# Romans 2.17-29

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Romans](/codex/romans/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 15. in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them); 16. in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ.
>
> **17. But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God, 18. and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19. and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness, 20. a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth; 21. thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22. thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples? 23. thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God? 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written. 25. For circumcision indeed profiteth, if thou be a doer of the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision. 26. If therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned for circumcision? 27. 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? 28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: 29. 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.** (Romans 2:15-29, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 15. in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) 16. in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.
>
> **17. Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God, 18. and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19. and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20. a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. 21. You therefore who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn’t steal, do you steal? 22. You who say a man shouldn’t commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23. You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God? 24. For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. 25. For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26. If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? 27. Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? 28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29. 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 from men, but from God.** (Romans 2:15-29, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 15. Which 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;) <sup>their conscience: or, the conscience witnessing with them</sup> <sup>the mean: or, between themselves</sup> 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
>
> **17. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18. And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; <sup>approvest: or, triest the things that differ</sup> 19. And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20. An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 25. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27. 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? 28. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29. But 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.** (Romans 2:15-29, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 15. who do shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also witnessing with them, and between one another the thoughts accusing or else defending, 16. in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my good news, through Jesus Christ.
>
> **17. Lo, thou art named a Jew, and dost rest upon the law, and dost boast in God, 18. and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law, 19. and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of blind ones, a light of those in darkness, 20. an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21. Thou, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach? 22. thou who art preaching not to steal, dost thou steal? thou who art saying not to commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou who art abhorring the idols, dost thou rob temples? 23. thou who in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour? 24. for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written. 25. For circumcision, indeed, doth profit, if law thou mayest practise, but if a transgressor of law thou mayest be, thy circumcision hath become uncircumcision. 26. If, therefore the uncircumcision the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned? 27. and the uncircumcision, by nature, fulfilling the law, shall judge thee who, through letter and circumcision, [art] a transgressor of law. 28. For he is not a Jew who is [so] outwardly, neither [is] circumcision that which is outward in flesh; 29. but a Jew [is] he who is [so] inwardly, and circumcision [is] of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.** (Romans 2:15-29, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [G3049 - logizomai](/codex/g3049-logizomai/), *logizomai*, Strong's G3049
- [G0225 - aletheia](/codex/g0225-aletheia/), *aletheia*, Strong's G0225
- [G4561 - sarx](/codex/g4561-sarx/), *sarx*, Strong's G4561
- [G2588 - kardia](/codex/g2588-kardia/), *kardia*, Strong's G2588
- [G3551 - nomos](/codex/g3551-nomos/), *nomos*, Strong's G3551
- [G1097 - ginosko](/codex/g1097-ginosko/), *ginosko*, Strong's G1097

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Khazar Hypothesis Ashkenazi Replacement Objection Defeater](/codex/khazar-hypothesis-ashkenazi-replacement-objection-defeater/), via [Romans 2.28-29](/codex/romans-2-28-29/)
- [Paul Invented Christianity Objection Defeater](/codex/paul-invented-christianity-objection-defeater/), via [Romans 2.28-29](/codex/romans-2-28-29/)

**Concepts:**

- [Black Hebrew Israelite Doctrine](/codex/black-hebrew-israelite-doctrine/), via [Romans 2.28-29](/codex/romans-2-28-29/)
- [Quick Objection Responses](/codex/quick-objection-responses/), via [Romans 2.21-24](/codex/romans-2-21-24/)

**People:**

- [Hebrew Israelites](/codex/hebrew-israelites/), via [Romans 2.28-29](/codex/romans-2-28-29/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G3049 - logizomai](/codex/g3049-logizomai/), via [Romans 2.26](/codex/romans-2-26/)
- [H3820 - lev](/codex/h3820-lev/), via [Romans 2.28-29](/codex/romans-2-28-29/)
- [H3824 - lebab](/codex/h3824-lebab/), via [Romans 2.28-29](/codex/romans-2-28-29/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.