Romans 2:23

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.

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?

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

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?

Contextual Overview

¹⁷Some of you claim to be some of God's original cowboys, the Jews. You claim to follow the Code and boast about your ride with God. ¹⁸You say you know what God wants and that the Code guides your every loop. ¹⁹You think you're a trail guide for the blind and a campfire for those ridin' in the dark. ²⁰You say you're a clinician who can teach fools and a top hand the young'uns can follow. You are absolutely certain the Code contains the full measure of knowledge and truth that there is. ²¹But how can you teach others when you refuse to learn? You claim it is wrong to steal, but you steal anyway. ²²You say to remain faithful in marriage, but your thoughts betray your preachin'. You say to stay away from idols, but your saddlebags are piled full of them. ²³You 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. ²⁴That's why the Good Book says, "Y'all Jews didn't gather the lost, you've run 'em off by giving God a bad name." ²⁵Havin' your pickle clipped is great if you're following the Code, but if you ain't, you're missing more than just a piece of yourself. ²⁶If an outsider (someone who's not a Jew) follows the Code, but doesn't have his pickle clipped, don't you realize God will regard him as if he 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

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!