Devine Scripture

Romans 2:4

What does Romans 2:4 mean?

A plain-English look at Romans 2:4 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Romans 2:4 means

Paul warns against despising God’s abundant goodness, forbearance, and patience by misunderstanding their purpose. God’s kindness is not permission to continue in sin; it is a gracious space given to lead a person to repentance. To presume upon that patience—treating delay as indifference or approval—betrays a hard heart. The true effect of encountering God’s goodness should be a turning from sin and a softening toward obedience. This verse reframes how to read God’s apparent slowness to judge: mercy invites change. The privilege of experiencing His patience carries responsibility; ignoring it increases guilt rather than lessening it.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, waiting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God's desire is to give you a change of heart?

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

or the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, dost thou despise? --not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation!

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and patience and longsuffering? Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness ofGod leads thee to repentance?

Context

Following the challenge of verse 3, Paul clarifies that God’s delayed judgment is not an escape hatch but a call to repentance. Verse 4 contrasts God’s posture of kindness with human misuse of it. The next verse (5) will show the tragic result of refusing this invitation: storing up wrath for the day of judgment. Thus verses 3–5 move from presumption to purpose to consequence, tightening the moral noose on hypocritical self-confidence.

v.3And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

v.4This passage

v.5but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Isaiah 30:18

    And therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for Jehovah is a God of justice; blessed are all they that wait for him.

  • Psalms 86:15

    But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

  • Ephesians 2:4

    but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

  • Ephesians 1:7

    in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

  • Colossians 1:27

    to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

  • Philippians 4:19

    And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

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