And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Parallel translations
- WEB Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
- BSB So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
- NKJV And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
- NASB But do you suppose this, you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God?
- NLT Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?
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
Do those who judge others while doing the same things imagine they will escape God's judgment? Hypocrisy provides no immunity.
Overview
Paul presses the moralist with a pointed question: condemning others while practicing the same sins will not exempt anyone from God's judgment. The assumption that one's moral discernment or religious identity grants special protection is exposed as false. God's impartial justice reaches even the respectable hypocrite.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Prov 16:5Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
- Luke 12:14And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
- Rom 1:32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
- Matt 23:33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
- Prov 11:21Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
- Luke 22:58And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
- Job 35:2Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?
- 1 Th 5:3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
- Matt 26:53Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
- 2 Sam 10:3And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
- Dan 10:19And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
- Ezek 17:15But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
- Ps 50:21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
- Ps 56:7Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
- Heb 12:25See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
- Heb 2:3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
- Luke 22:60And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
- Ezek 17:18Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
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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 2:3 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
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