the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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King James Version
Romans 2:21
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But how can you teach others when you refuse to learn? You claim it is wrong to steal, but you steal anyway.
you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?
you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?
You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?
thou then that teachest another, dost thou not teach thyself? thou that preachest not to steal, dost thou steal?
You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?
you then, who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach, "You must not steal"—do you steal?
You therefore who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn't steal, do you steal?
Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that proclaimest, a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief?
Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thy selfe? thou that preachest a man should not steale, doest thou steale?
Then the one teaching another, do you not teach yourself? The one preaching not to steal, do you steal?
Now teachest thou other, and teachest not thy selfe. Thou preachest that a man shulde not steale, and thou stealest.
you therefore who instruct others don't you instruct yourself?
well 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]?
thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
you then who teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
But thou which teachest another teachest not thy selfe. Thou preachest a man shuld not steale: and yet thou stealest.
you therefore that teach another, don't you teach yourself? you that preach a man should not steal, do you steal?
Thou therefore who teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Thou, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach?
You teach others, so why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but you steal.
therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
But how can you teach others when you refuse to learn? You preach that it is wrong to steal. But do you steal?
then, you who teach others, don't you teach yourself? Preaching, "Thou shalt not steal," do you steal?
you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
Thou therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thy selfe? thou that preachest, A man should not steale, doest thou steale?
Now, therefore, you teach others but fail to teach yourself. You preach that men should not steal, yet you steal.
You therefore who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn't steal, do you steal?
as you teach others, do you fail to teach yourself? As you preach against stealing, do you steal?Psalm 50:16; Matthew 23:3;">[xr]
Thou, then, who teachest others, dost thou not teach thyself ? and who preachest that men should not steal, dost thou steal?
Thou therefore, who teachest others, teachest thou not thyself? And thou who teachest that men must not steal, dost thou steal?
Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?
You teach others. Why do you not teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal. Do you steal?
thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
Thou, therefore, that art teaching someone else, thyself, art thou not teaching? Thou that proclaimest - Do not steal! Art thou, stealing?
Thou therefore, that teachest another, teachest not thyself: thou, that preachest that men should not steal, stealest.
Therefore, the one who teaches someone else, do you not teach yourself? The one who preaches not to steal, do you steal?
Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest not thy selfe? Thou preachest a man shoulde not steale, yet thou stealest.
You teach others, so why don't you teach yourself? You tell them not to steal, but you yourself steal.
you, therefore, who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one is not to steal, do you steal?
You teach others—why don't you teach yourself? You preach, "Do not steal"—but do you yourself steal?
what thanne techist thou another, and techist not thi silf? Thou that prechist that me schal not stele, stelist?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
therefore: Psalms 50:16-21, Matthew 23:3-12, Luke 4:23, Luke 11:46, Luke 12:47, Luke 19:22, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Galatians 6:13, Titus 2:1-7
dost thou steal: Isaiah 56:11, Ezekiel 22:12, Ezekiel 22:13, Ezekiel 22:27, Amos 8:4-6, Micah 3:11, Matthew 21:13, Matthew 23:14
Reciprocal: Psalms 50:17 - hatest Isaiah 30:9 - will not Luke 6:41 - why Luke 6:42 - cast John 8:7 - He that John 10:10 - thief Acts 5:3 - to keep Romans 1:32 - knowing Romans 2:1 - for thou that James 3:1 - be
Cross-References
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.
In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?.... Several charges are here brought against the Jews, even against their teachers; for though they are put by way of question, they are to be considered as so many assertions and matters of fact; thus, though they taught others, they did not teach themselves; they were blind leaders of the blind; they were ignorant of the law, of the spirituality of it; they were desirous to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they said, nor whereof they affirmed: they were ignorant of the righteousness of God, of whom they boasted; and of the more excellent things of Moses, and the prophets, they pretended to explain; and of the Messiah, of whom their prophecies so much spoke: and besides, what they did understand and teach, they did not practise themselves; than which nothing is more shameful, or more betrays stupidity and ignorance; for as they themselves b say,
"he that teaches men, בדבר שהוא לא יעשה, "that which he himself does not do", is like a blind man who has a lamp in his hand, and enlightens others, but he, himself walks in darkness.''
And such teachers they own were among them.
"Beautiful (say they c) are the words which come out of the mouths of them that do, them: Ben Assai was a beautiful preacher, but did not well observe;''
i.e., to do what he said.
Thou that preach at a man should not steal, dost thou steal? some understand this figuratively, of stealing, or taking away the true sense of the law, and putting a false one upon it; of which these men were notoriously guilty: but rather, it is to be understood literally, not only of the inward desires and motions of their minds after this sin, and of their consenting to, and conniving at theft and robbery, but of their doing it themselves; who, under pretence of long prayers, "devoured widows' houses", Matthew 23:14, plundered and robbed them of their substance: no wonder that these men preferred Barabbas, a thief and a robber, to Jesus Christ.
b Sepher Hamaalot, p. 87. Apud Buxtorf. Heb. Florileg. p. 75. c Bereshit Rabba, fol. 30. 3.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Thou therefore ... - He who is a teacher of others may be expected to be learned himself. They ought to be found to be possessed of superior knowledge; and by this question the apostle impliedly reproves them for their ignorance. The form of a question is chosen because it conveys the truth with greater force. He puts the question as if it were undeniable that they were grossly ignorant; compare Matthew 23:3, “They say, and do not,” etc.
That preachest - This word means to proclaim in any manner, whether in the synagogue, or in any place of public teaching.
Dost thou steal? - It cannot be proved, perhaps, that the Jews were extensively guilty of this crime. It is introduced partly, no doubt, to make the inconsistency of their conduct mere apparent. We expect a man to set an example of what he means by his public instruction.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. Thou therefore — Dr. Taylor has paraphrased this and the three following verses thus: "What signify your pretensions to knowledge, and the office of teaching others, if you have no regard to your own doctrine? What are you the better for preaching against theft, if you are a thief yourself? Or for declaring adultery unlawful, if you live in the practice of it? Or for representing idolatry abominable, if you are guilty of sacrilege? What honours or singular favours do you deserve, if, while you glory in the law and your religious privileges, you dishonour God, and discredit his religion, by transgressing his law, and living in open contradiction to your profession? And this is more than supposition; notorious instances might be produced of the forementioned crimes, whereby the Jews of the present age have brought a reproach upon religion among the Gentiles; as well as those Jews of former times, of whom the Prophet Ezekiel speaks, Ezekiel 36:23: And I will sanctify my great name, which was PROFANED among the HEATHEN, which ye have PROFANED in the midst of them."
That the Jewish priesthood was exceedingly corrupt in the time of the apostle, and that they were so long before, is fully evident from the sacred writings and from Josephus. The high-priesthood was a matter of commerce, and was bought and sold like other commodities. Of this Josephus gives many instances. The rapine of Eli's sons descended to several generations. Dr. Whitby well observes that of all these things mentioned by the apostle the Jewish doctors were notoriously guilty; and of most of them they were accused by our Lord.
1. They said and did not; and laid heavy burdens upon others, which they would not touch with their own fingers, Matthew 23:3, Matthew 23:4.
2. They made the house of God a den of thieves, Matthew 21:13; John 2:16.
3. They were guilty of adultery by unjust divorces, Matthew 19:9.
4. Their polygamy was scandalous: even their rabbins, when they came to any place, would exclaim, Who will be my wife for a day?
As to idolatry, they were perfectly saved from it ever since the Babylonish captivity but to this succeeded sacrilege, as is most evident in the profanation of the temple, by their commerce transacted even within its courts; and their teaching the people that even their aged parents might be left to starve, provided the children made a present to the temple of that which should have gone for their support. According to Josephus, Bell. Jud. l. vi. c. 26, They were guilty of theft, treachery, adultery, sacrilege, rapine, and murder. And he adds, that new ways of wickedness were invented by them; and that of all their abominations the temple was the receptacle. In his Antiquities of the Jews, lib. xx. c. 8, he says: The servants of the high priests took away, by violence, the tithes of the priests, so that many of them perished for want of food. Even their own writers acknowledge that there were great irregularities and abominations among the rabbins.
So Bereshith rabba, sect. 55, fol. 54:
"Rabbi Abun proposed a parable concerning a master who taught his disciples not to pervert justice, and yet did it himself; not to show respect of persons, and yet did it himself; not to receive bribes, and yet received them himself; not to take usury, and yet took it himself. The disciple replied:-Rabbi, thou teachest me not to take usury, and yet thou takest it thyself! Can that be lawful to thee which is forbidden to me?"
