Romans 2:27
in Romans 2The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?
KJV
And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
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This verse in Romans 2
Commentary
16 notes on this verseAnd that the Lord did not abrogate the natural [precepts] of the law, by which man is justified, which also those who were justified by faith, and who pleased God, did observe previous to the giving of the law, but that He extended and fulfilled them, is shown from His words. "For," He remarks, "it has been said to them of old time, Do not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That every one who hath looked upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
This site's exposition
Circumcision has value if you observe the law
on Romans 2:25-27
Circumcision has value where the law is kept. Break the law and the mark counts as no mark at all. Verse 26 credits an uncircumcised man who keeps the law as circumcised, using logizomai, the verb chapter 4 uses of Abraham.
This site's exposition
physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law
Wesley places the condemning on the day of verse 16. Chrysostom admires the tact of the wording: Paul sets the uncircumcised man against the lawbreaker himself and leaves circumcision unshamed. Matthew Henry notes that to a careless hearer the law stays a bare writing that never rules him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"But if the uncircumcision keeps the righteous requirements of the law, shall not that which is by nature uncircumcision, fulfilling the law, judge you, who by the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law?" We said above that the Apostle is discussing two Jews and two circumcisions, and that he mentions now the carnal, now the spiritual.
"And shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature judge?" You see, he recognizes two uncircumcisions, one from nature, and the other from the will. Here, however, he speaks of that from nature, but does not pause here, but goes on, "if it fulfil the Law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law?" See his exquisite judgment. He does not say, that the uncircumcision which is from nature shall judge the circumcision, but while where the victory had been, he brings in the uncircumcision, yet where the defeat is, he does not expose the circumcision as defeated; but the Jew himself who had it, and so by the wording spares offending his hearer. And he does not say, "thee that hast the Law and the circumcision," but yet more mildly, "thee who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law." That is, such uncircumcision even stands up for the circumcision, for it has been wronged and comes to the Law's assistance, for it has been insulted, and obtains a notable triumph. For then is the victory decided, when it is not by Jew that Jew is judged, but by the uncircumcised; as when he says, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment against this generation, and shall condemn it." (Matt. xii. 41.)
The Gentile who believes under the guidance of nature condemns the Jew, to whom Christ was promised through the law and who refused to believe in him when he came. For as much as the Gentile is being prepared for glory for having known the …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Second, at and will not that which by nature, he shows that on account of observing the law the gentile is preferred to the Jew. Hence he says, will not that which by nature is uncircumcision, i.e., an uncircumcised gentile, if it fulfill the law …
Here he clearly shows that he means two uncircumcisions, one natural and the other voluntary, which occurs, as was said, when someone in no way cuts off the carnal passions, and two circumcisions, one according to the flesh and the other a circumcision of the …
8 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature,.... That is, the Gentiles, who are by nature uncircumcised; for as circumcision was by the command of God, and performed by the art of men, uncircumcision is by nature, and what men naturally have. Now if it, such persons, fulfil the law in Christ, they will judge thee, the circumcision: and condemn, as Noah condemned the old world, Heb 11:7, and the men of Nineveh and the queen of the south will condemn the men of that generation, in which Christ lived, Mat 12:
Judge thee, that is, help to add to thy condemnation, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress. Observe, To carnal professors the law is but the letter; they read it as a bare writing, but are not ruled by it as a law. They did transgress, not only notwithstanding the letter and circumcision, but by it, that is, they thereby hardened themselves in sin.
God did not give the law nor appoint circumcision in vain. This must be referred to the state of the Jews before the ceremonial polity was abolished, otherwise circumcision to one that professed faith in Christ was forbidden, Gal. v. 1 .
); that is, by submitting sincerely to the conduct of natural light, perform the matter of the law. Some understand it as putting the case of a perfect obedience to the law: "If the Gentiles could perfectly keep the law, they would be justified by it as well as the Jews." But it seems rather to be meant of such an obedience as some of the Gentiles did attain to.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Yea, the uncircumcision that is by nature - Those who are, literally speaking, uncircumcised. Fulfilling the law - As to the substance of it. Shall judge thee - Shall condemn thee in that day.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Which is by nature - Which is the natural state of man; his condition before he is admitted to any of the unique rites of the Jewish religion. If it fulfil the law - If they who are uncircumcised keep the Law. Judge thee - Condemn thee as guilty. As we say, the conduct of such a man condemns us. He acts so much more consistently and uprightly than we do, that we see our guilt. For a similar mode of expression, see Mat 12:41-42. Who by the letter ... - The translation here is certainly not happily expressed.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For circumcision--that is, One's being within the covenant of which circumcision was the outward sign and seal. verily profiteth, if thou keep the law--if the inward reality correspond to the outward sign. but if, &c.--that is, "Otherwise, thou art no better than the uncircumcised heathen."
And shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature - And shall not the Gentile, who is εκ φυσεως, according to the custom of his country - who is, by birth, not obliged to be circumcised. If it fulfill the law - If such a person act according to the spirit and design of the law; judge κρινει condemn thee, who, whilst thou dost enjoy the letter, the written law, and bearest in thy body the proof of the circumcision which it requires, dost transgress that law?
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κρινεῖ | krinei | will judge | G2919 → | 114 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκ | ek | by | G1537 → | 911 times |
| φύσεως | phuseos | nature | G5449 → | 14 times |
| ἀκροβυστία | akrobustia | uncircumcision | G203 → | 20 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νόμον | nomon | law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| τελοῦσα | telousa | fulfilling | G5055 → | |
| σὲ | se | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| τὸν | ton | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διὰ | dia | with | G1223 → | 664 times |
| γράμματος | grammatos | [the] letter | G1121 → | 14 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| περιτομῆς | peritomes | circumcision | G4061 → | 36 times |
| παραβάτην | parabaten | [are] a transgressor | G3848 → | |
| νόμου. | nomou | of law. | G3551 → | 192 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κρινεῖwill judge
krineiG2919 →114 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ἐκby
ekG1537 →911 times
φύσεωςnature
phuseosG5449 →14 times
ἀκροβυστίαuncircumcision
akrobustiaG203 →20 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
νόμονlaw
nomonG3551 →192 times
τελοῦσαfulfilling
telousaG5055 →
σὲyou
seG4771 →2973 times
τὸνwho
tonG3588 →19766 times
διὰwith
diaG1223 →664 times
γράμματος[the] letter
grammatosG1121 →14 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
περιτομῆςcircumcision
peritomesG4061 →36 times
παραβάτην[are] a transgressor
parabatenG3848 →
νόμου.of law.
nomouG3551 →192 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Corinthians 3:6And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
it leads to
- John 6:63
The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
- Romans 7:6
But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the…
- Jeremiah 31:31
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
- Romans 8:2
For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.
- Hebrews 8:6–10
Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises.
- John 6:63
Through
Romans 2:29No, 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…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
- Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
- Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.
- Deuteronomy 30:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
About Romans
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Irenaeus, Irenaeus Against Heresies Book 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Robert Haldane, Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.