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Selected Verse: Romans 2:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse         Translation Text
Ro 2:1 Strong Concordance Therefore [1352] thou art [1488] inexcusable [379], O [5599] man [444], whosoever [3956] thou art that judgest [2919]: for [1063] wherein [1722] [3739] thou judgest [2919] another [2087], thou condemnest [2632] thyself [4572]; for [1063] thou that judgest [2919] doest [4238] the same things [846].
  King James Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Therefore - Διὸ Dio. The force of this word here has been the subject of much discussion. The design of this and the following chapter is to show that the Jews were no less guilty that the Gentiles, and that they needed the benefit of the same salvation. This the apostle does by showing that they had greater light than the Gentiles; and yet that they did the same things. Still they were in the habit of accusing and condemning the Gentiles as wicked and abandoned; while they excused themselves on the ground that they possessed the Law and the oracles of God, and were his favorite people. The apostle here affirms that they were inexcusable in their sins, that they must be condemned in the sight of God, on the same ground on which they condemned the Gentiles; to wit, that they had light and yet committed wickedness. If the Gentiles were without excuse Rom 1:20 in their sins, much more would the Jew, who condemned them, be without excuse on the same ground. The word therefore, I suppose, refers not to any particular word in the previous chapter, or to any particular verse, but to the general considerations which were suggested by a view of the whole case. And its sense might be thus expressed. "Since you Jews condemn the Gentiles for their sins, on the ground that they have the means of knowing their duty, therefore, you who are far more favored than they, are entirely without an excuse for the same things."

Thou art inexcusable - This does not mean that they were inexcusable for judging others; but that they had no excuse for their sins before God; or that they were under condemnation for their crimes, and needed the benefits of another plan of justification. As the Gentiles whom they judged were condemned, and were without excuse Rom 1:20, so were the Jews who condemned them without excuse on the same principle; and in a still greater degree.

O man - This address is general to any man who should do this. But it is plain, from the connection, that he means especially the Jews. The use of this word is an instance of the apostle's skill in argument. If he had openly named the Jews here, it would have been likely to have excited opposition from them. He therefore approaches the subject gradually, affirms it of man in general, and then makes a particular application to the Jews. This he does not do, however, until he has advanced so far in the general principles of his argument that it would be impossible for them to evade his conclusions; and then he does it in the most tender, and kind, as well as convincing manner, Rom 2:17, etc.

Whosoever thou art that judgest - The word "judgest" (κρίνεις krineis) here is used in the sense of condemning. It is not a word of equal strength with what is rendered "condemnest" (κατακρίνεις katakrineis). It implies, however, that they were accustomed to express themselves freely and severely of the character and doom of the Gentiles. And from the New Testament, as well as from their own writings, there can be no doubt that such was the fact; that they regarded the entire Gentile world with abhorrence, considered them as shut out from the favor of God, and applied to them terms expressive of the utmost contempt. Compare Mat 15:27.

For wherein - For in the "same thing." This implies that substantially the same crimes which were committed among the pagan were also committed among the Jews.

Thou judgest another - The meaning of this clearly is, "for the same thing for which you condemn the pagan, you condemn yourselves."

Thou that judgest - You Jews who condemn other nations.

Doest the same things - It is clearly implied here, that they were guilty of offences similar to those practiced by the Gentiles. It would not be a just principle of interpretation to press this declaration as implying that precisely the same offences, and to the same extent, were chargeable on them. Thus, they were not guilty, in the time of the apostle, of idolatry; but of the other crimes enumerated in the first chapter, the Jews might be guilty. The character of the nation, as given in the New Testament, is that they were "an evil and adulterous generation" (Mat 12:39; compare Joh 8:7); that they were a "generation of vipers" Mat 3:7; Mat 12:34; that; they were wicked Mat 12:45; that they were sinful Mar 8:38; that they were proud, haughty, hypocritical, etc.; Matt. 23. If such was the character of the Jewish nation in general, there is no improbability in supposing that they practiced most of the crimes specified in Rom. 1: On this verse we may remark,

(1) That people are prone to be severe judges of others.

(2) this is often, perhaps commonly, done when the accusers themselves are guilty of the same offences.

It often happens, too, that people are remarkably zealous in opposing those offences which they themselves secretly practice. A remarkable instance of this occurs in Joh 8:1, etc. Thus, David readily condemned the supposed act of injustice mentioned by Nathan; Sa2 12:1-6. Thus, also kings and emperors have enacted severe laws against the very crimes which they have constantly committed themselves. Nero executed the laws of the Roman Empire against the very crimes which he was constantly committing; and it was a common practice for Roman masters to commit offences which they punished with death in their slaves. (See instances in Grotius on this place.)

(3) Remarkable zeal against sin may be no proof of innocence; compare Mat 7:3. The zeal of persecutors, and often of pretended reformers, may be far from proof that they are free from the very offences which they are condemning in others. It may all be the work of the hypocrite to conceal some base design; or of the man who seeks to show his hostility to one kind of sin, in order to be a salvo to his conscience for committing some other.

(4) the heart is deceitful. When we judge others we should make it a rule to examine ourselves on that very point. Such an examination might greatly mitigate the severity of our judgment; or might turn the whole of our indignation against ourselves.
 
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3 And [1161] why [5101] beholdest [991] thou the mote [2595] that is in [1722] thy [4675] brother's [80] eye [3788], but [1161] considerest [2657] not [3756] the beam [1385] that is in [1722] thine own [4674] eye [3788]?
1 And the LORD [03068] sent [07971] Nathan [05416] unto David [01732]. And he came [0935] unto him, and said [0559] unto him, There were two [08147] men [0582] in one [0259] city [05892]; the one [0259] rich [06223], and the other [0259] poor [07326].
2 The rich [06223] man had exceeding [03966] many [07235] flocks [06629] and herds [01241]:
3 But the poor [07326] man had nothing, save one [0259] little [06996] ewe lamb [03535], which he had bought [07069] and nourished up [02421]: and it grew up [01431] together [03162] with him, and with his children [01121]; it did eat [0398] of his own meat [06595], and drank [08354] of his own cup [03563], and lay [07901] in his bosom [02436], and was unto him as a daughter [01323].
4 And there came [0935] a traveller [01982] unto the rich [06223] man [0376], and he spared [02550] to take [03947] of his own flock [06629] and of his own herd [01241], to dress [06213] for the wayfaring man [0732] that was come [0935] unto him; but took [03947] the poor [07326] man's [0376] lamb [03535], and dressed [06213] it for the man [0376] that was come [0935] to him.
5 And David's [01732] anger [0639] was greatly [03966] kindled [02734] against the man [0376]; and he said [0559] to Nathan [05416], As the LORD [03068] liveth [02416], the man [0376] that hath done [06213] this thing shall surely [01121] die [04194]:
6 And he shall restore [07999] the lamb [03535] fourfold [0706], because [06118] he did [06213] this thing [01697], and because [0834] he had no pity [02550].
1 [1161] Jesus [2424] went [4198] unto [1519] the mount [3735] of Olives [1636].
38 Whosoever [3739] [302] therefore [1063] shall be ashamed [1870] of me [3165] and [2532] of my [1699] words [3056] in [1722] this [5026] adulterous [3428] and [2532] sinful [268] generation [1074]; of him [846] also [2532] shall [1870] the Son [5207] of man [444] be ashamed [1870], when [3752] he cometh [2064] in [1722] the glory [1391] of his [846] Father [3962] with [3326] the holy [40] angels [32].
45 Then [5119] goeth he [4198], and [2532] taketh [3880] with [3326] himself [1438] seven [2033] other [2087] spirits [4151] more wicked [4191] than himself [1438], and [2532] they enter in [1525] and dwell [2730] there [1563]: and [2532] the last [2078] state of that [1565] man [444] is [1096] worse than [5501] the first [4413]. Even so [3779] shall it be [2071] also [2532] unto this [5026] wicked [4190] generation [1074].
34 O generation [1081] of vipers [2191], how [4459] can ye [1410], being [5607] evil [4190], speak [2980] good things [18]? for [1063] out of [1537] the abundance [4051] of the heart [2588] the mouth [4750] speaketh [2980].
7 But [1161] when he saw [1492] many [4183] of the Pharisees [5330] and [2532] Sadducees [4523] come [2064] to [1909] his [846] baptism [908], he said [2036] unto them [846], O generation [1081] of vipers [2191], who [5101] hath warned [5263] you [5213] to flee [5343] from [575] the wrath [3709] to come [3195]?
7 So [1161] when [5613] they continued [1961] asking [2065] him [846], he lifted up himself [352], and said [2036] unto [4314] them [846], He that is without sin [361] among you [5216], let him [906] first [4413] cast [906] a stone [3037] at [1909] her [846].
39 But [1161] he answered [611] and said [2036] unto them [846], An evil [4190] and [2532] adulterous [3428] generation [1074] seeketh after [1934] a sign [4592]; and [2532] there shall no [3756] sign [4592] be given [1325] to it [846], but [1508] the sign [4592] of the prophet [4396] Jonas [2495]:
27 And [1161] she said [2036], Truth [3483], Lord [2962]: yet [2532] [1063] the dogs [2952] eat [2068] of [575] the crumbs [5589] which [3588] fall [4098] from [575] their [846] masters [2962]' table [5132].
17 Behold [2396], thou [4771] art called [2028] a Jew [2453], and [2532] restest [1879] in the law [3551], and [2532] makest thy boast [2744] of [1722] God [2316],
20 For [1063] the invisible things [517] of him [846] from [575] the creation [2937] of the world [2889] are clearly seen [2529], being understood [3539] by the things that are made [4161], even [5037] his [846] eternal [126] power [1411] and [2532] Godhead [2305]; so [1519] that they [846] are [1511] without excuse [379]:
20 For [1063] the invisible things [517] of him [846] from [575] the creation [2937] of the world [2889] are clearly seen [2529], being understood [3539] by the things that are made [4161], even [5037] his [846] eternal [126] power [1411] and [2532] Godhead [2305]; so [1519] that they [846] are [1511] without excuse [379]:
28 For [1063] he is [2076] not [3756] a Jew [2453], which is one outwardly [1722] [5318]; neither [3761] is that circumcision [4061], which is outward [1722] [5318] in [1722] the flesh [4561]:
17 Behold [2396], thou [4771] art called [2028] a Jew [2453], and [2532] restest [1879] in the law [3551], and [2532] makest thy boast [2744] of [1722] God [2316],
6 Who [3739] will render [591] to every man [1538] according [2596] to his [846] deeds [2041]: