Romans 2:23

Romans 2:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
• New International Version (NIV)You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
• English Standard Version (ESV)You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?

Context of Romans 2:23

21So you teach other people, do you? But do you teach yourself? You tell other people, ‘Do not rob anyone.’ But maybe you yourself rob other people. 22You say, ‘People must not have sex with anyone who is not their wife or their husband.’ But maybe you yourself have sex in a wrong way. You say that you hate idols. But do you rob places where people worship idols? You 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. 24This is written in the Bible: ‘Because of you Jews, the Gentiles say bad things against God.’ 25As a Jewish man, you are proud that someone has circumcised you. That is a help to you, if you obey God's Law in your life. But if you do not obey God's Law, then it is worth nothing. You have become like a Gentile that nobody has ever circumcised.

Romans 2:23 word by word

ὃς ἐν νόμῳ καυχᾶσαι, διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν θεὸν ἀτιμάζεις;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thou thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• makest thy boastκαυχάομαιkauchaomai · to boastG2744
• ofἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• breakingὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• breakingπαράβασιςparabasis · transgressionG3847
• dishonourest thouἀτιμάζωatimazō · to dishonorG818
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Romans 2:23

• Romans 2:17Do 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 3:2Yes, it helps in many ways. The first is that God chose to give his messages to the Jewish people.
• 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.
• Jeremiah 8:8You say, “We are wise because we have the law of the Lord.” But I tell you, your teachers have changed my laws. They teach you lies instead.
• Matthew 19:17Jesus replied, ‘Why do you ask me about a good thing? Only God is good. Nobody else. If you want to have real life, then you must obey God's laws.’
• Luke 10:26‘What does God's Law say?’ Jesus asked. ‘What do you understand when you read it?’
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood there by himself. He prayed like this: “Thank you, God, that I am different from all these other people. They are bad people. They rob other people. They have sex with women who are not their wife. Thank you, God, that I am not like this man who takes taxes on behalf of the government.
• John 5:45But I will not have to tell the Father that you are guilty. No, it is Moses who will do that. You think that Moses is the one who will show that you are right. But he is the one who will show that you are guilty.
• John 9:28Then the leaders were very angry with him. They shouted at him, ‘No, it is you! You are that man's disciple. But we are disciples of Moses.
• James 1:22But be careful to do what God says in his message. Do not only listen to it. Do not make that mistake!
• James 4:16But instead, you talk about what you have decided to do. You speak as if you have the power to make it happen. It is wrong to speak like that.

Commentaries on Romans 2:23

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Makest thy boast … - To boast in the Law implied their conviction of its excellence and obligation, as a man does not boast of what he esteems to be of no value. Dishonourest thou God - By boasting of the Law, they proclaimed their conviction that it was from God. By breaking it, they denied it. And as actions are a true test of man‘s real opinions, their breaking the Law did it more dishonor than their boasting of it did it honor. This is always the…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. 1-29Paul waits to explain righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until he first teaches about the sinfulness of all people. Both non-Jews and Jews are equally under the power of sin (1:18–32; 2:1–3:8). Because of this, both groups are in the same situation before God. No one can gain God’s favor by their own actions or obedience (3:9–20). All people need God’s saving action, not their own efforts.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 2:23

• Formalism
• Hypocrisy
• Inconsistency
• Minister, Christian
• 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