but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath, indignation,
Parallel Translations
-
but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath, indignation,
-
But vnto them that are rebellious and disobey the trueth yet folowe iniquytie shall come indignacion and wrath
-
But vnto them that are contentious and disobey the trueth, and obey vnrighteousnesse, shalbe indignation and wrath.
Cross-references (24)
Passages linked to Romans 2:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Timothy 6:3-4 If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions,
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8 punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,
- John 3:18-21 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”
- 1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who don’t obey the Good News of God?
- Proverbs 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is with people who take advice.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
- Revelation 16:19 The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
- Job 24:13 “These are of those who rebel against the light. They don’t know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
- Psalms 90:11 Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?
- Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears Yahweh and obeys the voice of his servant? He who walks in darkness and has no light, let him trust in Yahweh’s name, and rely on his God.
- Nahum 1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the fierceness of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken apart by him.
- Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
- Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered.
- Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
- Romans 10:16 But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
- Romans 15:18 For I will not dare to speak of any things except those which Christ worked through me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
- 1 Corinthians 11:16 But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies.
- Titus 3:9 but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
- Hebrews 3:12-13 Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there might be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God; but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
- Hebrews 5:9 Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,
- Hebrews 10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.
- Hebrews 11:8 By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.
- Revelation 14:10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
- 1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don’t obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (18 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 8. But to those who are contentious, etc. There…
8. But to those who are contentious, etc. There is some irregularity in the passage; first, on account of its tenor being interrupted, for the thread of the discourse required, that the second clause of the contrast should be thus connected, — “The Lord will render to them, who by perseverance in good works, seek glory, and honor, and immortality, eternal life; but to the contentious and the disobedient, eternal death.” Then the conclusion might be joined, — “That for the former are prepared glory, and honor, and incorruption; and that for the latter are laid up wrath and misery.” There is another thing, — These words, indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish, are joined to two clauses in the context. However, the meaning of the passage is by no means obscure; and with this we must be satisfied in the Apostolic writings. From other writings must eloquence be learnt: here spiritual wisdom is to be sought, conveyed in a plain and simple style.
Contention is mentioned here for rebellion and stubbornness; for Paul was contending with hypocrites who, by their gross and supine self-indulgence, trifled with God. By the word truth, is simply meant the revealed will of God, which alone is the light of truth: for it is what belongs to all the ungodly, that they ever prefer to be in bondage to iniquity, rather than to receive the yoke of God; and whatever obedience they may pretend, yet they never cease perversely to clamor and struggle against God’s word. For as they who are openly wicked scoff at the truth, so hypocrites fear not to set up in opposition to it their artificial modes of worship. The Apostle further adds, that such disobedient persons obey or serve iniquity; for there is no middle course, which those who are unwilling to be in subjection to the law of the Lord can take, so as to be kept from falling immediately into the service of sin. And it is the just reward of outrageous licentiousness, that those become the bondslaves of sin who cannot endure the service of God. Indignation and wrath, so the character of the words induces me to render them; for θυμος in Greek means what the Latins call excandescentia — indignation, as Cicero teaches us, (Tusc. 4,) even a sudden burning of anger. As to the other words I follow Erasmus. But observe, that of the four which are mentioned, the two last are, as it were, the effects of the two first; for they who perceive that God is displeased and angry with them are immediately filled with confusion.
Read full note →
We may add, that though he might have briefly described, even in two words, the blessedness of the godly and also the misery of the reprobate, he yet enlarges on both subjects, and for this end — that he might more effectually strike men with the fear of God’s wrath, and sharpen their desire for obtaining grace through Christ: for we never fear God’s judgment as we ought, except it be set as it were by a lively description before our eyes; nor do we really burn with desire for future life, except when roused by strong incentives, (multis flabellis incitati — incited by many fans.)
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain By truth, he meaneth that knowledge which we have…
By truth, he meaneth that knowledge which we have of nature.
God’s indignation against sinners, which shall quickly be kindled.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do…
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Ver. 8. But unto them that are contentious] That wrangle and thwartle against clearest truths, searching the devil’s skull for carnal arguments, as those Athenians, Act 17:16-21; being refractory as Pharaoh, who would not sit down under the miracle, but sent for the magicians. And though the word doth eat up all they say, as Moses’s rod did, yet harden they their hearts, as Pharaoh, and resolve to curse, as Balaam, whatever come of it. These are those contentious ones, εξ εριθειας.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain That are contentious; or, that are of contention: so,…
That are contentious; or, that are of contention: so, they of the circumcision, for such as are circumcised, Act 10:45; Gal 2:12. By contentious, understand such as are refractory and self-willed; that, from a spirit of contradiction, will not be persuaded; that strive and kick against the righteousness of God, from an opinion of their own righteousness, Hos 4:4.
Do not obey the truth: see Rom 1:18, and the note there.
Read full note →
But obey unrighteousness; that are the servants of sin, and of corruption, Rom 6:12; 2Pe 2:19.
Indignation and wrath; these two differ only in degree: thereby understand the judgments of God upon the wicked, which are the effects of his anger: the cause is commonly put for the effect.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Tribulation and anguish,.... These, with the foregoing words, are…
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", Eze 18:4, unless satisfaction is made for his sins by the blood of Christ:
Read full note →
of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; regard being had to what nation they belong.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain But to them that are contentious - Like thee,…
But to them that are contentious - Like thee, O Jew, who thus fightest against God. The character of a false Jew is disobedience, stubbornness, impatience. Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish - Alluding to Psalm lxxviii, xlix, "He cast upon them," the Egyptians. "the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble;" and finely intimating, that the Jews would in the day of vengeance be more severely punished than even the Egyptians were when God made their plagues so wonderful.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 8. But unto them, &c.]
Verse 8. But unto them, &c.]
2. He will manifest his indignation, and inflict wrath - punishment, on all who are contentious - who obstinately dispute against the truth, and obey unrighteousness - who act under the influence of the principle of sin, and not under the influence of the Spirit of God.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Rom 2:8-11. But unto them that are contentious —…
Rom 2:8-11. But unto them that are contentious — Like thee, O Jew, who thus fightest against God. The character of the unbelieving Jews was disobedience, stubbornness, and impatience. Mr. Locke thinks the original expression, οι δε εξ εριθειας, the contentions, here spoken of, are Jews who refused to obey the gospel. “But as the apostle is speaking of the punishment of the wicked Gentiles, as well as of the wicked Jews, εριθεια, contention, must be a vice common to both. Accordingly, εριθειαι, contentions, are mentioned among the works of the flesh, to which wicked men in general are addicted, Gal 5:20. And Suidas tells us, that εριθεια, contention, is η δια λογου φιλονεικια, contention by words, by keen disputing. Wherefore the contentious are persons who spread evil principles, and maintain them by keen disputings. This was the vice of many of the heathen, who disputed themselves into a disbelief of the plainest principles of morality, and argued even in support of atheism. Agreeably to this account of the contentious, the apostle represents them here as enemies of the truth, and as friends of unrighteousness.” — Macknight. Who obey not the truth — Both those who did not walk according to the light of nature, chap. Rom 1:18, and those who disobeyed the gospel, are here intended. The former, because, as truth is here opposed to unrighteousness, it must signify not only the truths discovered by revelation, but those likewise respecting religion and morality, which are discoverable by the light of nature, and which, among the heathen, were the only foundations of a virtuous conduct. The truth, as it is in Jesus, or the gospel, however, seems to be especially intended, this being styled, the truth of God, Rom 3:7; Rom 15:8; the word of truth, Eph 1:13, and elsewhere; the knowledge of it being the knowledge of the truth, 1Ti 2:4; 1Ti 4:3; the belief of it, the belief of the truth, 2Th 2:13; obedience to it, obedience to the truth, Gal 3:1; Gal 5:7; walking according to it, walking in the truth, 1Jn 2:4; the gospel itself being emphatically styled the truth, Eph 4:21; and to know it being to know the truth, 1Jn 2:21. This being so, they that are here said not to obey the truth seem to be especially, first, the unbelieving Jews, and, secondly, the Gentiles, who spake against the truth, and rejected it. And both these obeyed, and gave themselves up to error and falsehood; the Gentiles by changing the truth of God into a lie, Rom 1:25, and the Jews by adhering to their vain traditions, which made void the commands of God, supposing them to be derived from Moses, when they were indeed only the doctrines of men. But obey unrighteousness — Live in known sin; acting contrary to the clear dictates of reason and conscience. Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish — He seems to allude to Psa 78:49, He cast upon them, the Egyptians, the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and finely intimating that the Jews would, in the day of vengeance, be more severely punished than even the Egyptians were, when God made their plagues so wonderful. Upon every soul of man that doeth evil — That contradicts the light of his dispensation, or holds in unrighteousness the portion of truth made known to him. Of the Jew first — Here we have the first express mention of the Jews in this chapter. And it is introduced with great propriety. Their having been trained up in the true religion, and their having had Christ and his apostles first sent to them, were circumstances which placed them in the foremost rank of the criminals that obeyed not the truth.
It must be observed, however, that “in this and the following verse, the apostle, by using the most general expression possible, every soul of man, and by twice introducing the distribution of Jew and Greek, which, according to the ideas of the Jews, comprehended all mankind, (see note on chap. Rom 1:16,) has left his reader no room to doubt that he is discoursing of the judgment of all nations, of heathen as well as of Jews and Christians. Therefore, not only what he says of the punishments, but what he observes of the rewards to be distributed at that day, must be understood of the heathen, as well as of those who have enjoyed the benefit of revelation.”
Read full note →
We see also, by these two verses, (Rom 2:9-10,) and Rom 1:16, that the apostle carefully lays it down as a fundamental position that there was now, under the gospel, no other national distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles, save only a priority of right in the Jews to the offer of the gospel, and the allotment of rewards or punishments, according as they obeyed or not. But glory, (just opposite to wrath,) — From the divine approbation; honour, (opposite to indignation,) — By the divine appointment; and peace — Implying a secure and quiet possession of all good, now and for ever, opposed to tribulation and anguish. To every one that worketh good — Sincerely performs his duty to God and man; to the Jew first, &c. — To one as well as another. For there is no respect of persons with God — That is, in passing their final sentence, and in distributing rewards and punishments, he is determined by their real characters, and will reward every one according to his works, not according to their outward condition; such as their country, kindred, sex, dignity, office, wealth, and profession of religion. This declaration concerning God, as Judge, the apostle made to show the Jews their folly in expecting favour at the final judgment, because they had Abraham for their father, and were themselves members of God’s church. And it must appear the more important and seasonable, considering that the Jews thought no Israelite should be deprived of future happiness, whatever his faults had been; unless he were guilty of apostacy, idolatry, and a few other very enormous crimes. But this impartial and equitable proceeding at the final judgment is very consistent with God’s distributing to persons here advantages and opportunities of improvement, according to his own good pleasure.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Who are contentious - This expression usually denotes those…
Who are contentious - This expression usually denotes those who are of a quarrelsome or litigious disposition; and generally has reference to controversies among people. But here it evidently denotes a disposition toward God, and is of the same signification as rebellious, or as opposing God. They who contend with the Almighty; who resist his claims, who rebel against his laws, and refuse to submit to his requirements, however made known. The Septuagint use the verb to translate the Hebrew word מרה maarah, in Deu 21:20. One striking characteristic of the sinner is, that he contends with God, that is, that he opposes and resists his claims. This is the case with all sinners; and it was particularly so with the Jews, and hence, the apostle used the expression here to characterize them particularly. His argument he intended to apply to the Jews, and hence he used such an expression as would exactly describe them. This character of being a rebellious people was one which was often charged on the Jewish nation, Deu 9:7, Deu 9:24; Deu 31:27; Isa 1:2; Isa 30:9; Isa 65:2; Jer 5:23; Eze 2:8, Eze 2:5.
Do not obey the truth - Compare Rom 1:18. The truth here denotes the divine will, which is alone the light of truth (Calvin). It means true doctrine in opposition to false opinions; and to refuse to obey it is to regard it as false, and to resist its influence. The truth here means all the correct representations which had been made of God, and his perfections, and law, and claims, whether by the light of nature or by revelation. The description thus included Gentiles and Jews, but particularly the latter, as they had been more signally favored with the light of truth. It had been an eminent characteristic of the Jews that they had refused to obey the commands of the true God, Jos 5:6; Jdg 2:2; Jdg 6:10; 2Ki 18:12; Jer 3:13, Jer 3:25; Jer 42:21; Jer 43:4, Jer 43:7; Jer 9:13.
Read full note →
But obey unrighteousness - The expression means that they yielded themselves to iniquity, and thus became the servants of sin, Rom 6:13, Rom 6:16-17, Rom 6:19. Iniquity thus may be said to reign over people, as they follow the dictates of evil, make no resistance to it, and implicitly obey all its hard requirements.
Indignation and wrath - That is, these shall be rendered to those who are contentious, etc. The difference between indignation and wrath, says Ammonius, is that the former is of short duration, but the latter is a long continued remembrance of evil. The one is temporary, the other denotes continued expressions of hatred of evil. Eustathius says that the word “indignation” denotes the internal emotion, but wrath the external manifestation of indignation. (Tholuck.) Both words refer to the opposition which God will cherish and express against sin in the world of punishment.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain But unto them that are contentious, and do not…
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, &c.--referring to such keen and determined resistance to the Gospel as he himself had too painfully witnessed on the part of his own countrymen. (See Act 13:44-46; Act 17:5, Act 17:13; Act 18:6, Act 18:12; and compare Th1 2:15-16).
indignation and wrath--in the bosom of a sin-avenging God.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 8. Contentious—Who, instead of consenting to seek, (Rom_2:7,) raise…
8. Contentious—Who, instead of consenting to seek, (Rom_2:7,) raise factious cavils against the proposal.
Not obey the truth—Refuse to comply with the requirements of the true law of God as the result of their contentiousness.
Read full note →
Indignation and wrath—are rendered. These are the dispositions of the Divine mind toward them. (See note on Rom_1:18.) A period should be placed here, and Rom_2:9-10 form an independent sentence.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 8. contentious] Lit. out of partisanship, or factiousness; (the…
8. contentious] Lit. out of partisanship, or factiousness; (the same construction as “of the truth;” Joh_18:37). The phrase implies connexion and attachment; as here, “those who belong to, can be classed under the character of, the factious.”
The “faction” in question is that of the sinful soul against the humbling terms of the Divine peace and love. Cp. Rom_10:3 for a special example of this in the case of the Jews. A pointed, though not explicit, reference to Jewish opponents of the Gospel lies in the word here.
Read full note →
do not obey] The Gr. is sometimes rendered, “disbelieve.” In all cases, however, the resistance of the will is implied in it; the element of disobedience in unbelief towards God. See, for a suggestive example, Heb_4:6, compared with the history there referred to.
the truth] The revelation of the eternal reality of the glory of God. (See on Rom_1:18; Rom_1:25.) It is Truth, not in mere generality, but in that speciality which attaches to the Truth of truths. See, for an important parallel, 2Th_2:10; 2Th_2:12; where “the truth” and “unrighteousness” are contrasted, as here. See also Joh_8:32.
obey unrighteousness] Yielding the will to the impulse of sin; “having pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Th_2:12). Cp. Rom_6:6; Rom_6:16, &c.; Tit_3:3. “Unrighteousness” here, as often, means sin in its largest sense. All wrong, civil, social, moral, personal, overt, secret, violates the eternal rights, even when it least seems to touch temporal and human interests.
indignation and wrath] See on Rom_1:18 and Rom_2:5.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (8) But unto them . . .—The scholar will…
(8) But unto them . . .—The scholar will observe that in the original Greek the construction is changed. At the end of Rom_2:7 is an accusative “(he will render) eternal life;” here we have the nominative, “(there shall be) tribulation and anguish.”
That are contentious.—An error in the Authorised version through a wrong derivation of the word. Strictly, To those who act in the spirit of a hireling; hence, according to the secondary meaning of the word, “to those who act in a spirit of factiousness and self-seeking.” It is, however, quite possible that the mistaken derivation may have been current in St. Paul’s time, as it was, no doubt, somewhat later, from Origen downwards. St. Paul, it is true, distinguishes between the proper word for “contention” and that used here (e.g., in 2Co_12:20; Gal_5:20), but this would not exclude, it would rather seem to imply, not indeed a formal derivation, but some association of ideas. The shade of meaning will, perhaps, be expressed if we translate by some such word as “factiousness.” So in Php_1:16 (properly Php_1:17, the order of the clauses being reversed), “the one (the other) preach Christ of factiousness.”
Read full note →
Indignation and wrath.—The Greek equivalents for these two words are distinguished as the settled angry feeling from the passionate outbreak of anger.
The truth.—Here used in a moral sense, as almost equivalent to “rectitude,” “that which is right.” There is a tendency towards this meaning in Rom_1:18, “Who hold down the truth in unrighteousness,” though there “the truth” appears to mean rather “natural religion” in general. The ethical sense comes out clearly in Joh_3:21, “he that doeth truth,” opposed to “he that doeth evil.” These phrases, “obey the truth,” “obey unrighteousness,” in a plainer style, would be simply “do good,” “do evil.” It may be noted that St. Paul is fond of these quasi-personifications.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 8. But unto them. God rewards the righteous according…
8. But unto them. God rewards the righteous according to their works as described in verse 7; so also the wicked, as this verse describes. Contentious. Who seek their own way, instead of God's way, and contend against God. Do not obey the truth. God's law is truth. Sinners fight against God and “obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness.” This verse describes the character of the wicked. The next verse declares God's judgment upon them.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain 8. “To those who from self-seeking, and who obey…
8. “To those who from self-seeking, and who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be indignation and wrath.” These rewards and retributions have nothing whatever to do with church membership or its absence, but simply the character of each individual. You either become like God or Satan in this life. In the final judgment, all who truly and inwardly are like God, will go up and live with Him forever, while those who have lived for the world, Satan will claim as his own, since he is the god of this world (2Co 4:4).
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain but unto them that are factious, and obey not…
but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation [to those who, by steadfastly leading a life of work (which, as Olshausen observes, no man can do, according to Paul, save by faith in Christ), seek for glory (and the future state is one of unparalleled grandeur-- Joh_17:24 ; Rev_21:24 ), honor (and the future state is an honor; bestowed, though unmerited, as a reward-- Mat_25:23 ; Mat_25:40 ) and incorruption (which is also a prime distinction between the future and the present life-- 1Co_15:42 ), eternal life shall be given. But God's wrath and indignation shall be poured upon those who serve party and not God (and the Jews were continually doing this-- Mat_23:15 ; Gal_6:12-13 ), and obey not the truth ( Joh_8:31-32 ), but obey unrighteousness],
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
Though this section is speaking to the non-religious wicked person, Paul sums it up by stating both non-Jews and Jews are wicked before God.
Read full note →
self-seeking
"selfish" or "only concerned with what makes themselves happy"
disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness
These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second intensifies the first. (See: Parallelism)
wrath and fierce anger will come
The words "wrath" and "fierce anger" mean basically the same thing and emphasize God's anger. AT: "God will show his terrible anger" (See: Doublet)
wrath
Here the word "wrath" is a metonym that refers to God's severe punishment of wicked people. (See: Metonymy)
tribulation and distress on
The words "tribulation" and "distress" mean basically the same thing here and emphasize how bad God's punishment will be. AT: "awful punishments will happen to" (See: Doublet)
on every human soul
Here, Paul uses the word "soul" as a synecdoche that refers to the whole person. AT: "upon every person" (See: Synecdoche)
has practiced evil
"has continually done evil things"
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek
"God will judge the Jewish people first, and then those who are not Jewish people"
first
Possible meanings are 1) "first in order of time" or 2) "most certainly"
translationWords
disobey
true
righteous
wrath
anger
tribulation
soul
evil
Jew
Greek
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:8 Live for themselves translates a rare Greek word…
2:8 Live for themselves translates a rare Greek word (eritheia) that seems to convey the idea of selfish ambition or strife. Using this word, Aristotle scolded the politicians of his day for seeking public office for selfish gain rather than from a desire to serve the people (Aristotle, Politics 5.3; see also 2 Cor 12:20; Gal 5:20; Phil 1:17; 2:3; Jas 3:14, 16).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.