Romans 2:17

Behold (ἴδε) But the correct reading is εἰ δὲ but if. Thou art called (ἐπονομάζῃ) Rev., much better, bearest the name of, bringing out the value which attached to the name Jew, the theocratic title of honor. See on Hebrews, Acts 6:1. Restest in (ἐπαναπαύῃ) Rev., better, upon, giving the force of ἐπί in the verb. The radical conception of the verb ἀναπαύω is relief. See Matthew 11:28. Thou restest with a blind trust in God as thy Father and protector exclusively.

{8} Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, (8) He proves by the testimony of David, and the other prophets, that God bestows greatest benefits upon the Jews, in giving them also the law, but that they are the most unthankful and unkind of all men.

He now comes to deal more particularly and expressly with the Jews, reciting their privileges, in which they trusted, and of which they boasted; and shows, that notwithstanding them, they stood in as much need of the righteousness of God as the Gentiles did. Thou; he speaks in the singular number, that every one might make the readier application of what he said. Art called a Jew; so called from Judah; as of old, Hebrews from Heber, and Israelites from Israel: the title was honourable in those days, and imported a confessor or worshipper of one God. Thou art so called, but art not so indeed: see Romans 2:28 , and Revelation 2:9 . Restest in the law; puttest thy trust in it. Makest thy boast of God; that he is thy God, and in covenant with thee; and that thou hast a peculiar interest in him: see John 8:41 . The phrase seems to be borrowed from Isaiah 45:25 .

(17) Behold. —An interesting case of a corrupt reading which has found its way into the Authorised version. For “behold,” a decisive consensus of the best MSS. has “but if.” The corruption was very obvious and easy. Adopting “but if,” the answering clause of the sentence is to be found in the question, “Teachest thou not thyself?” Romans 2:21 . The connecting particle “therefore” at the beginning of the same verse is merely resumptive, or, as it is technically called, “epanaleptic.” Turning to the Jew, the Apostle breaks out into indignant and vehement apostrophe, “If you have the name of Jew, and repose upon the Law, and make your boast in God, and do all these other things—why then, while you profess to teach others, do you not teach yourself?” A fine specimen of the natural eloquence which the Apostle derives from intense feeling. The different features of the picture crowd into his mind to point the contrast between what the Jew claimed to be and what he was. Restest in.—Reposest or reliest upon a law. A passive confidence in something external. “In the Law the Jew saw the Magna Charta which gave him his assurance of salvation” (Meyer). Makest thy boast of God—i.e., of a peculiar and exclusive claim to His favour. (Comp. Deuteronomy 4:7; Psalm 147:19-20.)

Romans 2:17-20 . Behold — Here he applies the matter he had discussed in the preceding verses more closely to the Jews, and proves, that, notwithstanding all their pretences and privileges, they were transgressors of the law, and so could not be justified by works, any more than the Gentiles. And here therefore he refutes the highest point of Jewish glorying, after a further description of it, interposed Romans 2:17-20 , and refuted Romans 2:21-24 . The description consists of twice five articles; of which the former five, Romans 2:17-18 , show what he boasts of in himself; the other five, ( Romans 2:19-20 ,) what he glories in with respect to others. The first particular of the former five answers to the first of the latter; the second to the second, and so on. Thou art called a Jew — A professor of the true religion, and a worshipper of the true God. Dr. Macknight is of opinion that in this and the following verses, the apostle intended to address chiefly the men of rank and learning among the Jews; a supposition to which he thinks it is no objection that probably there were no doctors of the law, nor Jewish scribes and priests at Rome, when this letter was written; because, “as the apostle was reasoning against the whole body of the nation, his argument required that he should address the teachers of every denomination, to whom the things written in this and the following verses best agree.

Besides, as he had addressed the heathen legislators, philosophers, and priests, in the first chapter, for the purpose of showing them the bad use they had made of the knowledge they derived from the works of creation, it was natural for him in this to address the Jewish scribes, priests, and doctors, to show them how little they had profited by the knowledge which they had derived from revelation. Of the Jewish common people the apostle speaks, Romans 3:20 , &c., where he proves that they also were extremely vicious.” And restest in the law — Dependest on it alone, and on the having of it, for justification and salvation, though it can only condemn thee. And makest thy boast of God — As thy God; as belonging only to you Jews, and being yours in a peculiar manner; the founder of your commonwealth; your lawgiver, protector, and Saviour. And knowest his will — By special revelation, and more fully than the Gentiles. And approvest the things that are more excellent — Hast attained to a considerable degree of understanding in the law, so as to place a proper value upon things according to their worth, and to distinguish between things lawful and unlawful. The original words, δοκιμαζεις τα διαφεροντα , may be rendered, and triest, or, approvest on trial, the things that differ. Being instructed, &c. — Or, as Beza interprets κατηχουμενος εκ τον νομου , Being educated, or instructed from thy childhood, out of the law, 2 Timothy 3:15 .

Romans 2:17 . Ἰουδαῖος ἐπονομάζῃ : bearest the name of “Jew”. The ἐπὶ in the compound verb does not denote addition, but direction: Ἰουδαῖος is not conceived as a surname, but a name which has been imposed. Of course it is implied in the context that the name is an honourable one. It is not found in the LXX, and in other places where Paul wishes to indicate the same distinction, and the same pride in it, he says Ἰσραηλεῖται ( Romans 9:4 , 2 Corinthians 11:22 ). The terms must have had a tendency to coalesce in import, though Ἰουδαῖος is national, and Ἰσραηλείτης religious; for the religion was national. ἐπαναπαύη νόμῳ : grammatically νόμῳ is law; really, it is the Mosaic law. The Jew said, We have a law, and the mere possession of it gave him confidence. Cf. Micah 3:11 , ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἐπανεπαύοντο . καυχᾶσαι ἐν θεῷ : boastest in God, as the covenant God of the Jews, who are His peculiar people. καυχᾶσαι = καυχᾷ : the longer form is the usual one in the κοινή .

Verse 17. - But if (the true reading being certainly εἰ δὲ , not ἰδὲ , as in the Textus Receptus) thou ( σὺ , emphatic) art named a Jew . The Israelites who had remained in Palestine, or who returned to it after the Captivity, seem thenceforth to have been designated Jews ( Ἰουδαῖοι , though they included some of other tribes than that of Judah, notably that of Benjamin, of which St. Paul himself was, and of course of Levi. They are so called, whether resident in Palestine or elsewhere, throughout the New Testament, as well as by Roman writers. the term Ἑβραῖοι being applied in the New Testament (usually at least) to distinguish those Jews who adhered to the Hebrew language in public worship, and to national customs and traditions, from those who Hellenized ( Ἑλληυισταί ). It was the name on which the people prided themselves at that time, as expressing their peculiar privileges. The apostle, having at the beginning of this chapter addressed himself generally to "whosoever thou art that judgest," now summons the Jew exclusively to the bar of judgment, whose claims to exemption from the general condemnation have come to the front in the preceding verses. By the emphatic σὺ , he calls on him now to give an account of himself, and justify his pretensions if he can.

The point of the argument is that the Jews were notoriously at that time no better than other nations in moral conduct - nay, their national character was such as to bring their very religion into disrepute among the heathen - and therefore doing , and not either privilege, knowledge, or profession, being according to the very Law on which they rested the test required, their whole ground for national exemption was taken away. And retest on law ( νόμῳ , here without the article, so as to emphasize the principle on which the Jew professed to rest for acceptance), and makest thy boast of God . The Jew gloried, as against the heathen, in his knowledge and worship of the one true God. Romans 2:17

Romans 2:17 . Εἰ δὲ , but if ) If —comp. when , Romans 2:14 —has some resemblance to an Anaphora,[30] with the exception that ὅταν , when , having reference to the Gentiles, asserts more; εἰ , if , used with respect to the Jews, concedes less. After if , οὖν , therefore [ Romans 2:21 ], follows, like ἀλλὰ , but, (ch. Romans 6:5 )[31] and ΔῈ , truly Acts 11:17 .[32]—Comp. Matthew 25:27 . Moreover, the ΟὐΝ , therefore , in a subsequent verse ( Romans 2:21 ), brings to a conclusion the somewhat long protasis, which begins with εἰ , if .— Ἰουδαῖος , a Jew ) This, the highest point of Jewish boasting (a farther description of it being interposed at Romans 2:17-20 , and its refutation being added, Romans 2:21-24 ), is itself refuted at the 25th and following verses. Moreover, the description of his boasting consists of twice five clauses, of which the first five, from thou restest ( Romans 2:17 ), to, out of the law ( Romans 2:18 ), show what the Jew assumes to himself; the rest, as many in number as the former, thou art confident ( Romans 2:19 ), to, in the law ( Romans 2:20 ), show, what more the Jew, from this circumstance, arrogates to himself, in reference to others.