The Meaning of Romans 2:24 Explained

Romans 2:24

KJV: For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

YLT: for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written.

Darby: For the name of God is blasphemed on your account among the nations, according as it is written.

ASV: For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  the name  of God  is blasphemed  among  the Gentiles  through  you,  as  it is written. 

What does Romans 2:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Romans 2:21-29 - He Requires Heart-Obedience
The Jew relied upon the position given him by the privileges and rites of Judaism, although his religious life, as such, had shrunk within these outward things, as a seed rattles in its pod. The Apostle's argument is meant to show that personal irreligion and unbelief will neutralize all the benefit that outward rites might promise; while humble faith will compensate for any disadvantage which might result from heathen origin and environment.
The Jew will become as a Gentile, unless he have the spiritual counterpart to outward rites, while Gentiles will become as the Chosen People of God, if they have that separation of soul and life which was set forth in the initial rite of the Jew. See Colossians 2:11. The mere outward rite does not constitute sonship to Abraham; and he who has never undergone it, but by faith has put away all filthiness of flesh and spirit, is entitled to all the promises made to Abraham and his seed. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 2

1  No excuse for sin
6  No escape from judgment
14  Gentiles cannot;
17  nor Jews

Greek Commentary for Romans 2:24

Because of you [δι υμας]
Free quotation from the lxx of Isaiah 52:5. The Jews were jealous for the Name of God and would not pronounce the Tetragrammaton and yet acted so that the Gentiles blasphemed that Name. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 2:24

Galatians 4:24 Are an allegory [ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα]
N.T.oLit. are allegorised. From ἄλλο another ἀγορεύειν tospeak. Hence, things which are so spoken as to give a different meaning from that which the words express. For parable, allegory, fable, and proverb, see on Matthew 13:3. An allegory is to be distinguished from a type. An O.T. type is a real prefiguration of a N.T. fact, as the Jewish tabernacle explained in John href="/desk/?q=joh+3:14&sr=1">John 3:14. Comp. Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 10:6, 1 Corinthians 10:11. An allegory exhibits figuratively the ideal character of a fact. The type allows no latitude of interpretation. The allegory lends itself to various interpretations. This passage bears traces of Paul's rabbinical training. At the time of Christ, Scripture was overlaid with that enormous mass of rabbinic interpretation which, beginning as a supplement to the written law, at last superseded and threw it into contempt. The plainest sayings of Scripture were resolved into another sense; and it was asserted by one of the Rabbis that he that renders a verse of Scripture as it appears, says what is not true. The celebrated Akiba assumed that the Pentateuch was a continuous enigma, and that a meaning was to be found in every monosyllable, and a mystical sense in every hook and flourish of the letters. The Talmud relates how Akiba was seen by Moses in a vision, drawing from every horn of every letter whole bushels of decisions. The oral laws, subsequently reduced to writing in the Talmud, completely overshadowed and superseded the Scriptures, so that Jesus was literally justified in saying: “Thus have ye make the commandment of God of none effect through your tradition.” Paul had been trained as a Rabbi in the school of Hillel, the founder of the rabbinical system, whose hermeneutic rules were the basis of the Talmud. As Jowett justly says: “Strange as it may at first appear that Paul's mode of interpreting the Old Testament Scriptures should not conform to our laws of logic or language, it would be far stranger if it had not conformed with the natural modes of thought and association in his own day.” His familiarity with this style of exposition gave him a real advantage in dealing with Jews. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is a much-mooted question whether, in this passage, Paul is employing an argument or an illustration. The former would seem to be the case. On its face, it seems improbable that, as Dr. Bruce puts it: “it is poetry rather than logic, meant not so much to convince the reason as to captivate the imagination.” Comp. the argument in Galatians 3:16, and see note. It appears plain that Paul believed that his interpretation actually lay hidden in the O.T. narrative, and that he adduced it as having argumentative force. Whether he regarded the correspondence as designed to extend to all the details of his exposition may be questioned; but he appears to have discerned in the O.T. narrative a genuine type, which he expanded into his allegory. For other illustrations of this mode of treatment, see Romans 2:24; Romans 9:33; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Corinthians 9:10; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. [source]

1 Timothy 1:13 Blasphemer [βλασπημον]
Old word either from βλαχ — blax (stupid) and πημη — phēmē speech, or from βλαπτω — blaptō to injure. Rare in N.T. but Paul uses βλασπημεω — blasphēmeō to blaspheme in Romans 2:24. [source]
1 Timothy 6:1 Their own masters [τους ιδιους δεσποτας]
That is always where the shoe pinches. Our “despot” is this very Greek word, the strict correlative of slave See Romans 2:24. If the heathen could say that Christian slaves were not as dependable as non-Christian slaves. Negative purpose with ινα μη — hina mē and present passive subjunctive (βλασπημηται — blasphēmētai). [source]
1 Timothy 6:1 The name of God [το ονομα του τεου]
See Romans 2:24. If the heathen could say that Christian slaves were not as dependable as non-Christian slaves. Negative purpose with ινα μη — hina mē and present passive subjunctive (βλασπημηται — blasphēmētai). [source]
1 Timothy 1:13 Though I was [οντα]
Concessive participle agreeing with με — me Blasphemer (βλασπημον — blasphēmon). Old word either from βλαχ — blax (stupid) and πημη — phēmē speech, or from βλαπτω — blaptō to injure. Rare in N.T. but Paul uses βλασπημεω — blasphēmeō to blaspheme in Romans 2:24. Persecutor So far found only here. Probably made by Paul from διωκω — diōkō which he knew well enough (Acts 22:4, Acts 22:7; Acts 26:14.; Galatians 1:13, Galatians 1:23; Philemon 3:6; 2 Timothy 3:12). Injurious (υβριστην — hubristēn). Substantive, not adjective, “an insolent man.” Old word from υβριζω — hubrizō in N.T. only here and Romans 1:30. I obtained mercy First aorist passive indicative of ελεεω — eleeō old verb. See 2 Corinthians 4:1; Romans 11:30. Ignorantly (αγνοων — agnoōn). Present active participle of αγνοεω — agnoeō “not knowing.” Old verb (Romans 2:4). In a blindness of heart. In unbelief See Romans 11:20, Romans 11:25. [source]
Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in, etc. [ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ]
Const. again with bringeth in. “When he a second time bringeth the first-begotten into the world.” Referring to the second coming of Christ. Others explain again as introducing a new citation as in Hebrews 1:5; but this would require the reading πάλιν δὲ ὅταν andagain, when. In Hebrews, πάλιν , when joined to a verb, always means a second time. See Hebrews 5:12; Hebrews 6:1, Hebrews 6:2. It will be observed that in this verse, and in Hebrews 5:7, Hebrews 5:8, God is conceived as spoken of rather than as speaking; the subject of λέγει saithbeing indefinite. This mode of introducing citations differs from that of Paul. The author's conception of the inspiration of Scripture leads him to regard all utterances of Scripture, without regard to their connection, as distinct utterances of God, or the Holy Spirit, or the Son of God; whereas, by Paul, they are designated either as utterances of Scripture in general, or of individual writers. Very common in this Epistle are the expressions, “God saith, said, spake, testifieth,” or the like. See Hebrews 2:11, Hebrews 2:13; Hebrews 3:7; Hebrews 4:4, Hebrews 4:7; Hebrews 7:21; Hebrews 10:5, Hebrews 10:8, Hebrews 10:15, Hebrews 10:30. Comp. with these Romans 1:17; Romans 2:24; Romans 4:17; Romans 7:7; Romans 9:13; Romans 10:5, Romans 10:16, Romans 10:20, Romans 10:21; Romans 11:2. Ὅταν εἰσαγάγῃ wheneverhe shall have brought. The event is conceived as occurring at an indefinite time in the future, but is viewed as complete. Comp. John 16:4; Acts 24:22. This use of ὅταν with the aorist subjunctive never describes an event or series of events as completed in the past. [source]
Revelation 16:9 With great heat [καυμα μεγα]
Cognate accusative retained with the passive verb. Old word (from καιω — kaiō to burn), in N.T. only Revelation 7:16 and here. For blaspheming the name of God see Revelation 13:6; James 2:7; Romans 2:24; 1 Timothy 6:1. They blamed God for the plagues.They repented not (ου μετενοησαν — ou metenoēsan). This solemn negative aorist of μετανοεω — metanoeō is a refrain like a funeral dirge (Revelation 9:20.; Revelation 16:11). In Revelation 11:13 some did repent because of the earthquake. Even deserved punishment may harden the heart.To give him glory Second aorist active infinitive of διδωμι — didōmi almost result. For the phrase see Revelation 11:13; Revelation 14:7; Revelation 19:7. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 2:24 mean?

- For [The] name - of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles as it has been written
τὸ γὰρ Ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ δι’ ὑμᾶς βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καθὼς γέγραπται

τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ὄνομα  [The]  name 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄνομα  
Sense: name: univ.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
δι’  through 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
βλασφημεῖται  is  blasphemed 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: βλασφημέω 
Sense: to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme.
ἔθνεσιν  Gentiles 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Plural
Root: ἔθνος  
Sense: a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together.
γέγραπται  it  has  been  written 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.