SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:21
T pues, que enseas a otro, ¿no te enseas a ti mismo? ¿T, que predicas que no se ha de hurtar, hurtas?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 2:21
Verse 21. Thou therefore] Dr. Taylor has paraphrased this and the three following verses thus: "What signify your pretensions to knowledge, and the office of teaching others, if you have no regard to your own doctrine? What are you the better for preaching against theft, if you are a thief yourself? Or for declaring adultery unlawful, if you live in the practice of it? Or for representing idolatry abominable, if you are guilty of sacrilege? What honours or singular favours do you deserve, if, while you glory in the law and your religious privileges, you dishonour God, and discredit his religion, by transgressing his law, and living in open contradiction to your profession? And this is more than supposition; notorious instances might be produced of the forementioned crimes, whereby the Jews of the present age have brought a reproach upon religion among the Gentiles; as well as those Jews of former times, of whom the Prophet Ezekiel speaks, Ezek. xxxvi. 23: And I will sanctify my great name, which was PROFANED among the HEATHEN, which ye have PROFANED in the midst of them." That the Jewish priesthood was exceedingly corrupt in the time of the apostle, and that they were so long before, is fully evident from the sacred writings and from Josephus. The high-priesthood was a matter of commerce, and was bought and sold like other commodities. Of this Josephus gives many instances. The rapine of Eli's sons descended to several generations. Dr. Whitby well observes that of all these things mentioned by the apostle the Jewish doctors were notoriously guilty; and of most of them they were accused by our Lord. 1. They said and did not; and laid heavy burdens upon others, which they would not touch with their own fingers, Matt. xxiii. 3, 4. 2. They made the house of God a den of thieves, Matt. xxi. 13; John ii. 16. 3. They were guilty of adultery by unjust divorces, Matt. xix. 9. 4. Their polygamy was scandalous: even their rabbins, when they came to any place, would exclaim, Who will be my wife for a day? As to idolatry, they were perfectly saved from it ever since the Babylonish captivity but to this succeeded sacrilege, as is most evident in the profanation of the temple, by their commerce transacted even within its courts; and their teaching the people that even their aged parents might be left to starve, provided the children made a present to the temple of that which should have gone for their support. According to Josephus, Bell. Jud. l. vi. c. 26, They were guilty of theft, treachery, adultery, sacrilege, rapine, and murder. And he adds, that new ways of wickedness were invented by them; and that of all their abominations the temple was the receptacle. In his Antiquities of the Jews, lib. xx. c. 8, he says: The servants of the high priests took away, by violence, the tithes of the priests, so that many of them perished for want of food. Even their own writers acknowledge that there were great irregularities and abominations among the rabbins. So Bereshith rabba, sect. 55, fol. li5: "Rabbi Abun proposed a parable concerning a master who taught his disciples not to pervert justice, and yet did it himself; not to show respect of persons, and yet did it himself; not to receive bribes, and yet received them himself; not to take usury, and yet took it himself. The disciple replied:-Rabbi, thou teachest me not to take usury, and yet thou takest it thyself! Can that be lawful to thee which is forbidden to me?"
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself ? etc..] Several charges are here brought against the Jews, even against their teachers; for though they are put by way of question, they are to be considered as so many assertions and matters of fact; thus, though they taught others, they did not teach themselves; they were blind leaders of the blind; they were ignorant of the law, of the spirituality of it; they were desirous to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they said, nor whereof they affirmed: they were ignorant of the righteousness of God, of whom they boasted; and of the more excellent things of Moses, and the prophets, they pretended to explain; and of the Messiah, of whom their prophecies so much spoke: and besides, what they did understand and teach, they did not practise themselves; than which nothing is more shameful, or more betrays stupidity and ignorance; for as they themselves say, he that teaches men, h[y al awh rbdb , that which he himself does not do, is like a blind man who has a lamp in his hand, and enlightens others, but he, himself walks in darkness.
And such teachers they own were among them. Beautiful (say they f26 ) are the words which come out of the mouths of them that do, them: Ben Assai was a beautiful preacher, but did not well observe; i.e., to do what he said. Thou that preach at a man should not steal, dost thou steal ? some understand this figuratively, of stealing, or taking away the true sense of the law, and putting a false one upon it; of which these men were notoriously guilty: but rather, it is to be understood literally, not only of the inward desires and motions of their minds after this sin, and of their consenting to, and conniving at theft and robbery, but of their doing it themselves; who, under pretence of long prayers, devoured widows' houses, ( Matthew 23:14 Mark 12:40 Luke 20:47), plundered and robbed them of their substance: no wonder that these men preferred Barabbas, a thief and a robber, to Jesus Christ.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 17-24 - The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sin they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vai pretensions. A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is the roo and sum of all religion. But proud, vain-glorious boasting in God, an in the outward profession of his name, is the root and sum of all hypocrisy. Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride A great evil of the sins professors is, the dishonour done to God an religion, by their not living according to their profession. Man despise their more ignorant neighbours who rest in a dead form of godliness; yet themselves trust in a form of knowledge, equally void of life and power, while some glory in the gospel, whose unholy live dishonour God, and cause his name to be blasphemed.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM ουν 3767 CONJ διδασκων 1321 5723 V-PAP-NSM ετερον 2087 A-ASM σεαυτον 4572 F-2ASM ου 3756 PRT-N διδασκεις 1321 5719 V-PAI-2S ο 3588 T-NSM κηρυσσων 2784 5723 V-PAP-NSM μη 3361 PRT-N κλεπτειν 2813 5721 V-PAN κλεπτεις 2813 5719 V-PAI-2S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. Thou that preachest (o khrusswn). See on Matt. iv. 17. Stealing is so gross a vice that one may openly denounce it.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:21 {Thou therefore that teachest another} (ho oun didask"n heteron). Paul suddenly breaks off (anacoluthon) the long sentence that began in verse #17 and starts over again with a phrase that gathers it all up in small compass (teachest) and drives it home (therefore) on the Jew (thyself). {Not to steal} (me kleptein). Infinitive with me in indirect command (indirect discourse) after keruss"n. {Dost thou steal?} (klepteis?). The preaching (kerusswn) was fine, but the practice? A home-thrust. {Should not commit adultery} (m moicheuein). Infinitive in direct command again after legwn. "The Talmud charges the crime of adultery upon the three most illustrious Rabbins" (Vincent).
