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How Θεοῦ Works in Romans 3:21
A focused form insight on Noun Genitive Singular Masculine in Romans 3:21.
Romans 3:21 - BSB
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.
The Question
How does Θεοῦ function in Romans 3:21?
Short Answer
Θεοῦ is a Noun Genitive Singular Masculine in Romans 3:21. The form nudges the reader to hear the righteousness as belonging to or associated with God, which sharpens the verse's contrast with law without adding information the sentence does not state.
What the Form Is Doing
Θεοῦ appears in Romans 3:21 as a Noun Genitive Singular Masculine. It functions as a qualifying genitive that identifies the righteousness in view as God's righteousness, or righteousness belonging to God, without forcing a more specific relation than the context supplies.
Because the genitive stands next to δικαιοσύνη, it most plausibly defines that righteousness by relation to God, while the main verb says it has been manifested apart from law.
Why It Matters for Interpretation
The form nudges the reader to hear the righteousness as belonging to or associated with God, which sharpens the verse's contrast with law without adding information the sentence does not state.
The genitive noun qualifies righteousness in a central Romans statement about righteousness revealed apart from law.
Translation Effect
The genitive directly supports wording such as "righteousness of God."
The form guide should support the public Bible reading, not replace it with a private rendering.
What It Does Not Prove
Do not infer that the genitive alone settles every theological nuance, and do not read grammatical gender as a statement about divine sex or identity.
Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
Genitive case here indicates relationship, but the precise nuance must be read from the verse, not assumed from the label alone.
Evidence from the Form Guide
The witness reads Θεοῦ in Romans 3:21 within the phrase χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται.
In teaching or translation, the form can be rendered with an explanatory phrase such as righteousness of God, with care not to over-define the exact relation beyond the context.
What It Does Not Prove
- Do not infer that the genitive alone settles every theological nuance, and do not read grammatical gender as a statement about divine sex or identity.
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Genitive case here indicates relationship, but the precise nuance must be read from the verse, not assumed from the label alone.
- Masculine grammatical gender is not a theological gender claim and should not be treated as one.