Romans 2:9

THE MESSAGE

If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you're from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. But if you embrace the way God does things, there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from or how you were brought up. Being a Jew won't give you an automatic stamp of approval. God pays no attention to what others say (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;

King James Version (1611)
Tribulation, and anguish vpon euery soule of man that doeth euill, of the Iew first, and also of the Gentile.

King James Version
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

English Standard Version
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,

New American Standard Bible
There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of mankind who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek,

New Century Version
He will give trouble and suffering to everyone who does evil—to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews.

Amplified Bible
There 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,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,

Legacy Standard Bible
There will be affliction and turmoil for every soul of man who works out evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,

Berean Standard Bible
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek;

Contemporary English Version
All who are wicked will be punished with trouble and suffering. It doesn't matter if they are Jews or Gentiles.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, he will pay back misery and anguish to every human being who does evil, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile;

Darby Translation
tribulation and distress, on every soul of man that works evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek;

Easy-to-Read Version
He will give trouble and suffering to everyone who does evil—to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Tribulation and anguish shalbe vpon the soule of euery man that doeth euill: of the Iewe first, and also of the Grecian.

George Lamsa Translation
Suffering and affliction, for every man who does evil, for the Jews first, and also for the Syrians.

Good News Translation
There will be suffering and pain for all those who do what is evil, for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles.

Lexham English Bible
There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, of the Jew first and of the Greek,

Literal Translation
trouble and pain on every soul of man that works out evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek.

American Standard Version
tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;

Bible in Basic English
Trouble and sorrow on all whose works are evil, to the Jew first and then to the Greek;

Hebrew Names Version
oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, on the Yehudi first, and also on the Yevanit.

International Standard Version
There will be suffering and anguish for every human being who practices doing evil, for Jews first and for Greeks as well.Amos 3:2; Luke 12:47-48; 1 Peter 4:17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and affliction and distress, upon every man who worketh evils; to Jihudoyee first, and to Aramoyee;

Murdock Translation
And tribulation and anguish [fn] to every man that doeth evil; to the Jews first, and also to the Gentiles:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Tribulation, and anguishe, vpon euery soule of man that doeth euyll, of the Iewe first, and also of the Greke:

English Revised Version
tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;

World English Bible
oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, on the Jew first, and also on the Greek.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
tribulation and anguish, Even upon every soul of man who worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also the Gentile:

Weymouth's New Testament
coming upon the soul of every man and woman who deliberately does wrong--upon the Jew first, and then upon the Gentile;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
in to ech soule of man that worchith yuel, to the Jew first, and to the Greke;

Update Bible Version
tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man that works evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;

Webster's Bible Translation
Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

New English Translation
There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek,

New King James Version
tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;

New Living Translation
There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.

New Life Bible
Every Jew and every person who is not a Jew who sins will suffer and have great sorrow.

New Revised Standard
There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
tribulation and anguish - against every soul of man who worketh out what is base, both of Jew first and of Greek, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil: of the Jew first, and also of the Greek.

Revised Standard Version
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
tribulacion and anguysshe vpon the soule of every man that doth evyll: of the Iewe fyrst and also of the gentyll.

Young's Literal Translation
tribulation and distress, upon every soul of man that is working the evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
trouble and anguysh vpo all the soules of me that do euell, of the Iewe first and also of the Greke:

Mace New Testament (1729)
tribulation and anguish to every one that doth evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Those who bring pain and suffering will end up with pain and suffering for eternity. It won't matter if you're a Jew or not a Jew.

Contextual Overview

¹Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done. ³You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change. ⁵You're not getting by with anything. Every refusal and avoidance of God adds fuel to the fire. The day is coming when it's going to blaze hot and high, God's fiery and righteous judgment. Make no mistake: In the end you get what's coming to you—Real Life for those who work on God's side, but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire! ⁹If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you're from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended. But if you embrace the way God does things, there are wonderful payoffs, again without regard to where you are from or how you were brought up. Being a Jew won't give you an automatic stamp of approval. God pays no attention to what others say (or what you think) about you. He makes up his own mind. ¹²If you sin without knowing what you're doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you're doing, that's a different story entirely. Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God. ¹⁴When outsiders who have never heard of God's law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God's law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong. Their response to God's yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Tribulation: Proverbs 1:27, Proverbs 1:28, 2 Thessalonians 1:6

soul: Ezekiel 18:4, Matthew 16:26

of the Jew: Romans 2:10, Romans 1:16, Romans 3:29, Romans 3:30, Romans 4:9-12, Romans 9:24, Romans 10:12, Romans 15:8, Romans 15:9, Amos 3:2, Matthew 11:20-24, Luke 2:30-32, Luke 12:47, Luke 12:48, Luke 24:47, Acts 3:26, Acts 11:18, Acts 13:26, Acts 13:46, Acts 13:47, Acts 18:5, Acts 18:6, Acts 20:21, Acts 26:20, Acts 28:17, Acts 28:28, Galatians 2:15, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 2:11-17, Colossians 3:11, 1 Peter 4:17

Gentile: Gr. Greek

Reciprocal: Numbers 5:31 - bear Numbers 32:23 - be sure your sin Deuteronomy 11:28 - General Deuteronomy 28:15 - if thou wilt 1 Samuel 12:15 - But if ye 2 Chronicles 6:23 - requiting Job 10:15 - If I be wicked Job 15:24 - anguish Job 21:17 - distributeth Job 36:12 - if Job 40:11 - Cast Psalms 9:17 - The wicked Psalms 18:26 - froward Psalms 32:10 - Many Psalms 78:49 - cast Psalms 90:7 - are we Proverbs 10:29 - but Proverbs 11:19 - he Proverbs 11:23 - expectation Proverbs 16:5 - unpunished Isaiah 17:11 - a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow Isaiah 34:8 - General Jeremiah 9:25 - that Ezekiel 16:43 - I also Ezekiel 16:59 - I will Ezekiel 22:31 - their own Ezekiel 24:13 - till I Micah 3:4 - as Matthew 13:41 - and them Romans 6:13 - unrighteousness Galatians 5:21 - that they 2 Peter 2:13 - the reward

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.

Deuteronomy 6:25
"It will be a set-right and put-together life for us if we make sure that we do this entire commandment in the Presence of God , our God, just as he commanded us to do."

Proverbs 11:30
A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls.

Isaiah 44:25
He makes the magicians look ridiculous and turns fortunetellers into jokes. He makes the experts look trivial and their latest knowledge look silly. But he backs the word of his servant and confirms the counsel of his messengers. He says to Jerusalem, "Be inhabited," and to the cities of Judah, "Be rebuilt," and to the ruins, "I raise you up." He says to Ocean, "Dry up. I'm drying up your rivers." He says to Cyrus, "My shepherd— everything I want, you'll do it." He says to Jerusalem, "Be built," and to the Temple, "Be established."

Ezekiel 31:18
"‘Which of the trees of Eden came anywhere close to you in splendor and size? But you're slated to be cut down to take your place in the underworld with the trees of Eden, to be a dead log stacked with all the other dead logs, among the other uncircumcised who are dead and buried. "‘This means Pharaoh, the pompous old goat. "‘Decree of God , the Master.'"

Ezekiel 47:12
"But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won't wither, the fruit won't fail. Every month they'll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

1 Corinthians 8:1
The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.

Revelation 2:7
"Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I'm about to call each conqueror to dinner. I'm spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from God's orchard."

Revelation 22:14
"How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they'll walk through the gates to the City. But outside for good are the filthy curs: sorcerers, fornicators, murderers, idolaters—all who love and live lies.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Tribulation and anguish,.... These, with the foregoing words, are expressive of the second death, the torments of hell, the worm that never dies, and the fire that is not quenched: which will fall

upon every soul of man that doth evil; whose course of life and conversation is evil; for "the soul that sins shall die",

Ezekiel 18:4, unless satisfaction is made for his sins by the blood of Christ:

of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; regard being had to what nation they belong.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Tribulation - This word commonly denotes affliction, or the situation of being pressed down by a burden, as of trials, calamities, etc.; and hence, to be pressed down by punishment or pain inflicted for sins. As applied to future punishment, it denotes the pressure of the calamities that will come upon the soul as the just reward of sin.

And anguish - στενοχωρία stenochōria. This noun is used in but three other places in the New Testament; Romans 8:35; 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 12:10. The verb is used in 2Co 4:8; 2 Corinthians 6:12. It means literally narrowness of place, lack of room, and then the anxiety and distress of mind which a man experiences who is pressed on every side by afflictions, and trials, and want, or by punishment, and who does not know where he may turn himself to find relief. (Schleusner.) It is thus expressive of the punishment of the wicked. It means that they shall be compressed with the manifestations of God’s displeasure, so as to be in deep distress, and so as not to know where to find relief. These words affliction and anguish are often connected; Romans 8:35.

Upon every soul of man - Upon all people. In Hebrew the word “soul” often denotes the man himself. But still, the apostles, by the use of this word here, meant perhaps to signify that the punishment should not be corporeal, but afflicting the soul. It should be a spiritual punishment, a punishment of mind. (Ambrose. See Tholuck.)

Of the Jew first - Having stated the general principle of the divine administration, he comes now to make the application. To the principle there could be no objection. And the apostle now shows that it was applicable to the Jew as well as the Greek, and to the Jew pre-eminently. It was applicable first, or in an eminent degree, to the Jew, because,

1. He had been especially favored with light and knowledge on all these subjects.

(2)These principles were fully stated in his own Law, and were in strict accordance with all the teaching of the prophets; see the note at Romans 2:6; also Psalms 7:11; Psalms 9:17; Psalms 139:19; Proverbs 14:32.

Of the Gentile - That is, of all who were not Jews. On what principles God will inflict punishment on them, he states in Romans 2:12-16. It is clear that this refers to the future punishment of the wicked, for,

(1) It stands in contrast with the eternal life of those who seek for glory Romans 2:7. If this description of the effect of sin refers to this life, then the effects spoken of in relation to the righteous refer to this life also. But in no place in the Scriptures is it said that people experience all the blessings of eternal life in this world; and the very supposition is absurd.

(2) It is not true that there is a just and complete retribution to every man, according to his deeds, in this life. Many of the wicked are prospered in life, and “there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm;” Psalms 73:4. Many of the righteous pine in poverty and want and affliction, and die in the flames of persecution. Nothing is more clear than there is not in this life a full and equitable distribution of rewards and punishments; and as the proposition, of the apostle here is, that God will render to every man according to his deeds Romans 2:6, it follows that this must be accomplished in another world.

(3) The Scriptures uniformly affirm, that for the very things specified here, God will consign people to eternal death; 2 Thessalonians 1:8, “In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction,” etc.; 1 Peter 4:17. We may remark also, that there could be no more alarming description of future suffering than is specified in this passage. It is indignation; it is wrath; it is tribulation; it is anguish which the sinner is to endure forever. Truly people exposed to this awful doom should be alarmed, and should give diligence to escape from the woe which is to come.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 2:9. Tribulation and anguish — Misery of all descriptions, without the possibility of escape, will this righteous Judge inflict upon every impenitent sinner. The Jew first, as possessing greater privileges, and having abused greater mercies; and also on the Gentile, who, though he had not the same advantages, had what God saw was sufficient for his state; and, having sinned against them, shall have punishment proportioned to his demerit.