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

13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. 14For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, 16on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus. 17But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship 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 1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness,
• Romans 9:1I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit –
• John 8:9Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
• Acts 23:1Paul looked directly at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day.”
• Acts 24:16This is the reason I do my best to always have a clear conscience toward God and toward people.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God – not by human wisdom but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.
• 2 Corinthians 5:11Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.
• 1 Timothy 4:2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.
• Genesis 3:8Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard.
• Genesis 20:5Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”
• Genesis 42:21They said to one other, “Surely we’re being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!”
• 1 Kings 2:44Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David. The Lord will punish you for what you did.
• Job 27:6I will maintain my righteousness and never let it go; my conscience will not reproach me for as long as I live.
• Ecclesiastes 7:22For you know in your own heart that you also have cursed others many times.
• 1 John 3:19And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence,

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