Romans 10:3 (ASV)

Passage

For being ignorant of God`s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Nearby Context

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart`s desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved.

Romans 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Romans 10:3 For being ignorant of God`s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.

Romans 10:5 For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ignorant", "righteousness", "seeking", "establish", "subject", and "themselves". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ignorant" and "righteousness", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For I bear them witness that they..." into verse 4's "For Christ is the end of the...", so "ignorant" and "righteousness" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "ignorant" and "righteousness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.