ROM 2:12 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ὅσοι
2. hosos
3. as many as
4. -
5. 37450
6. R····NMP
7. as_many_as
8. as_many_as
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105875
1. Γάρ
2. gar
3. For/Because
4. -
5. 10630
6. C·······
7. for
8. for
9. PS
10. Y60
11. 105876
1. ἀνόμως
2. anomōs
3. unlawfully
4. -
5. 4600
6. D·······
7. unlawfully
8. unlawfully
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105877
1. ἥμαρτον
2. hamartaō
3. sinned
4. -
5. 2640
6. VIAA3··P
7. sinned
8. sinned
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105878
1. ἀνόμως
2. anomōs
3. unlawfully
4. -
5. 4600
6. D·······
7. unlawfully
8. unlawfully
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105879
1. καί
2. kai
3. also
4. -
5. 25320
6. D·······
7. also
8. also
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105880
1. ἀπολοῦνται
2. apolluō
3. will be perishing
4. -
5. 6220
6. VIFM3··P
7. ˓will_be˒ perishing
8. ˓will_be˒ perishing
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105881
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105882
1. ὅσοι
2. hosos
3. as many as
4. -
5. 37450
6. R····NMP
7. as_many_as
8. as_many_as
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105883
1. ἐν
2. en
3. in
4. -
5. 17220
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105884
1. νόμῳ
2. nomos
3. law
4. -
5. 35510
6. N····DMS
7. law
8. law
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105885
1. ἥμαρτον
2. hamartaō
3. sinned
4. -
5. 2640
6. VIAA3··P
7. sinned
8. sinned
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105886
1. διά
2. dia
3. by
4. -
5. 12230
6. P·······
7. by
8. by
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105887
1. νόμου
2. nomos
3. law
4. -
5. 35510
6. N····GMS
7. law
8. law
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105888
1. κριθήσονται
2. krinō
3. will be being judged
4. -
5. 29190
6. VIFP3··P
7. ˓will_be_being˒ judged
8. ˓will_be_being˒ judged
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105889

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–16: The unbelieving hypocrite must change his thinking

In all of chapter two, Paul wrote as if to someone who disagreed with him. He used the singular “you” throughout the chapter. This form of teaching is called a “diatribe.” Only one person is talking (or writing), but it is as if two people are talking back and forth, asking and answering questions, making objections and responding. Using this diatribe, Paul rebuked those who judged others improperly. The person whom Paul spoke to here was not a believer. His evil deeds store up God’s wrath against him (2:5), and his sins will cause him to perish (2:12).

In this section, Paul addressed someone who judged others as bad but did the same things (2:1). God would punish such a person (2:2–3); it is according to what a person has done (2:6–11) and according to the knowledge of God that a person has (2:12–15).

Here are other possible headings for this section:

The person who does not believe and judges other people as bad yet does the same things

Hypocritical people who do not believe in Jesus

2:12a

All who sin apart from the law

¶ For/Because everyone who does not know the laws/rules of Moses has sinned against God
¶ Truly, many people do not know the laws/rules that God gave to Moses. All of them have done wrong against God,

The Greek begins with a conjunction that is usually translated as “for.” The BSB does not translate this conjunction. It introduces a reason or an explanation of what Paul said in 2:11. If it would be more natural in your language to translate this word, here are other ways to translate it:

Because

Here’s the reason: (GW)

Indeed

The fact is

All who sin: The word sin means “do wrong against someone,” either by breaking a law or going against what is expected to be done. Here it includes doing wrong against God.

apart from the law: This phrase describes people who do not use the Jewish law to rule their lives. This Jewish law is in the first five books of the Old Testament. It is sometimes called “the Law of Moses” (for example, Luke 2:22), because God gave these laws to Moses.

In some languages a literal translation would not refer to the Jewish law. If that is true in your language, indicate clearly which law this is. For example:

do not have the Law of Moses (GNT)

don’t know about God’s Law (GW)

You may want a footnote to explain where these laws are. Here is an example footnote:

This refers to the laws God gave Moses. They are in the first five books of the Old Testament.

2:12b

will also perish apart from the law,

and will also die in ruin without God judging them by those laws/rules.
so God will also destroy them because they sinned against God according to what they knew even without God judging them by the law of Moses.

will also perish apart from the law: This indicates that God will judge the non-Jews by what they know about God but not by the Jewish law. He will see that they are guilty of sinning against him, so they will experience death and destruction as punishment for their sins. Here are other ways to translate these words:

will also perish without the law (ESV)

will die without reference to the Law (JBP)

will perish outside the law (REB)

In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to include some implied information to explain the text. For example:

will also perish because they were guilty before God even if he judges them without using the law of Moses

will also perish because they sinned against God even without God judging them by the law of the Jews

perish: Here this word refers to dying but also implies destruction or ruin. Here are other ways to translate this word:

be destroyed (NLT)

die in ruin/destruction

2:12c

and all who sin under the law

Also,/And everyone who knows those laws/rules has sinned against God
Also,/And other people try to follow the laws/rules that God gave to Moses. All of them have done wrong against God,

under the law: This phrase describes people who use the Jewish law to rule their lives. Translate the word law so that it refers to the Jewish law here. You may want to:

Allow 2:12a–b to explain that it is the Jewish law and do not explain it again here. For example:
under that law
Translate it here as you did in 2:12a. For example:
have the law of Moses
know about God’s Law

2:12d

will be judged by the law.

and will have God judge them as guilty according to those laws.
and God will condemn them because they have not obeyed those laws.

will be judged by the law: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

God will judge them according to the law of Moses

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅσοι Γάρ ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον ἀνόμως καί ἀπολοῦνται καί ὅσοι ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον διά νόμου κριθήσονται)

For here indicates that what follows in [2:12–16](../02/12.md) gives the reason for the phrase “there is no favoritism with God” in the previous verse. Use a natural way in your language for indicating a reason. Alternate translation: [This is true because]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὅσοι & ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον

as_many_as & unlawfully sinned

Paul uses this phrase to refer to non-Jews, whom he calls “the Greek” in [2:9–10](../02/09.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [as many non-Jewish people as have sinned without the law]

Note 3 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

ἀνόμως & ἀνόμως & νόμῳ & νόμου

unlawfully & unlawfully & law & law

The word law is a singular noun that refers to a group of laws that God gave Israel by dictating them to Moses. See the discussion of this term in the General Notes for this chapter. Alternate translation: [without God’s laws … without God’s laws … God’s laws … God’s laws]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἀνόμως & ἀνόμως

unlawfully & unlawfully

Here, without the law refers to not knowing God’s law. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [without knowing God’s law] or [in ignorance of God’s law]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

καὶ ἀπολοῦνται

Here Paul uses perish to refer to eternal punishment in hell that occurs after physical death. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [will also be punished eternally] or [will also experience eternal punishment]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὅσοι ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον

as_many_as as_many_as in law sinned

Paul uses this phrase to refer to Jews, who are the people to whom God gave his law. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [as many Jewish people as have sinned with the law]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

διὰ νόμου κριθήσονται

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that “God” did it. Alternate translation: [God will judge by his law]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

διὰ νόμου

Here, by indicates that the law is the standard by which God will judge those who know his law. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [according to what the law requires] or [by what the law says]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.