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 the hearers of Torah who are righteous before God; rather, it is the doers of Torah who will be justified. 14For when Gentiles, who do not have the Torah, do by nature the things of the Torah, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the Torah. They show that the work of the Torah is written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts switching between accusing or defending them 16on the day when God judges the secrets of men according to my Good News through Messiah Yeshua. 17But if you call yourself Jewish and rely upon the Torah and boast in 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 men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth,
• Romans 9:1I tell the truth in Messiah—I do not lie, my conscience assuring me in the Ruach ha-Kodesh—
• John 8:9Now when they heard, they began to leave, one by one, the oldest ones first, until Yeshua was left alone with the woman in the middle.
• Acts 23:1Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience for God up to this day.”
• Acts 24:16“Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience before both God and men.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our reason for boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world, and most especially toward you, with simplicity and godly sincerity—not by human wisdom but by the grace of God.
• 2 Corinthians 5:11Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we are trying to persuade people, but what we are is known to God—and I hope it is known to your consciences as well.
• 1 Timothy 4:2through the hypocrisy of false speakers—whose own conscience has been seared.
• Genesis 3:8And they heard the sound of Adonai Elohim going to and fro in the garden in the wind of the day. So the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Adonai Elohim in the midst of the Tree of the garden.
• Genesis 20:5Didn’t he say to me, ‘She’s my sister’? And she herself even said, ‘He’s my brother.’ I did this with integrity of my heart and guiltlessness of my hands.”
• Genesis 42:21Then each man said to his brother, “We’re truly guilty for our brother. We saw the distress of his soul when he begged us for mercy, but we didn’t listen. That’s why this distress has come to us.”
• 1 Kings 2:44The king added to Shimei: “You know all the evil, which your heart should acknowledge, that you did to my father David. Therefore Adonai will return your evil on your own head.
• Job 27:6I will maintain my righteousness, and not let it go; my conscience will not reproach me for any of my days.
• Ecclesiastes 7:22for your heart knows that many times you too have mocked others.
• 1 John 3:19By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and set our heart at rest before Him

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