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.
• 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

11For God does not show favoritism. 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. 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. 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. 15They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

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 2:25The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile.
• Deuteronomy 4:1“And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
• Deuteronomy 5:1Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, “Listen carefully, Israel. Hear the decrees and regulations I am giving you today, so you may learn them and obey them!
• Deuteronomy 6:3Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
• Deuteronomy 30:12It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’
• Ezekiel 20:11There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.
• Ezekiel 33:30“Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’
• Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
• Luke 8:21Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”
• James 1:22But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
• 1 John 2:29Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
• 1 John 3:7Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.
• Romans 3:20For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
• Romans 10:5For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.
• Luke 10:25One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
• Galatians 3:11So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

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