Romans 2:17-24
New English Translation
The Condemnation of the Jew
17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law[a] and boast of your relationship to God[b] 18 and know his will[c] and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law,[d] 19 and if you are convinced[e] that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth— 21 therefore[f] you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor[g] idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law! 24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[h]
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- Romans 2:17 sn The law refers to the Mosaic law, described mainly in the OT books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
- Romans 2:17 tn Grk “boast in God.” This may be an allusion to Jer 9:24.
- Romans 2:18 tn Grk “the will.”
- Romans 2:18 tn Grk “because of being instructed out of the law.”
- Romans 2:19 tn This verb is parallel to the verbs in vv. 17-18a, so it shares the conditional meaning even though the word “if” is not repeated.
- Romans 2:21 tn The structure of vv. 21-24 is difficult. Some take these verses as the apodosis of the conditional clauses (protases) in vv. 17-20; others see vv. 17-20 as an instance of anacoluthon (a broken off or incomplete construction).
- Romans 2:22 tn Or “detest.”
- Romans 2:24 sn A quotation from Isa 52:5.
Romans 2:17-24
Lexham English Bible
Jews also Condemned by the Law
17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve the things that are superior, because you[a] are instructed by the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21 Therefore, the one who teaches someone else, do you not teach yourself? The one who preaches not to steal, do you steal? 22 The one who says not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one who abhors idols, do you rob temples? 23 Who boast in the law, by the transgression of the law you dishonor God![b] 24 For just as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[c]
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- Romans 2:18 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are instructed”) which is understood as causal
- Romans 2:23 Or “do you dishonor God?” (a number of translators and interpreters take this phrase as a final rhetorical question; the present translation regards it as a final summary statement to be taken ironically)
- Romans 2:24 A quotation from Isa 52:5
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