en_tn_condensed/rom/09/16.md

it is not because of him who wills, nor because of him who runs

"it is not because of what people want or because they try hard"

nor because of him who runs

Paul speaks of a person who does good things in order to gain God's favor as if that person were running a race. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)