God’s Word Translation
Romans 2:13
13People who merely listen to the laws in Moses’ Teachings don’t have God’s approval. Rather, people who do what those laws demand will have God’s approval.
Romans 2:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
- New International Version (NIV)For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
- New King James Version (NKJV)(for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
Context of Romans 2:13
11God does not play favorites. 12Here’s the reason: Whoever sins without having the laws in Moses’ Teachings will still be condemned to destruction. And whoever has these laws from God and sins will still be judged by them. People who merely listen to the laws in Moses’ Teachings don’t have God’s approval. Rather, people who do what those laws demand will have God’s approval. 14For example, whenever non-Jews who don’t have the laws in Moses’ Teachings do by nature the things that those laws contain, they are a law to themselves even though they don’t have any of those laws. 15They show that some requirements found in Moses’ Teachings are written in their hearts. Their consciences speak to them. Their thoughts accuse them on one occasion and defend them on another.
Read all of Romans 2Romans 2:13 word by word
οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ τῷ θεῷ, ἀλλ᾽ οἱ ποιηταὶ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- notοὐou · noG3756
- the hearersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the hearersἀκροατήςakroatēs · hearerG202
- of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- justδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
- beforeπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- the doersποιητήςpoiētēs · doerG4163
- shall be justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
Cross-references for Romans 2:13
- Romans 2:25For example, circumcision is valuable if you follow the laws in Moses’ Teachings. If you don’t follow those laws, your circumcision amounts to uncircumcision.
- Deuteronomy 4:1Israel, listen to the laws and rules I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you will live and be able to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord God of your ancestors is giving you.
- Deuteronomy 5:1Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: Israel, listen to the laws and rules I’m telling you today. Learn them and faithfully obey them.
- Deuteronomy 6:3Listen, Israel, and be careful to obey these laws. Then things will go well for you and your population will increase in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord God of your ancestors promised you.
- Deuteronomy 30:12It’s not in heaven. You don’t have to ask, “Who will go to heaven to get this command for us so that we can hear it and obey it?”
- Ezekiel 20:11I gave them my laws and made my rules known to them. If people obey them they will live.
- Ezekiel 33:30“Son of man, your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of their homes. They are saying to each other, ‘Let’s go and hear the word that has come from the Lord.’
- Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants.
- Luke 8:21He answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do what God’s word says.”
- James 1:22Do what God’s word says. Don’t merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.
- 1 John 2:29If you know that Christ has God’s approval, you also know that everyone who does what God approves of has been born from God.
- 1 John 3:7Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you. Whoever does what God approves of has God’s approval as Christ has God’s approval.
- Romans 3:20Not one person can have God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures. These laws show what sin is.
- Romans 10:5Moses writes about receiving God’s approval by following his laws. He says, “The person who obeys these laws will live because he obeys them.”
- Luke 10:25Then an expert in Moses’ Teachings stood up to test Jesus. He asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Galatians 3:11No one receives God’s approval by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings since, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.”
Commentaries on Romans 2:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13For not the hearers of the law, etc. - It does not follow, because one people are favored with a Divine revelation, that therefore they shall be saved; while the others who have not had that revelation, shall finally perish: this is not God's procedure; where he has given a law - a Divine revelation, he requires obedience to that law; and only those who have been doers of that law - who have lived according to the light and privileges granted in that…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13For not the hearers - The same sentiment is implied in James 1:22; Matthew 7:21, Matthew 7:24; Luke 6:47. The apostle here doubtless designed to meet an objection of the Jews; to wit, that they had the Law, that they manifested great deference for it, that they heard it read with attention, and professed a willingness to yield themselves to it. To meet this, he states a very plain and obvious principle, that this was insufficient to justify them before…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13the doers of the law who will be declared righteous: Regarding the promise of righteousness through obedience, see 2:7 and James 1:22.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 2:13
In the dictionaries
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
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