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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 2:21

Romans 2:21. Thou therefore. ‘ Therefore' sums up what has been previously said. ‘Being such an one, to thee, I say,' etc. The questions imply surprise at such a state of things, and rebuke it.

Teachest thou not thyself. This is the general accusation, that the conduct of the Jew did not agree with his knowledge and assumed position, set forth in Romans 2:17-20. These specifications follow, with a summing up of the result in Romans 2:23.

Dost thou steal. In this charge there is probably a reference ‘to the passionate and treacherous method of transacting business adopted by the Jews; James 4:13.' (Lange.)

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See also Romans 2:21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 21. _THOU THEREFORE_] Dr. Taylor has paraphrased this and the three following verses thus: "What signify your pretensions to knowledge, and the office of teaching others, if you have no regard...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THOU THEREFORE ... - He who is a teacher of others may be expected to be learned himself. They ought to be found to be possessed of superior knowledge; and by this question the apostle impliedly repro...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The Gentile Moralist and Reformer and His Condemnation. (Romans 2:1 .)_ 2. The Two Classes. (Romans 2:7 .) 3. The State of the Jew. (Romans 2:17 .)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Now Paul accosts the Jew, reproving his PRIDE OF LAW, MADE VOID BY DISLOYALTY. Romans 2:17. His pretensions (But if thou bearest the name of Jew, etc.), provoke the questions of Romans 2:21 : the comm...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PRIVILEGE (Romans 2:1-11)...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    If you are called by the name of Jew, if you take your rest in the Law, if you boast in God and know his will, if you give your approval to the excellent things, if you are instructed in the Law, if y...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THEREFORE. Ironical use of Greek. _oun_. ANOTHER. As Romans 2:1, but without article. PREACHEST. Greek. _kerusso_. App-121. A MAN, &C. Literally not to steal....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Thou therefore_, &c. In this and the following verses St Paul does not charge every individual Rabbinist with immorality. He exposes the spirit and principles of Rabbinism, as evinced and proved only...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    The nexus is marked by the particles—οὖν (21) sums up the privileges and introduces, in the form of questions, the contrast in the actual facts; γὰρ (24) implies the answer yes to the preceding questi...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΟΥ̓͂Ν. Well then, does practice correspond to prerogative? If not, prerogative does not exempt from judgment. The charge is put in the form of questions, by way of convicting the Jew in his own consci...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    17–3:20. The Gospel is needed by Jews, who have also failed through ignoring the one condition of righteousness....

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΔΙΔΆΣΚΩΝ _praes. act. part. от_ ΔΙΔΆΣΚΩ (***) учить, ΚΗΡΎΣΣΩΝ _praes. act. part. от_ ΚΗΡΎΣΣΩ (G2784) проповедовать, ΚΛΈΠΤΕΙ Ν _praes. inf. act. от_ ΚΛΈΠΤΩ (G2813) красть. _Inf._ в косвенной речи, ил...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 1826 INCONSISTENT CHRISTIANS REMONSTRATED WITH Romans 2:17. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the thing...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    DOST THOU STEAL?— Grotius on this text proves from Josephus, that some of the Jewish priests lived by rapine, depriving others of their due share of the tithes, and even suffering them to perish for w...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _TEXT_ Romans 2:17-24. But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God, Romans 2:18 and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instru...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? THOU THEREFORE WHICH TEACHEST ANOTHER, TEACHEST THOU NOT THYSELF? THOU T...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    _THE CONDUCT OF MANKIND_ 16 Much of the judgment which obtains among men is unjust and oppressive because of their inability to uncover the real truth: But in the divine judgment the _ hidden _ thing...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Cp. Matthew 3:7; Mark 12:40; John 8:7....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FAILURE OF THE JEWS In Romans 1 St. Paul showed that the Gentiles were under God's judgment on account of sin. Now he is about to turn to the Jews. He asserts first, that God's judgment will fall...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    PAUL’S LETTER TO THE *ROMANS ROMANS _HILDA BRIGHT AND KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 2 PAUL’S ANSWERS TO THOSE WHO *JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE 2:1-16 1. THEY CANNOT AVOID GOD’S JUDGEMENT 2:1-4 v1 So, you who *...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEREFORE. — See above on Romans 2:17....

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    Here the grammatical apodosis begins, the οὖν resuming all that has been said in Romans 2:17-20. κηρύσσων and λέγων are virtually verbs of command: hence the infinitives. The rhetorical question impli...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    HE REQUIRES HEART-OBEDIENCE Romans 2:21 The Jew relied upon the position given him by the privileges and rites of Judaism, although his religious life, as such, had shrunk within these outward things...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    It is evident that the apostle here turned to the Jew, though he did not immediately name him. He charged the Jew with the sin of practicing the very evils he condemned in the Gentiles. He is at least...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Thou, therefore, that teachest another, teachest not thyself, &c. St. John Chrysostom (hom. vi.) takes these sentences as so many interrogations; dost thou teach thyself? dost thou not steal? dost th...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    The _second part_ of the chapter, Romans 2:17-29, contains _the application_ of the principles laid down in the first. After expressing himself in a general and more or less abstract way, Paul address...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    FIFTH PASSAGE (2:1-29). THE WRATH OF GOD SUSPENDED OVER THE JEWISH PEOPLE. In the midst of this flood of pollutions and iniquities which Gentile society presents to view, the apostle sees one who lik...

  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

    “ _And if, then, thou who teachest another, teachest not thyself, if preaching a man should not steal, thou stealest, if, while saying a man should not commit adultery, thou committest adultery, if, a...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, (18) And knowest will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; (19) And a...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The circumstances under which the epistle to the Romans was written gave occasion to the most thorough and comprehensive unfolding, not of the church, but of Christianity. No apostle had ever yet visi...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    21._Thou, who then teachest another, teachest not thyself, etc. _(82) Though the excellencies (_encomia _ — commendations) which he has hitherto stated respecting the Jews, were such as might have jus...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Two things are presented here with respect to God; His judgment against evil the evil-doer shall not escape (the real difference of right and wrong would be maintained by judgment); and His mercy, pat...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THOU THEREFORE WHICH TEACHEST ANOTHER, TEACHEST THOU NOT THYSELF?.... Several charges are here brought against the Jews, even against their teachers; for though they are put by way of question, they a...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Ver. 21. _Teachest thou not thyself?_] He that knows well and does worse...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Rom. 2:21, 22. "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost t...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Thou therefore which teachest another_ And valuest thyself upon thy ability to do it, trusting therein for acceptance with God; _teachest thou not thyself?_ He does not teach himself, who does not pr...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    TEACHEST THOU NOT THYSELF? to practise what thou teachest....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The guilt of the Jews:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THOU, THEREFORE, WHICH TEACHEST ANOTHER, TEACHEST THOU NOT THYSELF? THOU THAT PREACHEST A MAN SHOULD NOT STEAL, DOST THOU STEAL?...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE CASE OF THE CULTURED GREEK But there is a class of Gentiles who are quite keen in seeing these evils in others, and unhesitatingly judging them for them, while never considering that the same judg...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    Romans 2:17-29 1. What is the difference between an inward Jew and an outward Jew? a. What was an outward Jew? i. Circumcised ii. Good self-image 1. Name Jew means a lot to him 2. Rested in the...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    THOU THEREFORE THAT TEACHEST ANOTHER, TEACHEST THOU NOT THYSELF? THOU THAT PREACHEST. MAN SHOULD NOT STEAL, DOST THOU STEAL?...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    17-24 The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sins they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions. A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    TEACHEST THOU NOT THYSELF? q.d. Dost not thou thyself do what thou pressest upon others? see MATTHEW 23:3. DOST THOU STEAL? the Jews were infamous of old for this sin, PSALMS 50:18 MATTHEW 23:14....

  • McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries

    thou therefore that teacheth another, teachest thou not thyself? [But if doers, and not hearers, are not justified, why do you put your confidence in mere hearing, and such things as are analogous to...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Shepherd of Hermas Vision Third How will you instruct the elect of the Lord, if you yourselves have not instruction? Instruct each other therefore, and be at peace among yourselves, that[41] Tertull...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Romans 2:21 therefore G3767 who G3588 teach G1321 (G5723) another G2087 not G3756 teach G1321 (G5719) yourself...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘You therefore who teach another, do you not teach yourself?' The question is sarcastic. They claim to teach others how to live, but they do not themselves live as they teach. Thus they seemingly fai...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SPECIAL CASE OF THE JEW. PAUL IS ANSWERING THE QUESTION - ‘DOES NOT HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAW AND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT GOES WITH IT, ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT HE IS CIRCUMCISED INTO GOD'S COVENANT...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    THOU THEREFORE THAT TEACHEST ANOTHER (ο ουν διδασκων ετερον). Paul suddenly breaks off (anacoluthon) the long sentence that began in verse Romans 2:17 and starts over again with a phrase that gathe...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Romans 2 The Practical Outcome of Judaism. I. The first thing on which St. Paul lays anxious stress in this passage is this: The judgment of God according to men's works is just, inevitable, and impa...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The equal standing of Jew and Gentile before the justice of God. Morality apart from Christ useless as means of salvation. Jews knowing the law condemned by the law. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLU...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Romans 2:1. _Therefore thou art inexcusable, oh man,_ whether Roman or Jew, who judgest another, and doest the same thing thyself, though it may be in some other way. But as the judgment of God is acc...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    YOU TEACH OTHERS. In Romans 2:21-24, he shows their actual practice. They did not "practice what they preached." DO NOT STEAL. The Law said this, but Jews were famous (or infamous) for their _shrewd_...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Behold, thou art called a Jew._ THE JEWS ALSO WITHOUT EXCUSE Hitherto the apostle, in seeking to shut up the Jew unto the faith of Christ, has contented himself with an enunciation of the equitable...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 2:1 Most interpreters say that Paul focuses on the sin of the Jews throughout this chapter. Another view is that the sin of the moral person (whether Jewish or Gentile) who judge...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 2:21 The Jews fail to practice the law they proclaim. Thus they will face judgment. ⇐ ⇔

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL NOTES_ Romans 2:18.—κατηχούμενος, being orally instructed. Romans 2:21.—This verse may be illustrated out of the Jewish writings, for they say, “He who teacheth others what he doth not hims...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ROMANS 2:1 (_b_) _Those who judge others, not excepting the Jews. _Here a new stage of the argument, in proof of the position propounded in Romans 1:18, begins, and is continued to the end...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judges (Romans 2:1): You see, I read this list and I say, "Oh, yes, it is horrible. My, I just don't know what we are going to do, the w...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 9:27; Amos 8:4; Ezekiel 22:12; Ezekiel 22:13; Ez

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Thou that preachest [ο κ η ρ υ σ σ ω ν]. See on Matthew 4:17. Stealing is so gross a vice that one may openly denounce it....

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Thou dost not teach thyself — He does not teach himself who does not practise what he teaches. Dost thou steal, commit adultery, commit sacrilege — Sin grievously against thy neighbour, thyself, God....

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    The apostle proceeds, to the end of this chapter, to convince the Jews, that they were equally in. sinful and wretched condition with the despised Gentiles, and therefore stood in need of Jesus Christ...

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Old Testament