAI LO YITZDAK ("all living not be justified" TEHILLIM 143:2), for through the Torah comes the da'as HaChet (the knowledge of sin).

3:21  But now, apart from the Torah, the Tzedek Olamim, the Tzidkat Hashem (the righteousness of G-d) has been revealed, as attested by the Torah and the Neviim (the prophets),

3:22  that is, the Tzidkat Hashem through emunah in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua to all the ma'aminim. For there is no distinction.

3:23  For all have sinned and come short of the kavod Hashem (glory of G-d).

3:24  They are acquitted and accounted to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM as a matnat Elohim by the unmerited Chen v'Chesed Hashem through the pedut (the redemption, release on payment of ransom) which is in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua,

3:25  whom G-d set forth as a kapparah (place or medium of wrath-propitiating blood atonement sacrifice) through emunah (faith) in the DAM ("blood"--BERESHIS 22:7; SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7) of Moshiach, to demonstrate the Tzedek Olamim, the Tzidkat Hashem (righteousness of G-d) in pasach (passing over, letting go the penalty of) the averos (sins) committed in former times

3:26  in the forbearance of G-d, to vindicate His Tzidkat Hashem (righteousness of G-d) in the present time, that HASHEM TZADDIK ("G-d is righteous" DIVREY HAYAMIM BAIS 12:6) Himself and the One who counts to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM (IYOV 25:4) the person who has emunah and bittachon in Yehoshua. PURSUING AND BOASTING IN A TORAH OF BEING YITZDAK IM HASHEM BY MA'ASIM IS EXCLUDED, LEAVING ONLY THE TORAH UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF YITZDAK IM HASHEM BY EMUNAH AND UNDERSTOOD AS THE DERECH YESHU'AT ELOHEYNU NOT FOR YEHUDIM ONLY, BUT ALSO GOYIM, BY EMUNAH; THIS UNDERSTANDING UPHOLDS THE TORAH (DEVARIM 27:26), ALLOWING YEHUDIM TO BE ZEALOUS FOR THE TORAH (ACTS 21:20) AS AN EXPRESSION OF COVENANT OBLIGATION AND DISTINCTIVE PRIVILEGE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MAKING THE WAY STRAIGHT FOR BOTH YEHUDIM AND GOYIM TO ENTER THE MALCHUT HASHEM VIA THE TORAH OF FAITH AND THE ONE WAY OF TRUST IN THE WORK OF HASHEM IN THE MAVET AND TECHIYAS HAMESIM OF MOSHIACH, SINCE HASHEM IS G-D OF THE WHOLE WORLD, YEHUDIM AND GOYIM ALIKE

3:27  Where then is boasting? (4:2) It has been memayet (precluded, excluded). By what kind of Torah? Of ma'asim? No, on the contrary, by the Torah of emunah (the Law of faith, that is, the Law understood in terms of faith).

3:28  For we reckon that a man is acquitted and pronounced to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM by emunah (personal faith, trust), apart from the ma'a'sei haTorah.

3:29  Or is Hashem G-d of the Yehudim only? Is Hashem not also G-d of the Goyim? Ken, of non-Jews, too,

3:30  vi-bahlt (since), after all, Adonai echad ("G-d is one"--DEVARIM 6:4). Therefore, He will consider to be YITZDAK IM HASHEM and acquit those of the bris milah on the ground of emunah and the uncircumcised through that same emunah. TORAH IS MOICHIACH (ESTABLISHED, VERIFIED IN ITS VALIDITY) BY EMUNAH

3:31  Does it follow that we abolish Torah and make it invalid through emunah (faith)? Chas v'shalom! (G-d forbid!) Aderaba (to the contrary), we uphold the Torah.