Romans 2:13

Amplified Bible

For it is not those who merely hear the Law [as it is read aloud] who are just or righteous before God, but it is those who [actually] obey the Law who will be justified [pronounced free of the guilt of sin and declared acceptable to Him].

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Hearing the law does not make people right with God. They will be right before him only if they always do what the law says.

Revised Standard Version
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For before god they are not ryghteous which heare ye lawe: but the doers of the lawe shalbe iustified.

Hebrew Names Version
For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified

International Standard Version
For it is not merely those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight. No, it is those who do the law, who will be justified.Matthew 7:21; James 1:22-23,25; 1 John 3:7;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
for it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified.

New Century Version
Hearing the law does not make people right with God. It is those who obey the law who will be right with him.

Update Bible Version
for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:

Webster's Bible Translation
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

English Standard Version
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

World English Bible
For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Weymouth's New Testament
It is not those that merely hear the Law read who are righteous in the sight of God, but it is those that obey the Law who will be pronounced righteous.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For the hereris of lawe ben not iust anentis God, but the doeris of the lawe schulen be maad iust.

English Revised Version
for not the hearers of a law are just before God, but the doers of a law shall be justified:

Berean Standard Bible
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

Contemporary English Version
God accepts those who obey his Law, but not those who simply hear it.

American Standard Version
for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified;

Bible in Basic English
For it is not the hearers of the law who will be judged as having righteousness before God, but only the doers:

Complete Jewish Bible
For it is not merely the hearers of Torah whom God considers righteous; rather, it is the doers of what Torah says who will be made righteous in God's sight.

Darby Translation
(for not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Etheridge Translation
For not the hearers of the law are righteous before Aloha, but the doers of the law are justified.

Murdock Translation
(for not the hearers of the law, are righteous before God; but the doers of the law are justified;

King James Version (1611)
(For not the hearers of the Law are iust before God, but the doers of the Law shalbe iustified;

New Living Translation
For merely listening to the law doesn't make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.

New Life Bible
Just to hear the Law does not make a man right with God. The man right with God is the one who obeys the Law.

New Revised Standard
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God's sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Geneva Bible (1587)
(For the hearers of the Lawe are not righteous before God: but the doers of the Lawe shalbe iustified.

George Lamsa Translation
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who shall be justified.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, not the hearers of law, are righteous with God, but, the doers of law, shall be declared righteous;

Douay-Rheims Bible
For not the hearers of the law are just before God: but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
(For in the sight of God, they are not righteous whiche heare the lawe: but the doers of the lawe shalbe iustified.

Good News Translation
For it is not by hearing the Law that people are put right with God, but by doing what the Law commands.

Christian Standard Bible®
For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.

King James Version
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Lexham English Bible
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.

Literal Translation
For not the hearers of the Law are just with God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified.

Young's Literal Translation
for not the hearers of the law [are] righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be declared righteous: --

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For before God, they are not righteous, which heare ye lawe: but they that do the lawe, shalbe iustified.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for not the bare hearers of the law, but they who observe the law, are such as shall be justified, before God.

New English Translation
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous.

New King James Version
(for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;

Simplified Cowboy Version
You don't get credit for knowing what the Code says. You only get credit for doing what the Code said to do.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Legacy Standard Bible
For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Contextual Overview

¹Therefore you have no excuse or justification, everyone of you who [hypocritically] judges and condemns others; for in passing judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, because you who judge [from a position of arrogance or self-righteousness] are habitually practicing the very same things [which you denounce]. ²And we know that the judgment of God falls justly and in accordance with truth on those who practice such things. ³But do you think this, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things, and yet do the same yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His verdict? ⁴Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]? ⁵But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶He WILL PAY BACK TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS [justly, as his deeds deserve]: ⁷to those who by persistence in doing good seek [unseen but certain heavenly] glory, honor, and immortality, [He will give the gift of] eternal life. ⁸But for those who are selfishly ambitious and self-seeking and disobedient to the truth but responsive to wickedness, [there will be] wrath and indignation. ⁹There will be tribulation and anguish [torturing confinement] for every human soul who does [or permits] evil, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, ¹⁰but glory and honor and inner peace [will be given] to everyone who habitually does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For not: Romans 2:25, Deuteronomy 4:1, Deuteronomy 5:1, Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 30:12-14, Ezekiel 20:11, Ezekiel 33:30-33, Matthew 7:21-27, Luke 8:21, James 1:22-25, 1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:7

but the: Romans 3:20, Romans 3:23, Romans 10:5, Luke 10:25-29, Galatians 3:11, Galatians 3:12

justified: Romans 3:30, Romans 4:2-5, Psalms 143:2, Luke 18:14, Acts 13:39, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 5:4, James 2:21-25

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:11 - before Exodus 35:1 - do them 1 Kings 8:32 - justifying Psalms 25:10 - keep Jeremiah 11:6 - Hear John 7:19 - yet Acts 10:35 - in Romans 4:15 - where Galatians 3:19 - It was added James 4:11 - a doer

Cross-References

Genesis 10:6
the sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim [from whom descended the Egyptians], Put, and Canaan;

Isaiah 11:11
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again acquire with His hand a second time The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, from [Lower] Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush (Ethiopia), from Elam [in Persia], from Shinar [Babylonia], from Hamath [in Aram], And from the coastlands bordering the [Mediterranean] Sea.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For not the hearers of the law are just before God,.... The apostle here shows, that the Jews were justly condemned, notwithstanding their having and hearing of the law; since hearing without doing it, will never denominate persons righteous in the sight of God, however it might recommend them in the sight of men: regard seems to be had either to the first delivery of the law by Moses to the people of Israel, when he read it to them, and they hearkened to it, and promised obedience; or rather to the reading and hearing it every sabbath day; and may include a speculative knowledge of it, without a practical obedience to it; and which therefore must fall greatly short of entitling them to a justifying righteousness; since not these,

but the doers of the law, shall be justified; by whom are meant, not such who merely literally and externally fulfil the law, as they imagine; for the law is spiritual, and regards the inward as well as the outward man, and requires internal holiness, as well as external obedience; and the apostle is speaking of justification before God, who sees the heart, and not before men, who judge according to outward appearance: nor are such designed who are imperfect doers of the law; for the law requires a perfect obedience, and what is not perfect is not properly righteousness; nor does it, nor can it consider an imperfect righteousness as a perfect one; for it accuses of, pronounces guilty, curses, and condemns for every transgression of it. But such only can be intended, who are doers of it spiritually, internally, as well as externally, and that perfectly. Adam, in his state of innocence, was a perfect doer of the law; he sinning, and all his posterity in him, none of them are righteous, but all pass under a sentence of condemnation. The best of men, even believers in Christ, are not without sin in themselves; and when any of the saints are said to be perfect, it must be understood in a comparative sense, or as they are considered in Christ. There never was but one since Adam, and that is Christ, who has fulfilled, or could perfectly fulfil the law; the thing is impossible and impracticable for fallen man: hence these words must be understood either hypothetically, thus, not the hearers of the law, but if there were any perfect doers of it, they would be justified before God; or else of such persons who are considered in Christ, by whom the whole perfect righteousness of the law is fulfilled in them, and who may be reckoned as perfect doers of it in him, their substitute, surety, and representative.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For not the hearers ... - The same sentiment is implied in James 1:22; Matthew 7:21, Matthew 7:24; Luke 6:47. The apostle here doubtless designed to meet an objection of the Jews; to wit, that they had the Law, that they manifested great deference for it, that they heard it read with attention, and professed a willingness to yield themselves to it. To meet this, he states a very plain and obvious principle, that this was insufficient to justify them before God, unless they rendered actual obedience.

Are just - Are justified before God, or are personally holy. Or, in other words, simply hearing the Law is not meeting all its requirements, and making people holy. If they expected to be saved by the Law, it required something more than merely to hear it. It demanded perfect obedience.

But the doers of the law - They who comply entirely with its demands; or who yield to it perfect and perpetual obedience. This was the plain and obvious demand, not only of common sense, but of the Jewish Law itself; Deuteronomy 4:1; Leviticus 18:5; compare Romans 10:9.

Shall be justified - This expression is evidently synonymous with that in Leviticus 18:5, where it is said that “he shall live in them.” The meaning is, that it is a maxim or principle of the Law of God, that if a creature will keep it, and obey it entirely, he shall not be condemned, but shall be approved and live forever. This does not affirm that anyone ever has thus lived in this world, but it is an affirmation of a great general principle of law, that if a creature is justified by the Law, the obedience must be entire and perpetual. If such were the case, as there would be no ground of condemnation, man would be saved by the Law. If the Jews, therefore, expected to be saved by their Law, it must be, not by hearing the Law, nor by being called a Jew, but by perfect and unqualified obedience to all its requirements. This passage is designed, doubtless, to meet a very common and pernicious sentiment of the Jewish teachers, that all who became hearers and listeners to the Law would be saved. The inference from the passage is, that no man can be saved by his external privileges, or by an outward respectful deference to the truths and ordinances of religion.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 2:13. For not the hearers of the law, c.] It does not follow, because one people are favoured with a Divine revelation, that therefore they shall be saved while the others who have not had that revelation, shall finally perish: this is not God's procedure; where he has given a law-a Divine revelation, he requires obedience to that law; and only those who have been doers of that law-who have lived according to the light and privileges granted in that revelation, shall be justified-shall be finally acknowledged to be such as are fit for the kingdom of God.