The concepts expressed in this verse have been discussed earlier, and the verse requires only a few exegetical comments.

They have not known is actually a participle in Greek. It has the emphatic position in the sentence, and its force is to explain further what Paul meant by the last sentence of the previous verse. In translating known it is important not to suggest that the Jews had never heard about how God puts man right with himself. The focus here is upon “their not having understood the way.”

The way in which God puts men right with himself is literally “the righteousness of God,” but it is clear that this means “righteousness that comes from God” (Revised Standard Version).

Have tried to set up their own way may be rendered as “have tried to establish their own system,” “have tried to find a way whereby they could do this themselves,” “have tried to find a means by which they could make themselves righteous before God,” or “… cause God to find them righteous because of what they themselves had done.”

They did not submit themselves to God’s way may be translated as “they did not accept God’s way” or, in some instances, “they did not say about God’s way of putting men right, This is what it should be.”

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 .