Romans 2:3-9
Context2:3 And do you think, 1 whoever you are, when you judge 2 those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, 3 that you will escape God’s judgment? 2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know 4 that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness 5 and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! 6 2:6 He 7 will reward 8 each one according to his works: 9 2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 2:8 but 10 wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition 11 and do not obey the truth but follow 12 unrighteousness. 2:9 There will be 13 affliction and distress on everyone 14 who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, 15
[2:3] 1 tn Grk “do you think this,” referring to the clause in v. 3b.
[2:3] 2 tn Grk “O man, the one who judges.”
[2:3] 3 tn Grk “and do them.” The other words are supplied to bring out the contrast implied in this clause.
[2:4] 4 tn Grk “being unaware.”
[2:5] 5 tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.
[2:5] 6 tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
[2:6] 7 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[2:6] 8 tn Or “will render,” “will recompense.” In this context Paul is setting up a hypothetical situation, not stating that salvation is by works.
[2:6] 9 sn A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.
[2:8] 10 tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.
[2:8] 11 tn Grk “those who [are] from selfish ambition.”
[2:8] 12 tn Grk “are persuaded by, obey.”
[2:9] 13 tn No verb is expressed in this verse, but the verb “to be” is implied by the Greek construction. Literally “suffering and distress on everyone…”
[2:9] 14 tn Grk “every soul of man.”
[2:9] 15 sn Paul uses the term Greek here and in v. 10 to refer to non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.