the righteousness of God
The Greek term for "righteousness" is "δικαιοσύνη" (dikaiosynē), which can mean justice, justification, or the quality of being right. In the context of Romans, it refers to God's own righteousness and the way He imparts it to believers. This righteousness is not earned by human effort but is a gift from God, highlighting the grace and mercy inherent in the gospel. The phrase underscores the divine standard of holiness and justice that God embodies and imparts to those who have faith.

is revealed
The Greek word "ἀποκαλύπτεται" (apokalyptetai) means to uncover or unveil. This revelation is ongoing and dynamic, suggesting that God's righteousness is continually being made known through the gospel. Historically, this unveiling was a radical departure from the Jewish law, which was seen as the path to righteousness. Instead, Paul emphasizes that righteousness is revealed through faith in Christ, a truth that was progressively understood and embraced by the early church.

from faith to faith
This phrase, "ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν" (ek pisteōs eis pistin), can be interpreted in several ways. It may suggest a progression or deepening of faith, indicating that the journey of faith begins and continues through trust in God. Alternatively, it could mean that faith is both the starting point and the goal of the Christian life. The repetition of "faith" emphasizes its centrality in the believer's relationship with God, contrasting with the works-based righteousness of the law.

just as it is written
Paul often uses this phrase to introduce Old Testament quotations, grounding his arguments in the Hebrew Scriptures. Here, he is about to quote Habakkuk 2:4, showing the continuity of God's plan from the Old Testament to the New Testament. This connection underscores the consistency of God's message and His faithfulness to His promises throughout history.

“The righteous will live by faith.”
This quotation from Habakkuk 2:4, "Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται" (Ho de dikaios ek pisteōs zēsetai), encapsulates the essence of Paul's message. The "righteous" are those who are justified by God, not by their own works, but through faith. The phrase "will live" implies both eternal life and a present, abundant life characterized by faith. This declaration was pivotal in the Reformation, as it emphasizes that faith, not works, is the means by which believers are justified and sustained in their spiritual journey.

The righteousness of God.--By this is not meant, as might, perhaps, be supposed, an attribute of the divine nature--as if the essential righteousness of God were first made known through the gospel. St. Paul goes on to show in Romans 1:19-20, that so much at least of the nature of God might be known without any supernatural revelation. "Of God" means in the present instance "which proceeds from God." And the "righteousness" which thus "proceeds from God" is that condition of righteousness in man into which he enters by his participation in the Messianic kingdom. The whole object of the coming of the Messiah was to make men "righteous" before God. This was done more especially by the death of Christ upon the cross, which, as we learn from Romans 3:24-26, had the effect of making God "propitious" towards men. The benefit of this act is secured to all who make good their claim to be considered members of the Messianic kingdom by a loyal adhesion to the Messiah. Such persons are treated as if they were "righteous," though the righteousness that is thus attributed to them is not any actual merit of their own, but an ideal condition in which they are placed by God. This is the well-known doctrine of justification by faith. (See Excursus A: On the Meaning of the word Righteousness in the Epistle to the Romans, and Excursus E: On the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and Imputed Righteousness.)

Revealed.--God's purpose of thus justifying men is in process of being revealed or declared in the gospel. It is revealed theoretically in the express statements of the way in which man may be justified. It is revealed practically in the heartfelt acceptance of those statements and the change of life which they involved. To the Romans the moment of revelation was that in which they first heard the gospel. St. Paul wishes them to know the full significance--the philosophy, as it might be called--of that which they had heard.

From faith to faith.--It is by faith that man first lays hold on the gospel, and its latest product is a heightened and intensified faith. Apart from faith, the gospel remains null and void for the individual. It is not realised. But when it has been once realised and taken home to the man's self, its tendency is to confirm and strengthen that very faculty by which it was apprehended. It does that for which the disciples prayed when they said, "Lord, increase our faith" (Luke 17:5).

The just shall live by faith.--The words are part of the consolatory answer which the prophet Habakkuk receives in the stress of the Chaldean invasion. Though his irresistible hosts sweep over the land, the righteous man who puts his trust in God shall live. Perhaps St. Paul intended the words "by faith" to be taken rather with "the just" than as they stand in the English version. "The just by faith," or "The man whose righteousness is based on faith," shall live.

The Apostle uses the word "faith" in his own peculiar and pregnant sense. But this is naturally led up to by the way in which it was used by Habakkuk. The intense personal trust and reliance which the Jew felt in the God of his fathers is directed by the Christian to Christ, and is further developed into an active energy of devotion. . . .