ROM 2:18 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. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105985
1. γινώσκεις
2. ginōskō
3. are knowing
4. -
5. 10970
6. VIPA2··S
7. ˓are˒ knowing
8. ˓are˒ knowing
9. -
10. Y60; R105735
11. 105986
1. τό
2. ho
3. his
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····ANS
7. his
8. his
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105987
1. θέλημα
2. thelēma
3. will
4. -
5. 23070
6. N····ANS
7. will
8. will
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105988
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105989
1. δοκιμάζεις
2. dokimazō
3. are approving
4. -
5. 13810
6. VIPA2··S
7. ˓are˒ approving
8. ˓are˒ approving
9. -
10. Y60; R105735
11. 105990
1. τά
2. ho
3. the things
4. -
5. 35880
6. R····ANP
7. the ‹things›
8. the ‹things›
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105991
1. διαφέροντα
2. diaferō
3. carrying value
4. -
5. 13080
6. VPPA·ANP
7. carrying_value
8. carrying_value
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105992
1. κατηχούμενος
2. katēχeō
3. being instructed
4. -
5. 27270
6. VPPP·NMS
7. ˓being˒ instructed
8. ˓being˒ instructed
9. -
10. Y60; R105735
11. 105993
1. ἐκ
2. ek
3. out of
4. -
5. 15370
6. P·······
7. out_of
8. out_of
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105994
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105995
1. νόμου
2. nomos
3. law
4. -
5. 35510
6. N····GMS
7. law
8. law
9. -
10. Y60
11. 105996

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:17–29: The Jews and the law of Moses

In this section, Paul talked to the Jews about themselves. He continued to use the singular “you,” as in the previous section. This form of teaching is called a “diatribe.” (See Section 2:1–16.)

Using this diatribe, Paul rebuked the Jews because they had the law of Moses but they disobeyed it.

Paul showed them that an outward sign of religion is of no use to people if they did not do what is right. He told them that God praises those whose heart is right with God.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

God praises a changed heart

Truly following God comes from the heart

2:18a

if you know His will

and know what God wants to happen
and if you know what he desires to see happen,

if: The if from 2:17a affects this verse as well. So the BSB repeats the word here. Consider how to make that connection clear in your language. See the note on if at 2:17a.

know His will: This clause indicates that the Jews know what God wants to do and what he wants them and other people to do. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

know what he wants (NLT)

know what he wants you to do (NCV)

know the Lord’s desireUma Back Translation on TW.

2:18b

and approve of what is superior

and approve the things/ideas that are best
and call the great deeds best to do,

approve: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as approve:

It means approve here. Here the Greek word means “judge as good or genuine based on examination or testing.” (BSB, ESV, RSV, NIV, NET, NASB, KJV)
It means evaluate. Here the Greek word means “examine” or “test.” For example:
determine (NRSV) (NRSV, GNT, NJB, NABRE, NLT, GW)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because that fits the context best.Schreiner (page 130) says, “The two benefits in verse 18 are doubtless both to be construed positively.” Moo and Morris also support interpretation (1).

what is superior: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as superior:

It means something better. For example:
excellent (NIV) (BSB, ESV, RSV, NIV, NET, NCV, REB, KJV)
It means right (versus wrong). For example:
what is right (GNT) (GNT, NJB, NLT, CEV, GW)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because that fits the context best.Moo (on TW) translates this phrase as “those things that are best.” Morris and Schreiner also support interpretation (1).

General Comment on 2:18b

Following both first interpretations above, the clause indicates that the Jews call as good those deeds that God calls good. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

approve of what is excellent (ESV)

call important deeds good

2:18c

because you are instructed by the law;

because someone/others has/have taught the laws of Moses to you,

because: This word introduces the reason for the previous statement. Some languages need to put the reason first. If that is true in your language, reorder 2:18b–c to use “therefore.” For example:

^18cyou are instructed from the law, therefore ^18byou approve what is excellent

you are instructed by the law: There are several ways to translate the Greek word that the BSB translates as by. Here are the two main ones:

It means from here. The law is the source of the instruction. (GNT, NABRE, ESV, NET, NASB, KJV)
It means by here. This word indicates that the law itself is doing the instructing. For example:
you are instructed by the law (NIV) (BSB, NIV, NJB, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it seems likely that Paul would have used a different Greek word if he wanted to clearly indicate by.Paul used the Greek word ek (“out of, from”), although “by” (“impersonal means,” Wallace, page 432) is possible. But typically in a passive clause the Greek word hupo (“by”) or dia (“through”) to indicate, in this case, who is doing the instructing. Dunn, Witherington, and Lenski translate the Greek word as “from,” and Cranfield, Jewett, Alford, and Nicoll translate it as “out of.”

This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause here. For example:

others have instructed you from the law

someone has instructed you from the law

the law: This refers to the first five books of the Bible, but implies the rest of the Old Testament.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

καὶ γινώσκεις τὸ θέλημα, καὶ δοκιμάζεις τὰ διαφέροντα, κατηχούμενος ἐκ τοῦ νόμου,

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί γινώσκεις τό θέλημα καί δοκιμάζεις τά διαφέροντα κατηχούμενος ἐκ τοῦ νόμου)

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: [and because you are instructed from the law, you know his will and approve of what is excellent]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὸ θέλημα

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί γινώσκεις τό θέλημα καί δοκιμάζεις τά διαφέροντα κατηχούμενος ἐκ τοῦ νόμου)

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of will, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [what God wills]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

κατηχούμενος ἐκ τοῦ νόμου

˓being˒_instructed out_of the law

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. Alternate translation: [others having instructed you from the law]

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.