And not by doing what the Law commands (see Jerusalem Bible “and not by doing something the Law tells him to do”) is literally “apart from the works of the Law,” with “Law” understood as a reference to the Jewish Law.

In some languages means such as are expressed by the phrases through faith and not by doing what the Law commands may be expressed more specifically as cause—for example, “a man is put right with God only because he believes and not because he does what is commanded in the Law” or “… what God commands in the Law.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .