Romans 2:18

Amplified Bible

and [if you claim to] know His will and approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellent, based on your instruction from the Law,

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
You know what God wants you to do. And you know what is important, because you have learned the law.

Revised Standard Version
and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed in the law,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and knowest his will and hast experience of good and bad in that thou arte informed by the lawe:

Hebrew Names Version
and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

International Standard Version
and know his will, and approve of what is best because you have been instructed in the law;Deuteronomy 4:8; Psalm 147:19-20; Philippians 1:10;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
and know His will and distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law,

New Century Version
You know what he wants you to do and what is important, because you have learned the law.

Update Bible Version
and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

Webster's Bible Translation
And knowest [his] will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law,

English Standard Version
and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law;

World English Bible
and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
and gloriest in God, And knowest his will, and discernest the things that differ, being instructed out of the law:

Weymouth's New Testament
and know the supreme will, and can test things that differ--being a man who receives instruction from the Law--

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and hast knowe his wille, and thou lerud bi lawe preuest the more profitable thingis,

English Revised Version
and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

Berean Standard Bible
if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;

Contemporary English Version
By reading the Scriptures you learn how God wants you to behave, and you discover what is right.

American Standard Version
and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

Bible in Basic English
And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law,

Complete Jewish Bible
and know his will and give your approval to what is right, because you have been instructed from the Torah;

Darby Translation
and knowest the will, and discerningly approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

Etheridge Translation
because thou knowest his will, and distinguishest the things that are fitting, because thou art learned from the law;

Murdock Translation
that thou knowest his good pleasure, and discernest obligations, because thou art instructed in the law;

King James Version (1611)
And knowest his will, and approuest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the Law,

New Living Translation
You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law.

New Life Bible
You know what He wants you to do. You understand how the Law works. You know right from wrong.

New Revised Standard
and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And knowest his will, and triest the things that dissent from it, in that thou art instructed by the Lawe:

George Lamsa Translation
And because you know his will, and know the things which must be observed, which you have learned from the law,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And art taking note of his will, and testing the things that differ - when receiving oral instruction out of the law,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And knowest his will and approvest the more profitable things, being instructed by the law:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And knowest his wyll, and alowest the thinges that be excellent, infourmed by the lawe:

Good News Translation
you know what God wants you to do, and you have learned from the Law to choose what is right;

Christian Standard Bible®
and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law,

King James Version
And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

Lexham English Bible
and know his will and approve the things that are superior, because you are instructed by the law,

Literal Translation
and know the will, and approve the things excelling, being instructed out of the Law,

Young's Literal Translation
and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and knowest his will: & for so moch as thou art enfourmed out of ye lawe,

Mace New Testament (1729)
you know the divine will, and what is contrary thereto, having been educated in the law:

New English Translation
and know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law,

New King James Version
and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

Simplified Cowboy Version
You say you know what God wants and that the Code guides your every loop.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,

Legacy Standard Bible
and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,

Contextual Overview

¹⁷But if you bear the name "Jew" and rely on the Law [for your salvation] and boast in [your special relationship to] God, ¹⁸and [if you claim to] know His will and approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellent, based on your instruction from the Law,¹⁹and [if you] are confident that you are a [qualified] guide to the blind [those untaught in theology], a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰and [that you are] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the [spiritually] childish, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth— ²¹well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal [in ways that are discrete, but just as sinful]? ²²You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob [pagan] temples [of valuable idols and offerings]? ²³You who boast in the Law, do you [repeatedly] dishonor God by breaking the Law? ²⁴For, "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written [in Scripture]. ²⁵Circumcision [the sign of the covenant of Abraham] is indeed of value if you practice the Law; but if you habitually break the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision [it is meaningless in God's sight]. ²⁶So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded [by God] as circumcision?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

knowest: Deuteronomy 4:8, Nehemiah 9:13, Nehemiah 9:14, Psalms 147:19, Psalms 147:20, Luke 12:47, John 13:17, 1 Corinthians 8:1, 1 Corinthians 8:2, James 4:17

approvest the things that are more excellent: or, triest the things that differ, Philippians 1:10, *marg. 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Hebrews 5:14

being instructed: Romans 15:4, Psalms 19:8, Psalms 119:98-100, Psalms 119:104, Psalms 119:105, Psalms 119:130, Proverbs 6:23, 2 Timothy 3:15-17

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:5 - but divideth Deuteronomy 32:10 - he instructed Romans 3:2 - because Romans 7:1 - them that Titus 1:16 - profess 1 John 2:9 - he is

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 2:7
then the LORD God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].

Genesis 2:9
And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.

Genesis 2:11
The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:12
The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the onyx stone are found there.

Genesis 2:13
The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia].

Genesis 3:12
And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it."

Ruth 3:1
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to Ruth, "My daughter, shall I not look for security and a home for you, so that it may be well with you?

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a [true and faithful] wife finds a good thing And obtains favor and approval from the LORD.

1 Corinthians 7:36
But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly and honorably toward his virgin daughter, [by not permitting her to marry], if she is past her youth, and it must be so, let him do as he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And knowest his will,.... Not the secret will or purpose of God; nor his revealed will in the Gospel, for of this they were ignorant; but his declared will in the law, showing what is to be done, and what is not to be done: to know which in express terms was a privilege, that other people had not; but then the bare knowledge of this will be of no avail: for persons may know their Lord's will, as the Jews did, and not do it, and so be worthy to be beaten with many stripes:

and approvest the things that are more excellent: or "triest the things that differ"; from one another, and from the will and law of God; or as the Syriac, "discernest" וליתא, "things that are convenient"; agreeable, which are fit and ought to be done: and having tried and discerned them, they approved of them in their judgment as the things more excellent; but then they did not put these excellent things in practice which they approved of; and the knowledge and approbation they had of these things, arose from their

being instructed out of the law, and not the Gospel; for the excellent things of the Gospel, they had no discerning, knowledge and approbation of; see Philippians 1:10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And knowest his will - The will or commands of God. This knowledge they obtained from the Scriptures; and of course in this they were distinguished from other nations.

And approvest - The word used here is capable of two interpretations. It may mean either to distinguish, or to approve. The word is properly and usually applied to the process of testing or trying metals by fire. Hence, it comes to be used in a general sense to try or to distinguish anything; to ascertain its nature, quality, etc.; Luke 12:56. This is probably its meaning here, referring rather to the intellectual process of discriminating, than to the moral process of approving. It could not, perhaps, be said with propriety, at least the scope of the passage does not properly suppose this, that the Jew approved or loved the things of God: but the scope of the passage is, that the Jew valued himself on his knowledge of what was conformable to the will of God; see the notes at Romans 14:0.

The things that are more excellent - The word translated here “more excellent” denotes properly the things that differ from others, and then also the things that excel. It has an ambiguity similar to the word translated “approved.” If the interpretation of that word above given is correct, then this word here means those things that differ from others. The reference is to the rites and customs, to the distinctions of meats and days, etc., prescribed by the Law of Moses. The Jew would pride himself on the fact that he had been taught by the Law to make these distinctions, while all the pagan world had been left in ignorance of them. This was one of the advantages on which he valued himself and his religion.

Being instructed ... - That is, in regard to the one God, his will, and the distinguishing rites of his worship.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. Knowest his will — Hast been favoured with a revelation of his own will, immediately from himself.

The things that are more excellent — τα δισφεροντα, The things that differ-that revelation which God has given of himself makes the nicest distinctions between right and wrong; between vice and virtue; showing how you should walk so as to please God, and, consequently, acquire the most excellent portion that human spirits can have on this side heaven: for all these blessings ye acknowledge to receive from your law, being instructed, κατηχουμενος, being catechized, from your infancy, in the knowledge of Divine things.