Charles Ellicott Commentary Romans 2:17

"But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God," — Romans 2:17 (ASV)

Behold.—An interesting case of a corrupt reading that has found its way into the Authorized Version. Instead of “behold,” a decisive consensus of the best manuscripts has “but if.” The corruption was very obvious and easy. Adopting “but if,” the answering clause of the sentence is to be found in the question, Teachest thou not thyself? (Romans 2:21). The connecting particle “therefore” at the beginning of the same verse is merely resumptive, or, as it is technically called, “epanaleptic.”

Turning to the Jew, the Apostle breaks out into an indignant and vehement apostrophe: “If you have the name of Jew, and rest upon the Law, and make your boast in God, and do all these other things—why then, while you profess to teach others, do you not teach yourself?” This is a fine specimen of the natural eloquence that the Apostle derives from intense feeling. The different features of the picture crowd into his mind to point out the contrast between what the Jew claimed to be and what he was.

Restest in.—You rest or rely upon a law. A passive confidence in something external. “In the Law the Jew saw the Magna Carta that gave him his assurance of salvation” (Meyer).

Makest thy boast of God—that is, of a peculiar and exclusive claim to His favor (Psalms 147:19–20).