Romans 2:9,10

“ Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that effecteth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to every man that doeth good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek! ”

The asyndeton indicates, as it always does, the more emphatic reassertion of the previous idea: “ Yes, tribulation and anguish!”

The antithesis of Romans 2:7-8 is reproduced in inverse order, not only to avoid the monotony of a too exact parallelism, but chiefly because, following up Romans 2:8 (wrath and indignation), the idea of Romans 2:9 (tribulation and anguish) presented itself more naturally than that of Romans 2:10 (glory and honor and peace); comp. the same arrangement, Luke 1:51-53. The terms tribulation and anguish describe the moral and external state of the man on whom the indignation and wrath of the judge fall (Romans 2:8). Tribulation is the punishment itself (corresponding to wrath); anguish is the wringing of the heart which the punishment produces; it corresponds to the judge's indignation. The soul is mentioned as the seat of feeling. The phrase, every soul of man, expresses the equality and universality of the treatment dealt out. Yet within this equality there is traced a sort of preference both as to judgment and salvation respectively (Romans 2:10), to the detriment and advantage of the Jew. When he says first, the apostle has no doubt in view (as in Romans 1:16) a priority in time; comp. 1 Peter 4:17. Must we not, however, apply at the same time the principle laid down by Jesus, Luke 12:41-48, according to which he who receives most benefits is also the man who has the heaviest responsibility? In any case, therefore, whoever escapes judgment, it will not be the Jew; if there were but one judged, it would be he. Such is the apostle's answer to the claim alleged, Romans 2:3: ὅτι σὺ ἐκφεύξῃ, that thou, thou alone, shalt escape.