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Romans 2:6

in Romans 2

God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

who will render to every man according to his works:

KJV

Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

This verse in Romans 2

Commentary

12 notes on this verse
Now let us inquire concerning the just judgment of God, in which he will render to each one according to his works. And first indeed let the heretics be excluded, who speak of good or evil natures of souls; and let them hear that God will render to each one not according to nature, but according to his works. In the second place let the faithful be built up, lest they suppose that this alone can suffice for them, that they believe; but let them know that the just judgment of God renders to each one according to his works.

This site's exposition

your hard and unrepentant heart

on Romans 2:5-6

A hard and unrepentant heart stores up wrath for itself, the way a man stores up money, one day at a time. The store opens on the day God reveals His righteous judgment. Verse 6 gives the standard there: God repays each one according to his deeds.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Ambrosiaster

COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES · Written before 384.

proposed

Such a person must be punished more severely, even to the point of being tortured in eternal fire, because despite a long stay of execution, not only did he not want to change, but he increased his sinning, adding to his contempt for God. The …

A commentator

Tertullian

An Answer to the Jews · Written before 220.

proposed

Who will ply the sword without practising the contraries to lenity and justice; that is, guile, and asperity, and injustice, proper (of course) to the business of battles? See we, then, whether that which has another action be not another sword,-that is, the Divine word of God, doubly sharpened with the two Testaments of the ancient law and the new law; sharpened by the equity of its own wisdom; rendering to each one according to his own action. Lawful , then, it was for the Christ of God to be precinct, in the Psalms, without warlike achievements, with the figurative sword of the word of God; to which sword is congruous the predicated "bloom," together with the "grace of the lips; "with which sword He was then "girt upon the thigh," in the eye of David, when He was announced as about to come to earth in obedience to God the Father's decree.

A commentator

Ignatius of Antioch

Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians · Written before 108.

proposed

...attain to a full assurance in Christ, who was begotten by the Father before all ages, but was afterwards born of the Virgin Mary without any intercourse with man. He also lived a holy life, and healed every kind of sickness and disease among the people, and wrought signs and wonders for the benefit of men; and to those who had fallen into the error of polytheism He made known the one and only true God, His Father, and underwent the passion, and endured the cross at the hands of the Christ-killing Jews, under Pontius Pilate the governor and Herod the king. He also died, and rose again, and ascended into the heavens to Him that sent Him, and is sat down at His right hand, and shall come at the end of the world, with His Father's glory, to judge the living and the dead, and to render to every one according to his works.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Romans 5 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"Who will render to every man according to his deeds, to them who by patient continuance in well doing," etc. Since he had become awestriking and harsh by discoursing of the judgment and of the punishment that shall be, he does not forthwith, as one might expect, enter upon the vengeance, but turns his discourse to what was sweeter, to the recompense of good actions, saying as follows, "To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life." Here also he awakens those who had drawn back during the trials, and shows that it is not right to trust in faith only. For it is deeds also into which that tribunal will enquire. But observe, how when he is discoursing about the things to come, he is unable to tell clearly the blessings, but speaketh of glory and honor. For in that they transcend all that man hath, he hath no image of them taken from this to show, but by those things which have a semblance of brightness among us, even by them he sets them before us as far as may be, by glory, by honor, by life. For these be what men earnestly strive after, yet are those things not these, but much better than these, inasmuch as they are incorruptible and immortal. See how he has opened to us the doors toward the resurrection of the body by speaking of incorruptibility. For incorruptibility belongs to the corruptible body. Then, since this sufficed not, he added glory and honor. For all of us are to rise incorruptible, but not all to glory, but some to punishment, and some to life.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Romans · Written before 1274.

proposed

After suggesting that God's judgment is true and refuting the contrary opinion, the Apostle here unfolds the truth of God's judgment. First, he presents his intention; second, he manifests it, at to those indeed who, according to patience. First, he states facts about God's judgment …
5 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Romans · Written before 1107.

proposed

Therefore the recompense is in accordance with what is revealed, and consequently the judgment is righteous. Here righteousness does not always prevail, because deeds are hidden, but there, upon the revelation, righteous judgment follows. Note this passage, comparing it with the following: "I will harden …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), a truth often mentioned in scripture, to prove that the Judge of all the earth does right. (1.) In dispensing his favours; and this is mentioned twice here, both in

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

Who will render to every man according to his deeds.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Who will render - Who, in the day of judgment, will reward and punish every man according as his life and conversation have been.
Who will render - That is, who will make retribution as a righteous Judge; or who will give to every man as he deserves. To every man - To each one. This is a general principle, and it is clear that in this respect God would deal with the Jew as he does with the Gentile. This general principle the apostle is establishing, that he may bring it to bear on the Jew, and to show that he cannot escape simply because he is a Jew. According to his deeds - That is, as he deserves; or God will be just, and will treat every man as he ought to be treated, or according to his character. The word “deeds” (ἔργα erga)is sometimes applied to the external conduct. But it is plain that this is not its meaning here. It denotes everything connected with conduct, including the acts of the mind, the motives, the principles, as well as the mere external act. Our word character more aptly expresses it than any single word. It is not true that God will treat people according to their external conduct: but the whole language of the Bible implies that he will judge people according to the whole of their conduct, including their thoughts, and principles, and motives; that is, as they deserve. The doctrine of this place is abundantly taught elsewhere in the Bible, Pro 24:12; Mat 16:27; Rev 20:12; Jer 32:19. It is to be observed here that the apostle does not say that people will be rewarded for their deeds, (compare Luk 17:10,) but according to κατά kata their deeds. Christians will be saved on account of the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, Tit 3:5, but still the rewards of heaven will be according to their works; that is, they who have labored most, and been most faithful, shall receive the highest reward, or their fidelity in their Master’s service shall be the measure or rule according to which the rewards of heaven shall be distributed, Mat. 25:14-29. […]

The words behind it

7 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 5:10

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 16:27

      For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Psalms 62:12

      and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Revelation 22:12

      “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.

    • Ecclesiastes 12:14

      For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

    • Ephesians 6:8

      because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

  • Through

    Matthew 16:27

    For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 17:10

      I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Jeremiah 17:10

    I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 16:7

      But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the…

    • Romans 8:27

      And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Where this verse is studied

About Romans

The Crucifixion, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Crucifixion, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
This page draws on 13 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; Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans; Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 5; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.