Romans 2:13

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.
• 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;
• New Living Translation (NLT)For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.

Context of Romans 2:13

11For God does not show favoritism. 12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 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. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They 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.)

Romans 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 2:25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
• Deuteronomy 4:1Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
• Deuteronomy 5:1Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them.
• Deuteronomy 6:3Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
• Deuteronomy 30:12It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
• Ezekiel 20:11I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.
• Ezekiel 33:30“As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message 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 one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
• Luke 8:21He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
• James 1:22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
• 1 John 2:29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
• 1 John 3:7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
• Romans 3:20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
• Romans 10:5Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”
• Luke 10:25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
• Galatians 3:11Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous 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

• Doer
• Gentiles
• God Continued...
• Hearers
• Judgment
• Justification
• Works

In the dictionaries

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