δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosunes) in Romans 3:25: Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosunes) in Romans 3:25
Textual Witness
The witness reads δικαιοσύνης in Romans 3:25, within the phrase εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The genitive form sharpens the verse toward God's righteousness as the thing being demonstrated, while still leaving the larger argument to the sentence as a whole.
How To Communicate It
In communication, this form can be rendered with phrases like of righteousness or God's righteousness, depending on context and translation style.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- The feminine gender here is grammatical, not a theological gender statement.
- The genitive indicates relationship, but context must determine the exact nuance.
- Do not use the grammar profile as a shortcut around the wording and logic of the verse.
What Does The Label Mean?
Noun: this word names a quality or state, here the idea of righteousness or justice.
Genitive: the form usually marks a relationship, often showing connection, source, or reference in the clause.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence, presenting one concept rather than many.
Feminine: the noun belongs to the feminine grammatical class, which is a language feature and not a theological gender claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
τῆς ... δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ
It is governed by the article and works within the phrase that follows ἔνδειξιν, so it points to the righteousness being shown or evidenced.
The genitive most naturally describes the righteousness associated with God in this statement, giving the phrase a relational or descriptive force.
It does not by itself say that righteousness is a separate actor, nor does the genitive alone settle every nuance of the relation.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The genitive righteousness phrase is central to Paul's claim about God's public demonstration in Romans 3:25.
Dependent genitive in a demonstration phrase. identifies what is being demonstrated: God's righteousness. Attached to the phrase demonstration of his righteousness. Governed by the noun for demonstration in Romans 3:25. The genitive relation is important, but Paul's argument supplies the theological meaning.
What is being demonstrated? God's righteousness is being demonstrated in connection with the prior passing over of sins.
Direct: The genitive directly supports a rendering such as demonstration of his righteousness.
The genitive marks relation to the demonstration phrase, but the surrounding argument decides the theological nuance. The feminine gender is grammatical and should not be turned into a theological gender claim.
Genitive has only one meaning: The genitive marks a relation; Romans 3 supplies the nature of the righteousness claim. case alone proves doctrine: The genitive supports the local wording, while Paul's argument supplies the doctrine.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads δικαιοσύνης in Romans 3:25, within the phrase εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ.
The lemma is δικαιοσύνη, a noun for righteousness, justice, or justness, and the form does not change that lexical identity.
In this sentence the form functions inside a genitive chain after ἔνδειξιν, so it contributes the idea of what is being displayed: God's righteousness.
The verse presents Christ's saving work as a public showing of God's righteousness in relation to the prior passing over of sins.
This fits the wider Roman argument that God's saving action in Christ reveals his righteous way of dealing with sin and mercy.
For readers and teachers, the form helps explain that the verse is not only about atonement language, but also about the disclosure of God's righteousness.
Do not derive a full doctrine from case alone, and do not make the feminine form into a claim about persons or gender.