1 Therefore G1352 thou art G1488 inexcusable, G379 O G5599 man, G444 whosoever G3956 thou art that judgest: G2919 for G1063 wherein G1722 G3739 thou judgest G2919 another, G2087 thou condemnest G2632 thyself; G4572 for G1063 thou that judgest G2919 doest G4238 the same things. G846
And David's H1732 anger H639 was greatly H3966 kindled H2734 against the man; H376 and he said H559 to Nathan, H5416 As the LORD H3068 liveth, H2416 the man H376 that hath done H6213 this thing shall surely H1121 die: H4194 And he shall restore H7999 the lamb H3535 fourfold, H706 because H6118 he did H6213 this thing, H1697 and because H834 he had no pity. H2550 And Nathan H5416 said H559 to David, H1732 Thou art the man. H376 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 I anointed H4886 thee king H4428 over Israel, H3478 and I delivered H5337 thee out of the hand H3027 of Saul; H7586
Judge G2919 not, G3361 that G3363 ye be G2919 not G3363 judged. G2919 For G1722 with G3739 what G1063 judgment G2917 ye judge, G2919 ye shall be judged: G2919 and G2532 with G1722 what G3739 measure G3358 ye mete, G3354 it shall be measured G488 to you G5213 again. G488 And G1161 why G5101 beholdest G991 thou the mote G2595 that is in G1722 thy G4675 brother's G80 eye, G3788 but G1161 considerest G2657 not G3756 the beam G1385 that is in G1722 thine own G4674 eye? G3788 Or G2228 how G4459 wilt thou say G2046 to thy G4675 brother, G80 Let G863 me pull out G1544 the mote G2595 out of G575 thine G4675 eye; G3788 and, G2532 behold, G2400 a beam G1385 is in G1722 thine own G4675 eye? G3788 Thou hypocrite, G5273 first G4412 cast out G1544 the beam G1385 out of G1537 thine own G4675 eye; G3788 and G2532 then G5119 shalt thou see clearly G1227 to cast out G1544 the mote G2595 out of G1537 thy G4675 brother's G80 eye. G3788
So G1161 when G5613 they continued G1961 asking G2065 him, G846 he lifted up himself, G352 and said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 He that is without sin G361 among you, G5216 let him G906 first G4413 cast G906 a stone G3037 at G1909 her. G846 And G2532 again G3825 he stooped G2955 down, G2736 and wrote G1125 on G1519 the ground. G1093 And G1161 they which heard G191 it, G2532 being convicted G1651 by G5259 their own conscience, G4893 went out G1831 one by one, G1527 beginning G756 at G575 the eldest, G4245 even unto G2193 the last: G2078 and G2532 Jesus G2424 was left G2641 alone, G3441 and G2532 the woman G1135 standing G2476 in G1722 the midst. G3319
But unto the wicked H7563 God H430 saith, H559 What hast thou to do to declare H5608 my statutes, H2706 or that thou shouldest take H5375 my covenant H1285 in thy mouth? H6310 Seeing thou hatest H8130 instruction, H4148 and castest H7993 my words H1697 behind H310 thee. When thou sawest H7200 a thief, H1590 then thou consentedst H7521 with him, and hast been partaker H2506 with adulterers. H5003 Thou givest H7971 thy mouth H6310 to evil, H7451 and thy tongue H3956 frameth H6775 deceit. H4820 Thou sittest H3427 and speakest H1696 against thy brother; H251 thou H5414 slanderest H1848 thine own mother's H517 son. H1121
Thou therefore G3767 which G3588 teachest G1321 another, G2087 teachest thou G1321 not G3756 thyself? G4572 thou that preachest G2784 a man should G2813 not G3361 steal, G2813 dost thou steal? G2813 Thou that sayest G3004 a man should G3431 not G3361 commit adultery, G3431 dost thou commit adultery? G3431 thou that abhorrest G948 idols, G1497 dost thou commit sacrilege? G2416 Thou G3739 that makest thy boast G2744 of G1722 the law, G3551 through G1223 breaking G3847 the law G3551 dishonourest thou G818 God? G2316
Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees, G5330 hypocrites! G5273 because G3754 ye build G3618 the tombs G5028 of the prophets, G4396 and G2532 garnish G2885 the sepulchres G3419 of the righteous, G1342 And G2532 say, G3004 If G1487 we had been G2258 in G1722 the days G2250 of our G2257 fathers, G3962 we would G302 not G3756 have been G2258 partakers G2844 with them G846 in G1722 the blood G129 of the prophets. G4396 Wherefore G5620 ye be witnesses G3140 unto yourselves, G1438 that G3754 ye are G2075 the children G5207 of them which killed G5407 the prophets. G4396
For G1063 the wrath G3709 of God G2316 is revealed G601 from G575 heaven G3772 against G1909 all G3956 ungodliness G763 and G2532 unrighteousness G93 of men, G444 who hold G2722 the truth G225 in G1722 unrighteousness; G93 Because G1360 that which may be known G1110 of God G2316 is G2076 manifest G5318 in G1722 them; G846 for G1063 God G2316 hath shewed G5319 it unto them. G846 For G1063 the invisible things G517 of him G846 from G575 the creation G2937 of the world G2889 are clearly seen, G2529 being understood G3539 by the things that are made, G4161 even G5037 his G846 eternal G126 power G1411 and G2532 Godhead; G2305 so G1519 that they G846 are G1511 without excuse: G379
Therefore G3767 if G1437 the uncircumcision G203 keep G5442 the righteousness G1345 of the law, G3551 shall G3049 not G3780 his G846 uncircumcision G203 be counted G3049 for G1519 circumcision? G4061 And G2532 shall not G2919 uncircumcision G203 which is by G1537 nature, G5449 if it fulfil G5055 the law, G3551 judge G2919 thee, G4571 who by G1223 the letter G1121 and G2532 circumcision G4061 dost transgress G3848 the law? G3551
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Romans 2
Commentary on Romans 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Ro 2:1-29. The Jew under Like Condemnation with the Gentile.
From those without, the apostle now turns to those within the pale of revealed religion, the self-righteous Jews, who looked down upon the uncovenanted heathen as beyond the pale of God's mercies, within which they deemed themselves secure, however inconsistent their life may be. Alas! what multitudes wrap themselves up in like fatal confidence, who occupy the corresponding position in the Christian Church!
4. the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance—that is, is designed and adapted to do so.
5. treasurest up unto thyself wrath against—rather "in."
the day of wrath—that is wrath to come on thee in the day of wrath. What an awful idea is here expressed—that the sinner himself is amassing, like hoarded treasure, an ever accumulating stock of divine wrath, to burst upon him in "the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God!" And this is said not of the reckless, but of those who boasted of their purity of faith and life.
7-10. To them who, &c.—The substance of these verses is that the final judgment will turn upon character alone.
by patient continuance in well-doing, &c.—Compare Lu 8:15: "That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience"; denoting the enduring and progressive character of the new life.
8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, &c.—referring to such keen and determined resistance to the Gospel as he himself had too painfully witnessed on the part of his own countrymen. (See Ac 13:44-46; 17:5, 13; 18:6, 12; and compare 1Th 2:15, 16).
indignation and wrath—in the bosom of a sin-avenging God.
9. Tribulation and anguish—the effect of these in the sinner himself.
10. to the Jew first—first in perdition if unfaithful; but if obedient to the truth, first in salvation (Ro 2:10).
12. For as many as have sinned—not "as many as have sinned at all," but, "as many as are found in sin" at the judgment of the great day (as the whole context shows).
without law—that is, without the advantage of a positive Revelation.
shall also perish without law—exempt from the charge of rejecting or disregarding it.
and as many as have sinned in the law—within the pale of a positive, written Revelation.
shall be judged by the law—tried and condemned by the higher standard of that written Revelation.
13-15. For not the hearers, &c.—As touching the Jews, in whose ears the written law is continually resounding, the condemnation of as many of them as are found sinners at the last involves no difficulty; but even as respects the heathen, who are strangers to the law in its positive and written form—since they show how deeply it is engraven on their moral nature, which witnesses within them for righteousness and against iniquity, accusing or condemning them according as they violate or obey its stern dictates—their condemnation also for all the sin in which they live and die will carry its dreadful echo in their own breasts.
15. their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing—that is, perhaps by turns doing both.
16. In the day, &c.—Here the unfinished statement of Ro 2:12 is resumed and closed.
shall judge the secrets of men—here specially referring to the unfathomed depths of hypocrisy in the self-righteous whom the apostle had to deal with. (See Ec 12:14; 1Co 4:5).
according to my gospel—to my teaching as a preacher of the Gospel.
17-24. Behold—"But if" is, beyond doubt, the true reading here. (It differs but in a single letter from the received reading, and the sense is the same).
18. approvest the things that are excellent—"triest the things that differ" (Margin). Both senses are good, and indeed the former is but the result of the latter action. (See on Php 1:10).
20. hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law—not being left, as the heathen are, to vague conjecture on divine things, but favored with definite and precise information from heaven.
22. thou that abhorrest idols—as the Jews did ever after their captivity, though bent on them before.
dost thou commit sacrilege?—not, as some excellent interpreters, "dost thou rob idol temples?" but more generally, as we take it, "dost thou profane holy things?" (as in Mt 21:12, 13, and in other ways).
24. as it is written—(See Isa 52:5, Marginal reference).
25-29. For circumcision—that is, One's being within the covenant of which circumcision was the outward sign and seal.
verily profiteth, if thou keep the law—if the inward reality correspond to the outward sign.
but if, &c.—that is, "Otherwise, thou art no better than the uncircumcised heathen."
26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the … law, &c.—Two mistaken interpretations, we think, are given of these words: First, that the case here supposed is an impossible one, and put merely for illustration [Haldane, Chalmers, Hodge]; second that it is the case of the heathen who may and do please God when they act, as has been and is done, up to the light of nature [Grotius, Olshausen, &c.]. The first interpretation is, in our judgment, unnatural; the second, opposed to the apostle's own teaching. But the case here put is, we think, such as that of Cornelius (Ac 10:1-48), who, though outside the external pale of God's covenant, yet having come to the knowledge of the truths contained in it, do manifest the grace of the covenant without the seal of it, and exemplify the character and walk of Abraham's children, though not called by the name of Abraham. Thus, this is but another way of announcing that God was about to show the insufficiency of the mere badge of the Abrahamic covenant, by calling from among the Gentiles a seed of Abraham that had never received the seal of circumcision (see on Ga 5:6); and this interpretation is confirmed by all that follows.
28. he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, &c.—In other words, the name of "Jew" and the rite of "circumcision" were designed but as outward symbols of a separation from the irreligious and ungodly world unto holy devotedness in heart and life to the God of salvation. Where this is realized, the signs are full of significance; but where it is not, they are worse than useless.
Note, (1) It is a sad mark of depravity when all that is designed and fitted to melt only hardens the heart (Ro 2:4, and compare 2Pe 3:9; Ec 8:11). (2) Amidst all the inequalities of religious opportunity measured out to men, and the mysterious bearing of this upon their character and destiny for eternity, the same great principles of judgment, in a form suited to their respective discipline, will be applied to all, and perfect equity will be seen to reign throughout every stage of the divine administration (Ro 2:11-16). (3) "The law written on the heart" (Ro 2:14, 15)—or the Ethics of Natural Theology—may be said to be the one deep foundation on which all revealed religion reposes; and see on Ro 1:19, 20, where we have what we may call its other foundation—the Physics and Metaphysics of Natural Theology. The testimony of these two passages is to the theologian invaluable, while in the breast of every teachable Christian it wakens such deep echoes as are inexpressibly solemn and precious. (4) High religious professions are a fearful aggravation of the inconsistencies of such as make them (Ro 2:17-24). See 2Sa 12:14. (5) As no external privileges, or badge of discipleship, will shield the unholy from the wrath of God, so neither will the want of them shut out from the kingdom of heaven such as have experienced without them that change of heart which the seals of God's covenant were designed to mark. In the sight of the great Searcher of hearts, the Judge of quick and dead, the renovation of the character in heart and life is all in all. In view of this, have not all baptized, sacramented disciples of the Lord Jesus, who "profess that they know God, but in works deny Him," need to tremble—who, under the guise of friends, are "the enemies of the cross of Christ?"