New Living Translation
Romans 2:12
12When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.
Romans 2:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
- New International Version (NIV)All 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
Context of Romans 2:12
10But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism. When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 14Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.
Read all of Romans 2Romans 2:12 word by word
Ὅσοι γὰρ ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον, ἀνόμως καὶ ἀπολοῦνται· καὶ ὅσοι ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον, διὰ νόμου κριθήσονται·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- as many asὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
- have sinnedἁμαρτάνωhamartanō · to sinG264
- without lawἀνόμωςanomōs · without lawG460
- shallἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
- alsoκαίkai · andG2532
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- shall be judgedκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
Cross-references for Romans 2:12
- Romans 2:14Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.
- Romans 1:18But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
- Ezekiel 16:49Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.
- Matthew 11:22I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you.
- Luke 10:12I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on judgment day.
- Luke 12:47“And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.
- John 19:11Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
- Acts 17:30“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.
- Romans 2:16And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.
- Romans 3:19Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.
- Romans 4:15For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
- Romans 7:7Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”
- Romans 8:3The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
- Deuteronomy 27:26‘Cursed is anyone who does not affirm and obey the terms of these instructions.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
- 2 Corinthians 3:7The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.
- Galatians 2:16Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Commentaries on Romans 2:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12For as many as have sinned without law, etc. - They, viz. the Gentiles, who shall be found to have transgressed against the mere light of nature, or rather, that true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world, John 1:9, shall not come under the same rule with those, the Jews, who have in addition to this enjoyed an extraordinary revelation; but they shall be dealt with according to the inferior dispensation, under which they lived: while…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For - This is used to give a reason for what he had just said, or to show on what principles God would treat man, so as not to be a respecter of persons. As many - Whosoever. This includes all who have done it, and evidently has respect to the Gentile world. It is of the more importance to remark this, because he does not say that it is applicable to a few only, or to great and incorrigible instances of pagan wickedness, but it is a universal, sweeping…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Perish: This common New Testament word describes the final outcome of the wicked after judgment (see also 9:22; 14:15; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 15:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15; 4:3; Philippians 1:28; 3:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 Timothy 6:9). It refers to complete ruin and loss under God’s judgment. all … under the law: The Jews received the law of Moses, while the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) never had God’s written law. In the New Testament period, Jews saw…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. For as many as have sinned--not "as many as have sinned at all," but, "as many as are found in sin" at the judgment of the great day (as the whole context shows). without law--that is, without the advantage of a positive Revelation. shall also perish without law--exempt from the charge of rejecting or disregarding it. and as many as have sinned in the law--within the pale of a positive, written Revelation. shall be judged by the law--tried and…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 2:12
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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