Romans 2 19

Romans 2:19 kjv

And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,

Romans 2:19 nkjv

and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

Romans 2:19 niv

if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,

Romans 2:19 esv

and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

Romans 2:19 nlt

You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.

Romans 2 verses

Romans 2 19 Meaning

Romans 2:19 presents the self-assurance of certain Jewish individuals, specifically the moralists among them, who believed their possession of the Law granted them a privileged status and a divine mandate to instruct Gentiles. They saw themselves as divinely appointed "guides" for those they considered spiritually "blind" (the non-Jewish world ignorant of God's Law) and a "light" to those "in the dark" (symbolizing the spiritual ignorance and moral corruption of the pagan world). This conviction underscored their pride in having the Mosaic Law, perceiving it as a unique revelation that placed them in a position of spiritual superiority and responsibility over others.

Romans 2 19 Context

Romans 2:19 falls within Paul's sustained argument in Romans 2, where he directly challenges the presumption of moral superiority among some Jewish people. Following his condemnation of the Gentiles' sinfulness in Romans 1, Paul pivots to show that possessing God's Law does not automatically make one righteous. Verses 17-20 specifically list the various claims and boasts made by Jewish individuals. They "rely on the Law" (v. 17), "boast in God" (v. 17), "know His will" (v. 18), "approve what is excellent" (v. 18), and "are instructed from the Law" (v. 18). Verse 19 encapsulates their confident self-perception as spiritual educators and exemplars, setting the stage for Paul's rhetorical trap in verses 21-24, where he exposes their hypocrisy by asking whether they actually live up to their self-proclaimed role. Historically, the Jewish people were indeed chosen by God to receive His Law and be a "light to the nations" (Isa 49:6), but their failure was in presuming that this election guaranteed personal righteousness or exempted them from judgment based on their conduct.

Romans 2 19 Word analysis

• and are confident (καὶ πεποίθας):

  • καὶ (kai): "And," connecting this statement to the previous boasts (v. 17-18). It indicates a cumulative self-assurance.
  • πεποίθας (pepoithas): Perfect active indicative of πείθω (peithō), meaning "to persuade" or "to be confident/trust." The perfect tense signifies a settled, established conviction or reliance. It implies a strong, almost arrogant, sense of conviction that is deeply ingrained in their self-perception, based on their privileged access to the Law. It highlights a presumption rather than a humble awareness of divine calling.

• that you yourself (σὺ σαυτόν):

  • σὺ (sy): "You" (singular), referring directly to the individual Jew Paul addresses.
  • σαυτόν (sauton): "Yourself" (reflexive pronoun), emphasizing that this confidence is self-generated and self-proclaimed. It highlights a subjective conviction rather than an objective reality affirmed by their actions or by God.

• are a guide (ὁδηγόν):

  • ὁδηγόν (hodēgon): Accusative of ὁδηγός (hodēgos), "a guide," "a leader of the way," or "an instructor." It carries the connotation of someone who shows the correct path, physically or morally/spiritually. In the context of the Law, this means one who imparts divine instruction and moral direction. This was a traditional role of a Rabbi or a Scribe in Judaism, emphasizing their belief in their superior knowledge and ability to teach others the Law.

• for the blind (τυφλῶν):

  • τυφλῶν (typhlōn): Genitive plural of τυφλός (typhlos), "blind." Here, it is used figuratively to denote spiritual blindness or ignorance. This primarily refers to the Gentiles who did not have the revealed Law of God, contrasting them with the Jews who possessed it. This implies a perception of spiritual deficit in the non-Jewish world that they felt uniquely qualified to remedy.

• a light (φῶς):

  • φῶς (phōs): "Light," symbolizing truth, revelation, knowledge, purity, and salvation. In the Old Testament, the Law itself is often referred to as light (Ps 119:105). For the Jewish person, possession of the Torah meant they carried the divine light that illuminated the way for humanity, a fulfillment of Israel's prophetic calling to be a light to the nations (Isa 49:6). However, Paul will soon challenge if they truly are this light in their conduct.

• for those who are in the dark (τοῖς ἐν σκότει):

  • τοῖς (tois): Dative plural definite article, "to those."
  • ἐν (en): "In," preposition indicating position or state.
  • σκότει (skotei): Dative singular of σκότος (skotos), "darkness." This term denotes spiritual ignorance, moral corruption, sin, and separation from God. It refers to the state of the pagan, idolatrous world described in Romans 1. Their claim to be "light" meant they saw themselves as illuminating this moral and spiritual gloom.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "confident that you yourself are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark": This entire phrase succinctly captures the immense religious self-confidence and presumed spiritual authority of certain Jewish individuals. It speaks to a deep-seated conviction of their inherent superiority due to their election and possession of the Law. It also highlights the two primary roles they ascribed to themselves: guiding the misguided (teacher) and illuminating the ignorant (source of divine truth). This self-perception, however, often became a source of spiritual pride and hypocrisy, as Paul immediately proceeds to demonstrate.

Romans 2 19 Bonus section

The rhetorical strategy employed by Paul in Romans 2, particularly leading up to verse 19 and its subsequent challenge (v. 21-24), is significant. He meticulously constructs the arguments by first indicting the Gentiles (Rom 1) and then turns the judgment directly onto the Jewish audience (Rom 2:1ff), challenging their core identity based on the Law and circumcision. The boasting described in v. 17-20 is not merely pride in having the Law, but an overconfidence in their status as Law-possessors and hence Law-doers, which they assume guarantees salvation or, at least, God's leniency. This reveals a misunderstanding of both God's impartial judgment and the true purpose of the Law itself, which was given to reveal sin, not to be a means of earning righteousness. Paul is dismantling a system of self-justification based on ethnic and religious privilege, paving the way for the doctrine of justification by faith for all, Jew and Gentile alike.

Romans 2 19 Commentary

Romans 2:19 concisely reveals the mindset of the confident Jewish person who relies on outward privilege rather than inner righteousness. It pinpoints their self-proclaimed status as divinely equipped teachers and moral exemplars to a world perceived as spiritually lost and morally depraved. While God did indeed intend for Israel to be a "light to the nations," their self-assurance here became a dangerous boast rooted in their possession of the Law, rather than its living application. This presumption leads Paul to highlight their eventual downfall, where those who boast in their ability to guide others fail to guide themselves (Rom 2:21-24). The verse functions as a setup for Paul to expose the hypocrisy inherent in claiming spiritual superiority without living out the demands of the Law they profess. True guidance and light come from a changed heart and obedient living, not merely from possessing religious knowledge or status.

• Example: A church leader confidently teaches strict biblical principles but secretly engages in unethical business practices, thus dishonoring the very principles he preaches.
• Example: Someone with deep theological knowledge points out the spiritual errors of others but fails to demonstrate humility or love in their own life, becoming a source of division rather than light.