Romans 2:23

Easy-to-Read Version

You are so proud that you have God's law, but you bring shame to God by breaking his law.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

King James Version (1611)
Thou that makest thy boast of the Law, through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God?

King James Version
Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

English Standard Version
You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.

New American Standard Bible
You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?

New Century Version
You brag about having God's law, but you bring shame to God by breaking his law,

Amplified Bible
You who boast in the Law, do you [repeatedly] dishonor God by breaking the Law?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?

Legacy Standard Bible
You who boast in the Law, through your transgression of the Law, do you dishonor God?

Berean Standard Bible
You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

Contemporary English Version
You take pride in the Law, but you disobey the Law and bring shame to God.

Complete Jewish Bible
You who take such pride in Torah, do you, by disobeying the Torah, dishonor God? —

Darby Translation
thou who boastest in law, dost thou by transgression of the law dishonour God?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou that gloriest in the Lawe, through breaking the Lawe, dishonourest thou God?

George Lamsa Translation
You are proud of the law but you dishonor God by breaking the law.

Good News Translation
You boast about having God's law—but do you bring shame on God by breaking his law?

Lexham English Bible
Who boast in the law, by the transgression of the law you dishonor God!

Literal Translation
You who boast in Law, do you dishonor God through transgression of the Law?

American Standard Version
thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God?

Bible in Basic English
You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law?

Hebrew Names Version
You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God?

International Standard Version
As you boast about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?Romans 2:17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And thou who boastest of the law, in this that thou transgressest against the law, Aloha himself despisest thou?

Murdock Translation
And thou who gloriest in the law, dost thou, by acting contrary to the law, insult God himself?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou that makest thy boast of ye lawe, through breakyng the lawe dishonorest God.

English Revised Version
thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonourest thou God?

World English Bible
You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Thou that gloriest in the law, dost thou by transgressing the law dishonour God?

Weymouth's New Testament
You who make your boast in the Law, do you offend against its commands and so dishonour God?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou that hast glorie in the lawe, vnworschipist God bi brekyng of the lawe?

Update Bible Version
you who glory in the law, through your transgression of the law do you dishonor God?

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God?

New English Translation
You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law!

New King James Version
You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?

New Living Translation
You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.

New Life Bible
You are proud of the Law. Do you take honor away from God when you do not obey the Law?

New Revised Standard
You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
That in law dost boast, Through the transgression of the law, art thou dishonouring God?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou, that makest thy boast of the law, by transgression of the law dishonourest God.

Revised Standard Version
You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Thou reioysest in the lawe and thorow breakinge the lawe dishonourest God.

Young's Literal Translation
thou who in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou makest thy boost of the lawe, and thorow breakynge of the lawe thou dishonorest God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and you, who glory in the law, do you dishonour God by the violation of the law?

Simplified Cowboy Version
You take pride in the Code, but then you turn your back on it every time it suits you. You don't bring honor to God, but shame.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ What about you? You say you are a Jew. You trust in the law and proudly claim to be close to God. ¹⁸ You know what God wants you to do. And you know what is important, because you have learned the law. ¹⁹ You think you are a guide for people who don't know the right way, a light for those who are in the dark. ²⁰ You think you can show foolish people what is right. And you think you are a teacher for those who are just beginning to learn. You have the law, and so you think you know everything and have all truth. ²¹ You teach others, so why don't you teach yourself? You tell them not to steal, but you yourself steal. ²² You say they must not commit adultery, but you yourself are guilty of that sin. You hate idols, but you steal them from their temples. ²³ You are so proud that you have God's law, but you bring shame to God by breaking his law. ²⁴ As the Scriptures say, "People in other nations insult God because of you." ²⁵ If you follow the law, then your circumcision has meaning. But if you break the law, then it is as if you were never circumcised. ²⁶ Those who are not Jews are not circumcised. But if they do what the law says, it is as if they were circumcised.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that makest: Romans 2:17, Romans 3:2, Romans 9:4, Jeremiah 8:8, Jeremiah 8:9, Matthew 19:17-20, Luke 10:26-29, Luke 18:11, John 5:45, John 9:28, John 9:29, James 1:22-27, James 4:16, James 4:17

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:32 - yellow hair Leviticus 26:1 - Ye shall Psalms 39:8 - make Psalms 50:17 - hatest Matthew 18:7 - unto Acts 7:53 - and have Romans 1:30 - boasters Romans 2:25 - but if Romans 3:27 - Where James 3:14 - glory

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden.

Genesis 2:9
Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.

Genesis 29:14
Then Laban said, "This is wonderful! You are from my own family." So Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.

Judges 9:2
"Ask the leaders of the city of Shechem this question: ‘Is it better for you to be ruled by the 70 sons of Gideon or to be ruled by only one man? Remember, I am your relative.'"

2 Samuel 5:1
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. They said to David, "Look, we are one family!

2 Samuel 19:13
Also tell Amasa, ‘You are part of my family. I swear that I will make you captain of the army in Joab's place.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou that makest thy boast of the law,.... Of their having it, which other nations had not; of their knowledge of it, which many of their own people were without, or had but a small share of; and of their keeping of it even to perfection:

through breaking of the law dishonourest thou God? sin sometimes is expressed by a word which signifies a "fall"; sometimes by another, which signifies missing of the mark, or straying from it; sometimes by another, which signifies a "contrariety to the law" of God; and here, by one which signifies a "passing over it", and the bounds which it has set, as the rule of man's obedience; and hereby God, the lawgiver, is dishonoured: for as God is glorified by good works, when rightly performed, he is dishonoured by evil ones; for his authority, as a lawgiver, is trampled upon and despised. Now persons guilty of such iniquities as here mentioned, could not be justified before God, or accepted by him on account of any works of righteousness done by them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Makest thy boast ... - To boast in the Law implied their conviction of its excellence and obligation, as a man does not boast of what he esteems to be of no value.

Dishonourest thou God - By boasting of the Law, they proclaimed their conviction that it was from God. By breaking it, they denied it. And as actions are a true test of man’s real opinions, their breaking the Law did it more dishonor than their boasting of it did it honor. This is always the case. It matters little what a man’s speculative opinions may be; his practice may do far more to disgrace religion than his profession does to honor it. It is the life and conduct, and not merely the profession of the lips, that does real honor to the true religion. Alas, with what pertinency and force may this question be put to many who call themselves Christians!