Romans 2:17

Romans 2:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
• New International Version (NIV)Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God
• New King James Version (NKJV)Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God,

Context of Romans 2:17

15Those 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. Do 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. 18You know what God wants people to do. His Law teaches you what is good and right. 19You are sure that you yourself can teach other people about God. You think that you can be like a guide to blind people. You think that you can be like a light to people who are in the dark.

Romans 2:17 word by word

Εἰ δὲ σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ἐπονομάζῃ καὶ ἐπαναπαύῃ νόμῳ καὶ καυχᾶσαι ἐν θεῷRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• art calledἐπονομάζωeponomazō · to nameG2028
• a JewἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• restestἐπαναπαύωepanapauomai · to rest/rely onG1879
• in the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• in the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• makest thy boastκαυχάομαιkauchaomai · to boastG2744
• ofἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Romans 2:17

• Romans 2:28Not everyone who seems to be a Jew is really a Jew who belongs to God. God does not accept a man just because someone has circumcised that man's body.
• Romans 9:4They are Israelite people. God chose them to belong to him as his own children. He showed them that he is very great. He made many agreements with them and he gave his Law to them. He showed them how they should worship him. He promised many good things to them.
• Psalms 135:4The Lord chose Jacob's family for himself. Yes, he chose Israel's people to belong to him.
• Isaiah 48:1Listen to this, family of Jacob. You are called ‘Israel’, and you are Judah's descendants. You use the name of the Lord when you make promises. You pray to Israel's God. But you do not do those things honestly and fairly.
• Matthew 3:9Do not say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them!
• Matthew 8:11I tell you, many people will come from all over the world to take their place in the kingdom of heaven. There they will sit down to eat with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
• John 8:33They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone's slaves. But you say that we will become free. What do you mean?’
• 2 Corinthians 11:22Are they proud that they are Hebrew people? So am I. Do they belong to Israel's people? So do I. Are they descendants of Abraham's family? So am I.
• Galatians 2:15We were born as Jewish people. We are not Gentiles who have never obeyed God's rules.
• Ephesians 2:11So you who were born as Gentiles should remember what you were like before. Jews insulted you because nobody has circumcised you. They themselves are proud that men have circumcised them as God's people.
• Philippians 3:3But we are truly God's people. And it is not because someone has circumcised us. It is God's own Spirit that leads us to worship God. We thank God because of what Christ Jesus has done for us. We know that it is not human ideas that can save us.
• Revelation 2:9I know that bad people are making you suffer. I also know that you are poor. But really, you are rich. Some people say that they are Jews, but they tell lies about you. So they cannot be my true people. Instead, they belong to a group of Satan's people.
• Revelation 3:1‘Write this to the angel of the church at Sardis: “This is the message to you from the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know everything that you do. I know that people praise you. They think that you are alive. But that is not true, because really you are dead in your spirits.
• Romans 2:23You are proud that you know God's Law. But you do not obey that Law. As a result, you cause other people to speak against God.
• Jeremiah 7:4People may say, ‘We are safe here! This is the temple of the Lord. It is the temple of the Lord!’ But the people who say that are deceiving you. Do not trust them.
• Zephaniah 3:11At that time, you will not have to be ashamed of the wrong things that you have done against me. But I will take away those who do not see anything wrong in themselves. Those people will not call each other “the people who live on God's holy mountain”.

Commentaries on Romans 2:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Behold, thou art called a Jew - What the apostle had said in the preceding verses being sufficient to enforce conviction on the conscience of the Jew, he now throws off the cover, and openly argues with him in the most plain and nervous manner; asserting that his superior knowledge, privileges, and profession, served only to aggravate his condemnation. And that, in fact, he who, under all his greater advantages, transgressed the law of God, stood…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Behold - Having thus stated the general principles on which God would judge the world; having shown how they condemned the Gentiles; and having removed all objections to them, he now proceeds to another part of his argument, to show how they applied to the Jews. By the use of the word “behold,” he calls their attention to it, as to an important subject; and with great skill and address, he states their privileges, before he shows them how those privileges…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-24Verses 17-24 The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sins they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions. A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is the root and sum of all religion. But proud, vain-glorious boasting in God, and in the outward profession of his name, is the root and sum of all hypocrisy. Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride. A great evil of the sins professors…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-20The pride of the Jews reflects Old Testament and Jewish teachings about the privileges and responsibilities God gave to Israel. God gave his law to Israel, formed a special relationship with them, and gave them the task of being a spiritual light to the Gentiles (see Isaiah 42:6–7). Jews were not wrong to enjoy these blessings; their error was in failing to live up to their privileged position.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2417-24. 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).Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 2:17

• Formalism
• Hypocrisy
• Self-Righteousness
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Accuse
• Boast
• Continuance
• Doer
• Excuse
• Fall of man
• Forbearance
• Sure

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