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if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness,
Romans 2:19 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
  • KJV And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
  • NKJV and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
  • NASB and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness,
  • NLT You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

They are confident they can guide the blind and give light to those in darkness. They see themselves as spiritual leaders to others.

Overview

Paul describes the Jew's self-understanding as a guide to the blind and a light to those in darkness, reflecting Israel's calling to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6). Such a role is honorable, but Paul highlights it to expose the gap between claiming to teach others and failing to obey oneself, which he will name directly in vv.21-23.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 21

  • Rev 3:17–18You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
  • 1 Cor 8:1–2Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
  • Isa 49:6He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
  • Isa 5:21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
  • Isa 56:10Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
  • Matt 6:23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
  • Prov 26:12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
  • John 9:40–41Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?”
  • Matt 15:14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
  • 1 Cor 4:10We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.
  • John 9:34They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
  • Matt 5:14You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
  • Matt 4:16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
  • Isa 49:9–10to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will feed along the pathways, and find pasture on every barren hill.
  • Luke 1:79to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
  • Matt 23:16–26Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
  • Mark 10:15Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
  • John 7:46–49“Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.
  • Acts 26:18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
  • 1 Cor 3:18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
  • Phil 2:15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Romans videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Romans 2:19YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RomansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.

How Romans 2:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.