Romans 2

Romans · Chapter 2

Romans 2:29

1Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:11For there is no respect of persons with God.12For 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;13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:15Which 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;)16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Romans 2:17-29A Jew inwardly

About Romans 2"Thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself," Paul writes, for God "will render to every man according to his deeds," and "there is no respect of persons with God." "Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers," and Gentiles without the law "shew the work of the law written in their hearts." To the one who is "called a Jew, and restest in the law," Paul says that God's name is blasphemed through those who break it, for "he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit." Romans 2:1Romans 2:6Romans 2:11Romans 2:13Romans 2:14Romans 2:15Romans 2:17Romans 2:23Romans 2:24Romans 2:29

Why this verse matters here"He is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter." Romans 2:28Romans 2:29

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
butἀλλ᾽all᾽G0235
but

ἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); …

onἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

inwardκρυπτῷkruptōG2927
hidden

κρυπτός (kruptos) κρυπτός, -ή, -όν (κρύπτω) [in LXX for אָטַם, מִסְתָּר, etc. ;] hidden, secret: Mat.10:26, Mrk.4:22, Luk.8:17 12:2; ὁ κ. τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος, 1Pe.3:4; neut., ἐν τῷ κ., Mat.6:4, 6; ἐν κ., Jhn.7:4, 10 18:20; ὁ ἐν κ. Ἰουδαῖος, Rom.2:29; pl., τὰ κ. τ. σκότους, 1Co.4:5; τ. ἀνθρώπων, Rom.2:16; τ. καρδίας, 1Co.14:25; τ. αἰσχύνης, 2Co.4:2.† κρυφαῖος, -αία, -αῖον (κρύφα = κρυφῆ) [in LXX for מִסְתָּר, Jer.23:24, al. ;] hidden, secret: ἐν τῷ κ., Mat.6:18.† (AS)

a Jew [is one],Ἰουδαῖος,IoudaiosG2453
Jew

Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios) Ἰουδαῖος, -αία, -αῖον (Ἰούδας), Jewish: ἀνήρ, Act.10:28 22:3; ἄνθρωπος, Act.21:39; ψευδοπροφήτης, 13:6; ἀσχιερεύς, 19:14; γυνή, 16:1 24:24; γῆ, Jhn.3:22; χώρα, Mrk.1:5. Substantively, (a) Ἰουδαῖος, ὁ, a Jew: Jhn.4:9, Act.18:24, Rom.2:28; pl., Rev.2:9 3:9; οἱ Ἰ., Mat.2:2, Mrk.7:3, Jhn.2:6, al.; Ἰ. τε καὶ Ἕλληνες, Act.14:1, al.; κ. προσήλυτοι, Act.2:10; ἔθνη τε κ. Ἰ., Act.14:5; οἱ κατὰ τὰ ἔθνη, Act.21:21; of Jewish Christians, Gal.2:13; of the ruling class who opposed Jesus, Jhn.1:19 2:18 5:10 11:8 13:33, al.; …

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

circumcision [is]περιτομὴperitomēG4061
circumcision

περιτομή (peritomē) περι-τομή, -ῆς, ἡ (περιτέμνω), [in LXX: Gen.17:13, Exo.4:25-26 (מוּל ni., מוּלָה), Jer.11:16 * ;] circumcision; (a) of the rite itself : Jhn.7:22-23 Act.7:8, Rom.4:11, Gal.5:11, Php.3:5; (b) of the state of circumcision: Rom.2:25-28 3:1, 1Co.7:19, Gal.5:6 6:15, Col.3:11; ἐν π. ὤν, Rom.4:10; (with) by meton., π. = οἱ περιτμηθέντες, the circumcised: Rom.3:30 4:9, 12 15:8, Gal.2:7-9, Eph.2:11; οἱ ἐκ τῆς π., of Jews, Rom.4:12; of Jewish Christians, Act.11:2, Gal.2:12, Tit.1:10; οἱ ἐκ π. πιστοί, Act.10:45; οἱ ὄντες ἐκ π., Col.4:11 Metaphorical, Rom.2:29, Col.2:11, Php.3:3.† (AS)

of heartκαρδίαςkardiasG2588
heart

καρδία (kardia) καρδία, -ας, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly for לֵבָב ,לֵב ;] the heart, 1. the bodily organ which is regarded as the seat of life ( 2Ki.18:14, 4Ki.9:24, al.). 2. In a psychological sense, the seat of man's collective energies, the focus of personal life, the seat of the rational as well as the emotional and volitional elements in human life, hence that wherein lies the moral and religious condition of the man (DB, ii, 317f.; DGG, ii, 344a); (a) of the seat of physical life ( Jdg.19:5, Psa.101 (102):5 103 (104):15): Act.14:17, Jas.5:5; …

inἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

spiritπνεύματιpneumatiG4151G
spirit/breath: spirit

πνεῦμα (pneuma) πνεῦμα, -τος, τό, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for רוּחַ ;] 1. of air in motion; (a) wind: Jhn.3:8; pl., Heb.1:7 (LXX); (b) breath: π. ζωῆς, Rev.11:11; π. τοῦ στόματος, figuratively, 2Th.2:8 (cf. Ps 32 (33)6). …

notοὐouG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

in letter,γράμματι,grammatiG1121
something written

γράμμα (gramma) γράμμα, -τος, τό (γράφω), [in LXX for סֵפֶר, etc. ;] 1. that which is traced or drawn, a picture. 2. that which is written; (1) a character, letter: Gal.6:11; (2) a writing, a written document; (a) a bill or account: Luk.16:6, 7; (b) a letter: Act.28:21; (with) τὰ ἱερὰ γ., the sacred writings, i.e. the OT: 2Ti.3:15 (so in Philo, Vit. Mos., iii, 39) ; (d) τὸ γ., the letter, the written word as an external authority in contrast with the direct influence of the Spirit as manifested in the new Covenant: Rom.2:27, 29 7:6, 2Co.3:6, 7; …

of whomοὗhouG3739
which

ὅς (hos, hē) ὅς, ἥ, ὅ, the postpositive article (ἄρθρον ὑποτακτικόν). I. As demonstr. pron. = οὗτος, ὅδε, this, that, also for αὐτός, chiefly in nom.: ὅς δέ, but he (cf. ἦ δὲ ὅς, frequently in Plat.), Mrk.15:23, Jhn.5:11; ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, the one . . . the other, Mat.21:35, 22:5, 25:15, Luk.23:33, Act.27:14, Rom.14:5, 1Co.11:21, 2Co.2:18, Ju 22; neut., ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δέ, the one . . . the other, some . . . some, Mat.13:8, 23, Rom.9:21; ὃς (ὃ) μὲν . . . (ἄλλος (ἄλλο)) . . . ἕτερος, Mrk.4:4, Luk.8:5, 1Co.12:8-10; οὓς μέν, absol., 1Co.12:28; ὃς μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, Rom.14:2. …

praiseἔπαινοςepainosG1868
praise

ἔπαινος (epainos) ἔπ-αινος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX for תְּהִלָּה, etc. ;] praise: Rom.2:29 Rom.13:3, 1Co.4:5, 2Co.8:18, Eph.1:6, 12 1:14, Php.1:11 Php.4:8, 1Pe.1:7 2:14.† (AS)

[is] notοὐκoukG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

ofἐξexG1537
out from

ἐκ (ek) ἐκ (ἐξ), prep. with genitive, from out of, from (see Addendum, p. 492). This entry is included here, but in the print version the entry is found on p. 492. ἐκ, before a vowel ἐξ, prep. with genitive, of motion outwards, separation from (opposite to εἰς; = Lat. e, ex), from out of, from among, from. I. Of Place, …

menἀνθρώπωνanthrōpōnG0444
a human

ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) ἄνθρωπος, -ου, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for אִישׁ ,אָדָם, also for אֱנוֹשׁ, etc. ;] man: 1. generically, a human being, male or female (Lat. homo): Jhn.16:21; with art., Mat.4:4 12:35, Mrk.2:27, Jhn.2:25, Rom.7:1, al; disting. from God, Mat.19:6, Jhn.10:33, Col.3:23, al.; from animals, etc., Mat.4:19, Luk.5:10, Rev.9:4, al.; implying human frailty and imperfection, 1Co.3:4; σοφία ἀνθρώπων, 1Co.2:5; ἀνθρώπων ἐπιθυμίαι, 1Pe.4:2; κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖν, 1Co.3:3; κατὰ ἄ. λέγειν (λαλεῖν), Rom.3:5, 1Co.9:8; κατὰ ἄ- λέγειν, Gal.3:15 (cf. 1Co.15:32, Gal.1:11); by meton., of man's nature or condition, ὁ …

butἀλλ᾽all᾽G0235
but

ἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); …

ofἐκekG1537
out from

ἐκ (ek) ἐκ (ἐξ), prep. with genitive, from out of, from (see Addendum, p. 492). This entry is included here, but in the print version the entry is found on p. 492. ἐκ, before a vowel ἐξ, prep. with genitive, of motion outwards, separation from (opposite to εἰς; = Lat. e, ex), from out of, from among, from. I. Of Place, …

God.θεοῦ.¶theouG2316
God

θεός (theos) θεός, -οῦ, ὁ, ἡ (Act.19:37 only; see M, Pr., 60, 244), late voc., θεέ (Mat.27:46; cf. Deu.3:24, al.), [in LXX chiefly for אֱלֹהִים, also for אֵל and other cognate forms, יהוה, etc. ;] a god or deity, God. 1. In polytheistic sense, a god or deity: Act.28:6, 1Co.8:4, 2Th.2:4, al.; pl., Ac. 14:11 19:26, Gal.4:8, al. 2. Of the one true God; …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.