Romans 2:24 kjv
For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Romans 2:24 nkjv
For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written.
Romans 2:24 niv
As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Romans 2:24 esv
For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Romans 2:24 nlt
No wonder the Scriptures say, "The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you."
Romans 2 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 32:12 | "Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘He brought them out with evil intent...’?" | Moses' plea to God about His name among nations. |
| Num 14:15-16 | "Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations... will say..." | God's reputation intertwined with Israel's fate. |
| Deut 9:28 | "Otherwise the land from which You brought us would say, ‘Because the LORD was not able...’" | Fear of God's name being belittled by other nations. |
| 2 Sam 12:14 | "However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme..." | David's sin causes God's enemies to show contempt. |
| Isa 48:9-11 | "...for My name’s sake I delay My wrath; and for My praise I restrain it... I will not give My glory to another." | God acts to preserve His own honor and glory. |
| Isa 52:5 | "...My name is continually reviled all day long." | The primary Old Testament source for Romans 2:24. |
| Ezek 20:9, 14, 22 | "...I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations..." | God's action motivated by the need to protect His name. |
| Ezek 36:20-23 | "When they came to the nations... they profaned My holy name... And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name..." | Israel's actions profaned God's name among nations. |
| Dan 9:19 | "...for Your city and Your people are called by Your name." | God's people and city bear His name. |
| Mal 1:11 | "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations..." | Prophecy of God's future glory among all nations. |
| Matt 5:16 | "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father..." | Believers' good deeds bring glory to God. |
| Matt 23:3-4 | "They tie up heavy burdens... but they themselves are unwilling to move them..." | Jesus' condemnation of Pharisaic hypocrisy. |
| John 13:35 | "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." | Love as the distinguishing mark of true followers. |
| Rom 2:17-23 | "...you who boast in God... you who teach another, do you not teach yourself?..." | Immediate context: Paul's indictment of Jewish inconsistency. |
| 1 Cor 10:32 | "Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God..." | Caution against behavior that causes others to stumble. |
| Phil 2:14-16 | "Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent... among a crooked and twisted generation..." | Believers are to shine brightly and represent God well. |
| Col 4:5 | "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity." | Strategic conduct important for evangelistic impact. |
| 1 Tim 4:12 | "...be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." | Personal integrity as a testimony to others. |
| 1 Tim 6:1 | "Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled." | Specific instruction for respectful behavior to prevent reproach. |
| Tit 2:5 | "...that the word of God will not be dishonored." | Right living prevents bringing God's Word into disrepute. |
| 1 Pet 2:12 | "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that... they may see your good deeds and glorify God..." | Honorable behavior among unbelievers vindicates God. |
| 2 Pet 2:2 | "And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be blasphemed." | False teachings and actions bring truth into disrepute. |
Romans 2 verses
Romans 2 24 Meaning
Romans 2:24 articulates a critical indictment, stating that the name and very essence of God are subjected to slander and disrepute among non-Jewish nations. This dishonor is directly attributed to the inconsistent and hypocritical behavior of those who profess to know God's law but fail to live in accordance with its principles. The verse powerfully quotes the Old Testament, primarily from Isaiah 52:5, reinforcing the enduring biblical truth that the conduct of God's people directly impacts how the world perceives the divine.
Romans 2 24 Context
Romans chapter 2 forms a crucial part of the Apostle Paul's detailed argument in his letter, meticulously building a case for the universal sinfulness of humanity. Following his exposure of Gentile idolatry and immorality in Romans 1, Paul pivots in chapter 2 to address the Jewish people. He skillfully dismantles their assumed righteousness based on their possession of the Law, their knowledge of God, and their observance of external religious customs like circumcision. Verses 17-23 specifically enumerate the privileges and self-professed superior wisdom of the Jewish audience, contrasting them sharply with their actual moral failures – their hypocrisy in stealing, committing adultery, robbing temples, and dishonoring God's name through their transgressions. Romans 2:24 acts as the damning climax of this segment, conclusively demonstrating that the very people who claimed to illuminate others were, by their actions, casting a shadow of dishonor upon God Himself, providing fuel for the Gentiles to scorn the God of Israel.
Romans 2 24 Word analysis
- For (γάρ - gar): This Greek conjunction signals a causal connection or an explanation. It serves to elaborate on why the Jewish boasting and hypocrisy, detailed in Rom 2:17-23, culminate in God's name being blasphemed. It bridges the misbehavior with its severe consequence.
- "the name" (τὸ ὄνομα - to onoma): In biblical parlance, "the name" of God refers not merely to His title but encompasses His entire being, character, reputation, authority, and intrinsic glory. To profane "the name of God" is to defame, disgrace, or reduce the honor of God in His very essence, making Him appear insignificant or even evil to others.
- "of God" (τοῦ Θεοῦ - tou Theou): Specifies the object of blasphemy as the one true God, the Yahweh of Israel, whom the audience claimed allegiance to and boasted in. The direct targeting of His name underscores the gravity of the offense.
- "is blasphemed" (βλασφημεῖται - blasphemeitai): Derived from blasphemia, this verb in the passive voice denotes that God's name is being reviled, slandered, spoken against, or otherwise dishonored by external parties. It implies an active, observed defamation, a public discrediting of God that results from the actions of His professed followers. This action is a grave offense as it directly attacks God's honor.
- "among the Gentiles" (ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν - en tois ethnesin): Refers to "the nations" or non-Jewish peoples. This phrase identifies the specific audience among whom God's name is being blasphemed. It highlights the detrimental public relations effect of Israel's inconsistency, where their conduct serves as a negative testimony about God to the surrounding pagan world.
- "because of you" (δι' ὑμᾶς - di' hymas): This crucial phrase attributes direct responsibility. Literally "through you" or "on account of you," it points to the Jewish people themselves, the immediate recipients of Paul's critique, as the causal agent of this blasphemy. Their outward religiosity combined with inward moral corruption led Gentiles to disparage the God they claimed to represent.
- "as it is written" (καθὼς γέγραπται - kathos gegraptai): This standard introductory formula signals a quotation from the Old Testament. The perfect tense of grapho ("it stands written") emphasizes its enduring authority and truthfulness. This particular quote echoes Isa 52:5, but its theme is also reinforced by texts such as Ezek 36:20-23 and 2 Sam 12:14, illustrating a consistent Old Testament warning that the behavior of God's people affects His reputation among the nations. This demonstrates that Paul's accusation is rooted deeply in ancient covenantal expectations.
Romans 2 24 Bonus section
The quoted statement in Romans 2:24 serves as a vital bridge between the Old and New Covenants, emphasizing the unchanging divine concern for His holy name. The prophets, particularly Isaiah and Ezekiel, often spoke of Israel's exile as a consequence of their disobedience and a profaning of God's name among the nations who observed their humiliation. When Paul reintroduces this concept in the context of the Mosaic Law's custodians, he highlights that simply possessing the Law or being part of a chosen lineage does not guarantee favor. Instead, it places a greater responsibility to live consistently with that truth. The Gentiles were not merely observing "Jews," but observing "the people of the God of Israel." Thus, Israel's failures directly became God's perceived failures in the eyes of the nations. This principle transcends time and applies universally to all who bear the name of the Lord today. As the Church, our conduct profoundly affects whether the world sees God as glorious and true or as merely a hypocritical abstraction.
Romans 2 24 Commentary
Romans 2:24 powerfully unmasks the severe consequences of religious hypocrisy: the very name of God is maligned and slandered by the world due to the ungodly behavior of His professed followers. Paul draws upon long-standing Old Testament themes to deliver a damning indictment against the Jewish people of his time, who, despite possessing the Law and divine knowledge, failed to live righteously. Their inconsistency not only rendered their boasting empty but actively obstructed God's glory among the Gentiles. This verse underscores that a true relationship with God manifests not just in religious knowledge or outward rituals, but in lives that consistently honor Him. For all who claim Christ, it serves as an eternal warning: our integrity, or lack thereof, significantly impacts how unbelievers perceive the Lord we represent.