Romans 2:15

Romans 2:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
• New International Version (NIV)They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)
• English Standard Version (ESV)They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
• New King James Version (NKJV)who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)

Context of Romans 2:15

13Who does God accept as right with himself? It is those people who obey his Law. It is not the people who only know his Law but do not obey them. 14The Gentiles do not have God's Law. But they may still do the right things that the Law teaches. They do right things because of what they themselves think is right. In that way they are showing that they have a certain law in their minds, even though they do not know God's Law. Those people show that they know what is right. It is as if God has written his Law deep inside them. Their thoughts tell them the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes their thoughts say: ‘You did something that is wrong.’ And sometimes their thoughts say: ‘You did what is right.’ 16That is the message that I tell people. God knows everything that people think secretly. One day he will judge everyone. He has given Jesus Christ the authority to do that. 17Do you say that you are a Jew? Maybe you trust in the Law that God gave to Moses. You are proud that you belong to God.

Romans 2:15 word by word

οἵτινες ἐνδείκνυνται τὸ ἔργον τοῦ νόμου γραπτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως καὶ μεταξὺ ἀλλήλων τῶν λογισμῶν κατηγορούντων ἢ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• shewἐνδείκνυμιendeiknumi · to showG1731
• the workὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the workἔργονergon · workG2041
• of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• writtenγραπτόςgraptos · writtenG1123
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• conscienceσυνείδησιςsuneidēsis · conscienceG4893
• also bearing witnessσυμμαρτυρέωsummartureō · to testify withG4828
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• thoughtsλογισμόςlogismos · thoughtG3053
• the mean whileμεταξύmetaxu · between/meanwhileG3342
• accusingκατηγορέωkatēgoreō · to accuseG2723
• or elseἤē · orG2228
• excusingἀπολογέομαιapologeomai · to defend oneselfG626
• one anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240

Cross-references for Romans 2:15

• Romans 1:18God in heaven shows that he is angry with people. He is angry because they do not respect him and they do bad things. Because they continue to do those bad things, they choose not to accept God's true message.
• Romans 9:1What I am telling you is true. I speak as someone who belongs to Christ. I am not telling lies. God's Holy Spirit rules my thoughts and I am sure that I am right.
• John 8:9When they heard what Jesus said, the people began to go away. They went one by one. The older people went first. After some time, only Jesus remained with the woman. She was still standing there.
• Acts 23:1Paul looked at the group of Jewish leaders and he said to them, ‘My Jewish friends, God knows that I have nothing to be ashamed about today. I have always respected God's Laws.’
• Acts 24:16Because of that, I always try to do what is right. I do not want to do anything bad against God or against other people.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12We can be proud of how we have lived in this world. We have been careful to be honest and good with everyone. And we have been like that with you even more. We are sure in our own minds that this is true. We have not tried to be clever in a human way. But we have lived in the way that God has helped us to live.
• 2 Corinthians 5:11We know that the Lord will judge us, so we are careful to obey him. Because of that, we tell God's message to people. We want them to believe in God. And God himself knows that we try to do what is right. I hope that you know that also, when you think about it.
• 1 Timothy 4:2The people who teach those false things are hypocrites. They no longer understand that what they teach is wrong.
• Genesis 3:8In the evening there was a nice cool wind. The Lord God walked in the garden. The man and the woman heard the sound of the Lord God. They hid themselves behind some trees, so that God would not see them.
• Genesis 20:5Abraham told me that Sarah was his sister. And she herself said, “I am his sister.” So I am not guilty! I did not think that I was doing a bad thing.’
• Genesis 42:21The brothers said to each other, ‘This punishment is happening to us because of what we did to Joseph. We saw how upset he was when he asked us not to kill him. But we refused to be kind to him. That is why we have all this trouble.’
• 1 Kings 2:44The king also said to Shimei, ‘I know that you remember how you insulted my father David. Now the Lord will punish you because of the evil things that you did.
• Job 27:6I will never agree that I am guilty. During all of my life, my thoughts do not say that I am doing anything wrong.
• Ecclesiastes 7:22Do not forget that you also have often cursed other people.
• 1 John 3:19Then we will know that we truly belong to God. We will be obeying God's true message. As a result, our thoughts will not make us ashamed to come to God.

Commentaries on Romans 2:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Which show the work of the law - In acting according to justice, mercy, temperance, and truth, they show that the great object of the law, which was to bring men from injustice, cruelty, intemperance, and falsity, is accomplished so far in them: their conscience also bearing witness - that faculty of the soul, where that Divine light dwells and works, shows them that they are right; and thus they have a comfortable testimony in their own souls of their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Which show - Who thus evince or show. The work of the law - The design, purpose, or object which is contemplated by the revealed Law; that is, to make known to man his duty, and to enforce the obligation to perform it. This does not mean, by any means, that they had all the knowledge which the Law would impart, for then there would have been no need of a revelation, but that, as far as it went, as far as they had a knowledge of right and wrong, they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires: This fits with the idea that the law is written on their hearts (2:15), which points to the promise of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34). Or Paul may be speaking about non-Christian Gentiles. These Gentiles know God’s basic moral law through their conscience. In this case, Paul shows that all people can be held responsible for basic moral standards, even without God’s written law.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1513-15. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 2:15

• Conscience
• Conviction
• Doer
• Gentiles
• God Continued...
• Heart
• Judgment
• Law

In the dictionaries

• Accuse
• Boast
• Conscience
• Continuance
• Doer
• Excuse
• Fall of man
• Forbearance
• Heart
• Judgment, The final

Commentaries on Romans 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings