Teks -- Romans 2:14 (NET)

2:14 For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Rom 2:14 - That have no law

That have no law ( ta mē nomon echonta ).

Better, "that have not the law"(the Mosaic law).

Robertson: Rom 2:14 - By nature

By nature ( phusei ).

Instrumental case of phusis , old word from phuō , to beget. The Gentiles are without the Mosaic law, but not without some knowledge of God in conscience and when they do right "they are a law to themselves"(heautois eisin nomos ). This is an obvious reply to the Jewish critic.

Vincent: Rom 2:14 - When

When ( ὅταν )

Lit., whenever , supposing a case which may occur at any time.

Vincent: Rom 2:14 - The Gentiles

The Gentiles

Rev., properly, Gentiles . There is no article. Not the Gentiles collectively, but Gentiles among whom the supposed case occurs.

Vincent: Rom 2:14 - Which have not the law

Which have not the law ( τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα )

The μὴ not negatives the possession of the law . Rev., which have no law .

Vincent: Rom 2:14 - Having not the law

Having not the law ( νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες )

Here μὴ not negatives the possession of the law. Rev., having no law . It is difficult to indicate the proper emphasis in the English text, since the use of italics is limited to words not in the original.

Wesley: Rom 2:14 - For when the gentiles

That is, any of them. St. Paul, having refuted the perverse judgment of the Jews concerning the heathens, proceeds to show the just judgment of God against them. He now speaks directly of the heathens, in order to convince the heathens. Yet the concession he makes to these serves more strongly to convince the Jews.

Wesley: Rom 2:14 - Do by nature

That is, without an outward rule; though this also, strictly speaking, is by preventing grace.

Wesley: Rom 2:14 - The things contained in the law

The ten commandments being only the substance of the law of nature. These, not having the written law, are a law unto themselves - That is, what the law is to the Jews, they are, by the grace of God, to themselves; namely, a rule of life.

JFB: Rom 2:13-15 - For not the hearers, &c.

As touching the Jews, in whose ears the written law is continually resounding, the condemnation of as many of them as are found sinners at the last involves no difficulty; but even as respects the heathen, who are strangers to the law in its positive and written form--since they show how deeply it is engraven on their moral nature, which witnesses within them for righteousness and against iniquity, accusing or condemning them according as they violate or obey its stern dictates--their condemnation also for all the sin in which they live and die will carry its dreadful echo in their own breasts.

Clarke: Rom 2:14 - For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, etc.

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, etc. - Nor does it follow that the Gentiles who have not had a Divine revelation, shall either perish, because they had it not; or their unrighteous conduct pass unpunished, because not having this revelation might be considered as an excuse for their sins

Clarke: Rom 2:14 - Do by nature the things contained in the law

Do by nature the things contained in the law - Do, without this Divine revelation, through that light which God imparts to every man, the things contained in the law - act according to justice, mercy, temperance and truth, the practice of which the revealed law so powerfully enjoins; these are a law unto themselves - they are not accountable to any other law, and are not to be judged by any dispensation different from that under which they live

Rabbi Tanchum brings in the Supreme Being as saying: When I decreed any thing against the Gentiles, to whom I have not given laws and statutes, and they know what I have decreed; immediately they repent; but the Israelites do not so. Tanchum, fol. 43. 2.

Calvin: Rom 2:14 - NO PHRASE

14.=== For when the Gentiles, === etc. He now states what proves the former clause; for he did not think it enough to condemn us by mere assertion, and only to pronounce on us the just judgment of God; but he proceeds to prove this by reasons, in order to excite us to a greater desire for Christ, and to a greater love towards him. He indeed shows that ignorance is in vain pretended as an excuse by the Gentiles, since they prove by their own deeds that they have some rule of righteousness: for there is no nation so lost to every thing human, that it does not keep within the limits of some laws. Since then all nations, of themselves and without a monitor, are disposed to make laws for themselves, it is beyond all question evident that they have some notions of justice and rectitude, which the Greeks call preconceptions προληψεις, and which are implanted by nature in the hearts of men. They have then a law, though they are without law: for though they have not a written law, they are yet by no means wholly destitute of the knowledge of what is right and just; as they could not otherwise distinguish between vice and virtue; the first of which they restrain by punishment, and the latter they commend, and manifest their approbation of it by honoring it with rewards. He sets nature in opposition to a written law, meaning that the Gentiles had the natural light of righteousness, which supplied the place of that law by which the Jews were instructed, so that they were a law to themselves. ⁷²

TSK: Rom 2:14 - which // do by // are a law

which : Rom 2:12, Rom 3:1, Rom 3:2; Deu 4:7; Psa 147:19, Psa 147:20; Act 14:16, Act 17:30; Eph 2:12

do by : Rom 2:27, Rom 1:19, Rom 1:20; 1Co 11:14; Phi 4:8

are a law : Rom 2:12, Rom 1:32

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Rom 2:14 - Do by nature // Are a law unto themselves

Here he preoccupates the Gentiles’ plea. They might object, that having not the law, they could not transgress, nor be culpable in judgment: see Rom 4:15 . To this he says, that though they had not the law written in tables of stone, as the Jews had, yet they had a law written in their hearts, which was a copy or counterpart of the other, and had in a manner the effects of it; for thereby they were instructed to do well, and debarred from doing evil, which are the two properties of all laws.

Do by nature nature is opposed to Scripture and special revelation: by the direction of the law, and light of nature, they did many things which the law of Moses commanded, and forbore many things which it forbade.

Are a law unto themselves i.e. they have in themselves such principles of reason and rules of equity, as are to them instead of a law, prescribing what they ought to do and avoid.

Haydock: Rom 2:14-15 - When the Gentiles...do by nature

When the Gentiles...do by nature, or naturally, that is, without having received any written law, these men are a law to themselves, and have it written in their hearts, as to the existence of a God, and their reason tells them, that many sins are unlawful: they may also do some actions that are morally good, as by giving alms to relieve the poor, honouring their parents, &c. not that these actions, morally good, will suffice for their justification of themselves, or make them deserve a supernatural reward in the kingdom of heaven; but God, out of his infinite mercy, will give them some supernatural graces, by which they come to know, and believe, that he will reward their souls for eternity. Such, says St. John Chrysostom, were the dispositions of Melchisedech, Job, Cornelius the Centurion, &c. (Witham)

Gill: Rom 2:14 - For when the Gentiles which have not the law // do by nature the things contained in the law // these having not the law // are a law to themselves

For when the Gentiles which have not the law,.... The objection of the Gentiles against their condemnation, taken from their being without the law, is here obviated. The apostle owns that they had not the law, that is, the written law of Moses, and yet intimates that they had, and must have a law, against which they sinned, and so deserved punishment, and which they in part obeyed; for these men

do by nature the things contained in the law. The matter and substance of the moral law of Moses agrees with the law and light of nature; and the Gentiles in some measure, and in some sort, did these things by nature; not that men by the mere strength of nature without the grace of God, can fulfil the law, or do anything that is acceptable to God; and indeed, what these men did was merely natural and carnal, and so unacceptable to God. Some understand this of nature assisted by grace, in converted Gentiles, whether before or after the coming of Christ; others expound the phrase, by nature, freely, willingly, in opposition to the servile spirit of the Jews, in their obedience to the law; though it rather seems to design the dictates of natural reason, by which they acted: and so

these having not the law, the written law,

are a law to themselves; which they have by nature and use, and which natural reason dictates to them. So Plato distinguishes the law

"into written and un written ^q: the written law is that which was used in commonwealths; and that κατα εθη γινομενος, "which was according to custom or nature", was called unwritten, such as not to go to market naked, nor to be clothed with women's clothes; which things were not forbidden by any law, but these were not done because forbidden by the unwritten law;''

which he calls "unwritten", because not written on tables, or with ink; otherwise it was written in their minds, and which by nature and use they were accustomed to.