Romans 10:2
New International Version
For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

New Living Translation
I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

English Standard Version
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Berean Standard Bible
For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.

Berean Literal Bible
For I bear witness about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

King James Bible
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

New King James Version
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

New American Standard Bible
For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

NASB 1995
For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

NASB 1977
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

Legacy Standard Bible
For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Amplified Bible
For I testify about them that they have a certain enthusiasm for God, but not in accordance with [correct and vital] knowledge [about Him and His purposes].

Christian Standard Bible
I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

American Standard Version
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For I bear witness to them, that they do have zeal for God, but not by knowledge.

Contemporary English Version
I know they love God, but they don't understand

Douay-Rheims Bible
For I bear them witness, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

English Revised Version
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided.

Good News Translation
I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge.

International Standard Version
For I can testify on their behalf that they have a zeal for God, but it is not in keeping with full knowledge.

Literal Standard Version
for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge,

Majority Standard Bible
For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.

New American Bible
I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for God, but it is not discerning.

NET Bible
For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth.

New Revised Standard Version
I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened.

New Heart English Bible
For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Webster's Bible Translation
For I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

Weymouth New Testament
For I bear witness that they possess an enthusiasm for God, but it is an unenlightened enthusiasm.

World English Bible
For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Young's Literal Translation
for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Word Brings Salvation
1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation. 2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. 3Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.…

Cross References
Acts 21:20
When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

Romans 9:31
but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

Romans 10:1
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.

Romans 10:3
Because they were ignorant of God's righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.


Treasury of Scripture

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

I bear them.

2 Corinthians 8:3
For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

Galatians 4:15
Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

Colossians 4:13
For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

that they.

2 Kings 10:16
And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.

John 16:2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Acts 21:20,28
And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: …

but not.

Romans 10:3
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Romans 9:31,32
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness…

Psalm 14:4
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

Jump to Previous
Accordance Based Bear Desire Enlightened Enthusiasm Possess Record Strong Testify Testimony Witness Zeal Zealous
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Accordance Based Bear Desire Enlightened Enthusiasm Possess Record Strong Testify Testimony Witness Zeal Zealous
Romans 10
1. The difference between the righteousness of the law, and that of faith;
11. all who believe, both Jew and Gentile, shall not be shamed;
18. and that the Gentiles shall receive the word and believe.
19. Israel was not ignorant of these things.














(2) A zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.--It would be difficult to find a more happy description of the state of the Jews at this period. They had "a zeal for God." "The Jew," said Josephus, "knows the Law better than his own name . . . The sacred rules were punctually observed . . . The great feasts were frequented by countless thousands . . . Over and above the requirements of the Law, ascetic religious exercises advocated by the teachers of the Law came into vogue. . . . Even the Hellenised and Alexandrian Jews under Caligula died on the cross and by fire, and the Palestinian prisoners in the last war died by the claws of African lions in the amphitheatre, rather than sin against the Law. What Greek," exclaims Josephus, "would do the like? . . . The Jews also exhibited an ardent zeal for the conversion of the Gentiles to the Law of Moses. The proselytes filled Asia Minor and Syria, and--to the indignation of Tacitus--Italy and Rome." The tenacity of the Jews, and their uncompromising monotheism, were seen in some conspicuous examples. In the early part of his procuratorship, Pilate, seeking to break through their known repugnance to everything that savoured of image-worship, had introduced into Jerusalem ensigns surmounted with silver busts of the emperor. Upon this the people went down in a body to Caesarea, waited for five days and nights in the market-place, bared their necks to the soldiers that Pilate sent in among them, and did not desist until the order for the removal of the ensigns had been given. Later he caused to be hung up in the palace at Jerusalem certain gilded shields bearing a dedicatory inscription to Tiberius. Then, again, the Jews did not rest until, by their complaints addressed directly to the emperor, they had succeeded in getting them taken down. The consternation that was caused by Caligula's order for the erection of his own statue in the Temple is well known. None of the Roman governors dared to carry it into execution; and Caligula himself was slain before it could be accomplished.

Justice must be done to the heroic spirit of the Jews. But it was zeal directed into the most mistaken channels. Their religion was legal and formal to the last degree. Under an outward show of punctilious obedience, it concealed all the inward corruption described by the Apostle in Romans 2:17-29, the full extent of which was seen in the horrors of the great insurrection and the siege of Jerusalem.

Verses 2, 3. - For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God. For ζῆλον Θεοῦ, meaning zeal for God, cf. John 2:17; Acts 22:3; Galatians 1:14. The word ζῆλος was commonly used for the religious ardour of the Jews at that time (cf. Acts 21:20, Πάντες ζηλωταὶ τοῦ νόμου ὑπάρχουσι), and there was a faction among them called distinctively Ζηλωταὶ, to which Simon Zelotes (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) is supposed to have belonged originally. St. Paul's mention of the religious zeal of the Jews of his day is apposite in this place. In Romans 9:1-5, where he was about to speak of their rejection from the inheritance of the promises, he appropriately dwelt on their ancient privileges; here, where he has in view their own failure to respond to God's purpose for them, he as appropriately refers to their undoubted zeal, which he regrets should be misdirected. But not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of (ἀγνοοῦντες, in explanation of οὐ κατ ἐπίγνωσιν preceding) God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own (righteousness, repeated here, is ill supported), they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. For the meaning of God's righteousness, opposed to man's own righteousness, see on Romans 3:19, 20; also on Romans 1:17, and Introduction.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

I testify
μαρτυρῶ (martyrō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3140: To witness, bear witness, give evidence, testify, give a good report. From martus; to be a witness, i.e. Testify.

about them
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

they are
ἔχουσιν (echousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

zealous
ζῆλον (zēlon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2205: From zeo; properly, heat, i.e. 'zeal' (figuratively, of God), or an enemy, malice).

for God,
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

on the basis of
κατ’ (kat’)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).

knowledge.
ἐπίγνωσιν (epignōsin)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1922: From epiginosko; recognition, i.e. full discernment, acknowledgement.


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NT Letters: Romans 10:2 For I testify about them that they (Rom. Ro)
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