Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
32. Wherefore? ] See ch. 4 for the fullest commentary on this verse.
as it were ] Lit. and better, as; i.e. “ under the belief that it could be so reached.”
works of the law ] “ Of the law ” should be omitted, on evidence of documents.
that stumblingstone ] Lit. and better, the stumblingstone; i.e. the Stone predicted, in the words now to be quoted. “ Stumblingstone: ” lit. stone of stumbling, as in E. V. of 1Pe 2:8, where the same prophecy is quoted by allusion.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Wherefore? – Why? The apostle proceeds to state the reason why so uniform and remarkable a result happened. They sought it not by faith, etc. They depended on their own righteousness, and not on the mercy of God to be obtained by faith.
By the works of the law – By complying with all the demands of the Law so that they might merit salvation. Their attempted obedience included their prayers, fastings, sacrifices, etc., as well as compliance with the demands of the moral law. It may be asked here, perhaps, how the Jews could know any better than this? how should they know anything about justification by faith? To this I answer:
(1) That the doctrine was stated in the Old Testament; see Hab 2:4; compare Rom 1:17; Psa 32:1-11; Psa 130:1-8; Psa 14:1-7; compare Rom. 3; Job 9:2.
(2) The sacrifices had reference to a future state of things, and were doubt less so understood; see the Epistle to the Hebrews.
(3) The principle of justification, and of living by faith, had been fully brought out in the lives and experience of the saints of old; see Rom. 4 and Heb. 11.
They stumbled – They fell; or failed; or this was the cause why they did not obtain it.
At that stumbling-stone – To wit, at what he specifies in the following verse. A stumbling-stone is a stone or impediment in the path over which people may fall. Here it means that obstacle which prevented their attaining the righteousness of faith; and which was the occasion of their fall, rejection, and ruin. That was the rejection and the crucifixion of their own Messiah; their unwillingness to be saved by him; their contempt of him and his message. For this God withheld from them the blessings of justification, and was about to cast them off as a people. This also the apostle proceeds to prove was foretold by the prophets.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 32. Wherefore?] And where lies their mistake? Being ignorant of God’s righteousness-of his method of saving sinners by faith in Christ, they went about to establish their own righteousness-their own method of obtaining everlasting salvation. They attend not to the Abrahamic covenant, which stands on the extensive principles of grace and faith; but they turn all their regards to the law of Moses. They imagine that their obedience to that law gives them a right to the blessings of the Messiah’s kingdom. But, finding that the Gospel sets our special interest in God and the privileges of his Church on a different footing, they are offended, and refuse to come into it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Here is the reason of the foregoing seeming paradox; why they, who followed after the law of righteousness, should not attain it, rather than other.
Because they sought it not aright; they sought it not in a way of believing, but of working. These two are opposed in the business of justification, as before at large, in Rom 9:3,4.
As it were by the works of the law; i.e. as if they could have attained righteousness or justification in that way, which it was impossible to do.
They stumbled at that stumbling-stone; i.e. the true Messiah: q.d. So far were they from seeking righteousness by Christ, that, on the contrary, they took offence at him, to their own destruction, Mar 6:3; 1Co 1:23. They thought it impossible that he should give them a righteousness better than their own. This happened to them according to the prophecy that went before them: so it followeth;
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
32, 33. Wherefore? Because theysought it not by faith, but as it wererathersimply, “as”
by the works of the lawasif it were thus attainable, which justification is not: Since,therefore, it is attainable only by faith, they missed it.
forit is doubtful ifthis particle was originally in the text.
they stumbled at thatstumbling-stonebetter, “against the stone of stumbling,”meaning Christ. But in this they only did.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wherefore? because they sought it not by faith,…. The question is asked, why they did not attain to that, which with so much diligence they pressed after? the answer is, because, as they did not seek for righteousness in a right place, or object, they sought for it in the law, and the works of it, where it is never to be found by a sinful creature, and not in Christ, in whom only are righteousness and strength; so they did not seek for it in a right way, by faith in Christ, without which it is impossible to please God, and by which only true righteousness is discerned and received:
but as it were by the works of the law; not by works which looked like works of the law, and were not; but they sought it as if they expected their justification before God was to be by works of righteousness done by them; or as if it was partly by their own works, and partly by the goodness of God, accepting of them for a justifying righteousness. The Alexandrian Copy, and some others, read only, “as it were by works”; and so does the Vulgate Latin version: another reason, or else a reason of the former is,
for they stumbled at that stumbling stone; meaning the word of the Gospel, at which Peter says they stumbled, and particularly the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ; or rather Christ himself, who was “to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness”, 1Co 1:23.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
We must supply the omitted verb (pursued) from verse 31. That explains the rest.
They stumbled at the stone of stumbling ( ). The quotation is from Isa 8:14. means to cut () against () as in Matt 4:6; John 11:9. The Jews found Christ a (1Co 1:23).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Not by faith [ ] . A. V. and Rev. supply the ellipsis, they sought it not.
They stumbled [] . “In their foolish course Israel thought they were advancing on a clear path, and lo! all at once there was found in this way an obstacle upon which they were broken; and this obstacle was the very Messiah whom they had so long invoked in all their prayers” (Godet).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Wherefore?” (dia ti) “Why?” For what reason has Israel not obtained Salvation, the righteousness of God? Paul raised the question only to reaffirm the answer.
2) “Because they sought it not by faith,” (hoti ouk ek piotess) The answer is “They did not seek righteousness by faith,” by faith in the Redeemer who was to come, but by works of their own hands and unregenerate lives, after a pattern of moral and religious conduct prescribed for those who should first receive the coming Redeemer by faith, Joh 1:10-11.
3) “But as it were by the works of the law;- (all hos eks ergon) “But as (if it were) out of the works of the law”; and the traditions of the law, as presented by elders of Israel, who perverted the way of Salvation. Jesus called them hypocrites.
4) “For they stumbled at that stumblingstone (prosekosan to litho tou proskommatos) “They (therefore) stumbled at the stone of stumbling;” Christ crucified was that stumbling stone, that rock of offence; Luk 2:34; 1Co 1:23; To one who stumbles, the race is lost; all Israel (as a nation) stumbled and fell, was cut off as administrator of God’s program of worship and service, because they rejected the very Christ to whom their true prophets had looked, and for whom they had longed, Joh 1:11-12; Isa 8:14; Mat 11:6; Joh 6:60; Joh 6:66; 1Pe 2:7-8; Act 4:11-12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
32. Not by faith, but as it were by works, etc. As false zeal seems commonly to be justly excused, Paul shows that they are deservedly rejected, who attempt to attain salvation by trusting in their own works; for they, as far as they can, abolish faith, without which no salvation can be expected. Hence, were they to gain their object, such a success would be the annihilation of true righteousness. You farther see how faith and the merits of works are contrasted, as things altogether contrary to each other. As then trust in works is the chief hinderance, by which our way to obtain righteousness is closed up, it is necessary that we should wholly renounce it in order that we may depend on God’s goodness alone. This example of the Jews ought indeed justly to terrify all those who strive to obtain the kingdom of God by works. Nor does he understand by the works of the law, ceremonial observances, as it has been before shown, but the merits of those works to which faith is opposed, which looks, as I may say, with both eyes on the mercy of God alone, without casting one glance on any worthiness of its own.
For they have stumbled at the stone, etc. He confirms by a strong reason the preceding sentence. There is indeed nothing more inconsistent than that they should obtain righteousness who strive to destroy it. Christ has been given to us for righteousness, whosoever obtrudes on God the righteousness of works, attempts to rob him of his own office. And hence it appears that whenever men, under the empty pretence of being zealous for righteousness, put confidence in their works, they do in their furious madness carry on war with God himself.
But how they stumble at Christ, who trust in their works, it is not difficult to understand; for except we own ourselves to be sinners, void and destitute of any righteousness of our own, we obscure the dignity of Christ, which consists in this, that to us all he is light, life, resurrection, righteousness, and healing. But how is he all these things, except that he illuminates the blind, restores the lost, quickens the dead, raises up those who are reduced to nothing, cleanses those who are full of filth, cures and heals those infected with diseases? Nay, when we claim for ourselves any righteousness we in a manner contend with the power of Christ; for his office is no less to beat down all the pride of the flesh, than to relieve and comfort those who labour and are wearied under their burden.
The quotation is rightly made; for God in that passage declares that he would be to the people of Judah and of Israel for a rock of offence, at which they should stumble and fall. Since Christ is that God who spoke by the Prophets, it is no wonder that this also should be fulfilled in him. And by calling Christ the stone of stumbling, he reminds us that it is not to be wondered at if they made no progress in the way of righteousness, who through their wilful stubbornness stumbled at the rock of offence, when God had showed to them the way so plainly. (316) But we must observe, that this stumbling does not properly belong to Christ viewed in himself; but, on the contrary, it is what happens through the wickedness of men, according to what immediately follows.
(316) “Error is often a greater obstacle to the salvation of men than carelessness or vice… Let no man think error in doctrine a slight practical evil. No road to perdition has ever been more thronged than that of false doctrine. Error is a shield over the conscience and a bandage over the eyes.” — Professor [ Hodge ]
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(32) For they stumbled.For, in this clause, should be omitted, and the two clauses thrown together, the words of the law also going outBecause (seeking righteousness), not of faith, but as if of works, they stumbled, &c.
That stumblingstone.Christ. When Christianity, with the justification by faith which goes with it, was offered to them, they were offended, and refused it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Wherefore? This wherefore really asks what was the solution of the election and rejection of Rom 9:6-19, and the answer furnishes the solution. Reprobation is not antecedent to but consequent upon want of faith.
Works of the law Works unenlivened by the spirit of faith and love, and performed as if the drudgery entitled the performers to heaven. Hence the heart was regenerate and the soul unsaved.
Stumbled An image of mistake and failure. Yet the apostle will avail himself of its gentler meaning to distinguish the failure from a total irrevocable fall, (Rom 11:11.)
That stumbling-stone That famous one described by the prophets.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘For what reason? Because (they sought) not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling, even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, and he who believes on him will not be put to shame.”
And why did they fail to ‘arrive at the Law’? That is fail to fulfil it to the Law’s satisfaction. It was because they had sought to fulfil it in the wrong way. They had thought that they could achieve it ‘by works’, that is, by hard endeavour, and by their own efforts. And many had struggled manfully to that end, like Paul had once done, but they had inevitably failed, because for sinful man it was unachievable. Thus what they should rather have done was respond to the righteousness of God which was by faith in their Messiah, in Jesus Christ (Rom 3:22), receiving it as a free gift (Rom 3:24; Rom 5:15-19). Then the righteousness of the Law would have been fulfilled in them (Rom 8:4).
But to believe in Jesus Christ Who had brought them the true significance of the Law (Matthew 5-7), and Who had brought righteousness through faith in Him (Rom 5:14-21), was beyond them. For if He was right then they, and all they had lived for, were wrong. They stumbled at (the verb contains the idea of responding in annoyance to) the stumblingstone of which the Scriptures had spoken, the stumblingstone of the Messiah. (As men always stumble at and are annoyed with God’s ways). He was a stumblingstone because the way of salvation that He had brought was contrary to the ideas of men, and in their eyes, with their false emphasis, was contrary to the Law of Moses. Christ crucified was for them a stumblingblock (1Co 1:23). They had failed to see that the Law of Moses and the prophets pointed to a righteousness of God obtainable through Christ and through His death (Rom 3:21; Rom 3:24-25; Leviticus 1-16; Isa 53:11). And so their pride in their own viewpoint was too great to enable them to accept His offer. They were so tied up with religious forms and ceremonies, and with the ‘traditions of the elders’, and were so proud of them, that as a result His way appeared too simple. It offended their religious perspectives and attitudes. And so He became both a stumblingstone, a stone which tripped them up, and a rock of offence, a rock on which they hurt themselves.
Paul then illustrates this with citations from Scripture which had by this time come to be seen by many as referring to the Messiah (this reference of it to the Messiah is found e.g. in some of the Targums, the Aramaic paraphrases of the Old Testament Scriptures which had been developed for synagogue use). His citation is “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, and he who believes on him will not be put to shame.” This is a combination of Isa 28:16 with Isa 8:14. Isa 28:16 reads, ‘ Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, of sure foundation. He who believes will not make haste (LXX will not be put to shame).’ Isa 8:14 reads, ‘and He will be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel.’ Paul thus conflates the two verses (which was, as we have previously seen, a general method of the day) in order to bring out that for the majority of Israel hope and sureness were replaced by unbelief and stumbling. He takes the opening and closing clauses in Isa 28:16 and inserts within them a portion (paraphrased) of Isa 8:14 because, sadly, He Who was intended for a foundation and a Sanctuary for Israel, was to turn out rather to be a stumblingstone and rock of offence for a large part of Israel. On the other hand, for those who believed in Him there would be nothing to be ashamed of. They could rest confidently in Him without shame, not racing about trying to find a solution. Thus he sees the unbelief of a large part of Israel concerning the Messiah as already prophesied in Scripture.
Interestingly this same combination of citations is found in 1Pe 2:6-8 (although not conflated, and including another ‘stone’ quotation) suggesting that it was well recognised in the early church that these verses referred to Christ. Paul will cite Isa 28:16 LXX again in Rom 10:11.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
Ver. 32. For they stumbled ] So they do to this day. So do Papists and carnal Protestants, Non frustra Lutherus in libris toties vaticinatus videtur, sese vereri dictitans, ne se extincto vera illa iustificationis disciplina prorsus apud Christianos exolescat. a
a
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rom 9:32 . ; Why? A result so confounding needs explanation. : it seems too precise to supply with Weiss . The reason of Israel’s religious failure was that its whole religious effort and attitude was not of faith, but (so they conceived the case) of works. By inserting Paul dissociates himself from this conception, and leaves it to Israel; he does not believe (having learned the contrary by bitter experience) that there is any outlet along this road. Everything in religion depends on the nature of the start. You may start , from an utter abandonment to God, and an entire dependence on Him, and in this case a righteousness is possible which you will recognise as , God’s own gift and work in you; or you may start , which really means in independence of God, and try to work out, without coming under obligation to God, a righteousness of your own, for which you may subsequently claim His approval, and in this case, like the Jews, all your efforts will be baffled. Your starting-point is unreal, impossible; it is not truly , but only ; it is an idea of your own, not a truth on which life can be carried out, that you are in any sense independent of God. Such an idea, however, rooted in the mind, may effectually pervert and wreck the soul, by making the Divine way of attaining righteousness and life offensive to it; and this is what happened to the Jews. Because of that profoundly false relation to God . The stone on which they stumbled was Christ, and especially His Cross. The of the Cross, at which they stumbled, is not simply the fact that it is a cross, whereas they expected a Messianic throne; the Cross offended them because, as interpreted by Paul, it summoned them to begin their religious life, from the very beginning, at the foot of the Crucified, and with the sense upon their hearts of an infinite debt to Him, which no “works” could ever repay.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
of the law. The texts omit.
stumbled. Greek. proskopto. Here, Rom 14:21. 1Pe 2:8, and five times in the Gospels.
stumblingstone. Greek. proskomma. Here, Rom 9:33; Rom 14:13, Rom 14:20; 1Pe 2:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rom 9:32. because) viz. they sought after it [followed after it].– ) The Basle Lexicon says: in comparing things dissimilar is doubled, and the one is elegantly understood in the former member, and is only joined to [expressed in] the latter part. Examples are there subjoined from Aristotle; we may compare Joh 7:10; 2Co 11:17; likewise Act 28:19; Phm 1:14; Php 2:12.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 9:32
Rom 9:32
Wherefore?-Why is it that the Israelites who sought it failed to attain it?
Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. -Because they sought it, not through believing with the heart and so purifying the heart by faith, but only regulated the outward actions.
They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;-They were not led by faith, else they would not have stumbled at Jesus Christ. The law of Moses regulated the outward actions and failed to reach the heart. The prophet foretold that God would make a new covenant with the house of Israel: Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith Jehovah. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. (Jer 31:31-34).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Because: Rom 4:16, Rom 10:3, Mat 19:16-20, Joh 6:27-29, Act 16:30-34, 1Jo 5:9-12
they stumbled: Rom 11:11, Mat 13:57, Luk 2:34, Luk 7:23, 1Co 1:23
Reciprocal: Psa 119:116 – and let me Pro 4:12 – thou shalt Pro 14:6 – scorner Isa 8:14 – a stone Eze 3:20 – and I lay Hos 14:9 – but Mat 7:14 – and few Mat 11:6 – whosoever Luk 18:9 – which Rom 2:17 – restest Rom 3:20 – Therefore Rom 3:27 – of works Rom 4:4 – General Rom 10:2 – but not Rom 11:7 – Israel Rom 14:13 – put Gal 3:6 – as Gal 5:2 – that Gal 5:4 – is Gal 5:11 – the offence Phi 3:6 – touching Phi 3:9 – not 1Pe 2:6 – Behold 1Pe 2:8 – a stone 1Jo 2:10 – occasion of stumbling Rev 2:14 – a stumblingblock
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
:32
Romans 9:32. Paul explains that the failure of the Jews came because they did not seek to attain to righteousness by faith (the Gospel). Instead, while professing to accept the preaching of the apostles, they insisted on clinging to the merits of the works of the law. The apostle gives an additional explanation of their failure which is in the fact that they stumbled at that stumbling-stone.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Vv. 32, 33. Wherefore? Because [seeking] not by faith, but as it were by works, they stumbled at the stumbling-stone; as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence: and he who believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.
The apostle has just declared (Rom 9:30) the moral fact which is the real cause of Israel’s rejection, and he now asks how this fact could have come about. The question, wherefore? does not signify for what end ( )? but on account of what ( )? If, with the T. R. and some Byz. Mjj., we read , for, with they stumbled, this verb necessarily begins a new proposition, and a finite verb must be understood with the conjunction because: because they sought, not by faith, but as it were by works. But this reading seems too slenderly supported to be admissible, and it is difficult to extract from it a rational meaning; for the act of stumbling is rather the effect than the cause, or than the proof of seeking in a false way. It would require, consequently, to be, they stumbled therefore. If, with the most numerous and important documents, we reject, the for, two possible constructions remain: Either the whole may be taken as a single proposition (see the translation); the two regimens: not by faith and as it were by works, depend in this case on they stumbled, the participle seeking being understood; this construction is somewhat analogous to that of Rom 9:11. The meaning is excellent. Wherefore did they not find true righteousness? Because, seeking it in the way of works, they ended in stumbling against the stumbling-stone, the Messiah who brought to them true righteousness, that of faith. Or it is possible, even without the for, to find here two propositions, as is done by most commentators; the first: Because they sought not in the way of faith, but in that of works; the second, which would follow by way of asyndeton, and which would require to be regarded as pronounced with emotion: Yea; they stumbled…! But what prevents us from adopting this last construction is, that the idea of stumbling thus comes on us too abruptly. It would require a , and so, to establish the relation between the two acts of seeking in the false way and stumbling. We hold, therefore, by the preceding construction.
Paul can with good reason make it a charge against the Jews that they have not sought righteousness in the way of faith; for he had shown (chap. 4) by the example of Abraham that this way was already marked out in the O. T.; comp. also the saying of Habakkuk quoted (Rom 1:17), and that of Isaiah about to be referred to (Rom 9:33), etc. Every day the experiences made under the law should have brought the serious Jew to the feet of Jehovah in the way of repentance and faith to obtain pardon and help (see the Psalms). And following this course, they would have avoided stumbling at the Messianic righteousness; they would, on the contrary, have grasped it greedily, as was done by the lite of the people. The as it were, added to the regimen by works, signifies quite naturally: As if it were possible to find righteousness by this means. Meyer explains it somewhat differently. To seek righteousness by a process such as that of works. But the first meaning much better describes the contrast between the real and the imaginary means.
The complement , of the law, in the T. R. is omitted by the Alexs. and the Greco-Latins; it adds nothing to the idea. Seeking in this false way, they have ended by stumbling on the stone which made them fall. This stone was Jesus, who brought them a righteousness acquired by Himself and offered only to faith. The figure of stumbling is in keeping with all those that precede: follow after, attain to, reach (obtain). In their foolish course, Israel thought they were advancing on a clear path, and lo! all at once there was found on this way an obstacle upon which they were broken. And this obstacle was the very Messiah whom they had so long invoked in all their prayers! But even this result was foretold.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Wherefore? [Why, then, did the Jews fail to find any law of life? Answer: Because there is but one such law, and they sought another.] Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. [In interpreting, we have contrasted the law of works with what we have called “the law of faith,” but the apostle does not use this latter term: with him life it attained by “faith,” though he treats it as a working principle in that he contrasts it with the other active principle, or law of works. In this verse, however, he drops the abstract altogether, and places the concrete “faith” and “works” in vivid opposition. It is not so much a question of law against law, and principle against principle; it is one of faith which appropriates the perfect righteousness of Christ, and of Jewish works which, scorning the garment of the purity of God, revealed in his Son, still clings to the filthy rags of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, Phariseeism, etc.– Phi 3:4-14] They stumbled at the stone of stumbling [The language here still follows the metaphor of the race-course. The Jew, running with his eye on an imaginary, non-existing, phantom goal, and blind as to the real goal, stumbles over it and falls. The picture presented by the apostle suggests the sad truth that the Jew has run far enough and fast enough to win, but, as he has rejected the terms and rules of the race, his efforts are not counted by the Lord of the race. Christ was placed of God as a goal, and not as a stumbling-block; as a Saviour, not as a source of condemnation; but he is indeed either man’s salvation or his ruin– Mat 21:42-45];
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
32. Wherefore, because they sought it not by faith, but by works. The true religion in all ages is salvation by the free grace of God in Christ, received and appropriated by faith alone, without works; while false religions in all ages teach salvation by faith and works, the latter always eclipsing the former and running them into idolatry. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 32
That stumbling-stone; the one described in the quotation contained in the Romans 9:33.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
9:32 Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the {s} works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
(s) Seeking to attain righteousness, they followed the law of righteousness.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Israel as a whole, excluding the believing remnant, failed to gain a righteous standing before God because she tried to win it with works. A stone on the racetrack over which she stumbled impeded her progress. Intent on winning in her own effort Israel failed to recognize the Stone prophesied in Scripture who was to provide salvation for her.
The quotation is from Isa 8:14; Isa 28:16 (cf. 1Pe 2:6-8). God intended the Messiah to be the provider of salvation. However the Jews did not allow Him to fulfill this function for them. Consequently this Stone became a stumbling block for them (cf. 1Co 1:23).
Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ did not make God unfaithful or unrighteous in His dealings with the nation. What it did do was make it possible for Gentiles to surpass the Jews as the main recipients of salvation.