Romans 2:5

"Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"

Key Reflection

This verse warns against dismissing God's merciful provisions, such as His kindness and patient endurance, seeing them instead as mere gifts without recognizing their purpose—to lead sinners to a heart of repentance. It underscores that true goodness from God should not be squandered but embraced as a call to transformation.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 5. But after thy hardness. The word "after" here (kata) means, in respect to; or, you act according to the direct tendency of a hard heart in treasuring up wrath. The word hardness is used to denote insensibility of mind. It properly means that which is insensible to the touch, or on which no impression is made by contact, as a stone, etc. Hence it is applied to the mind, to denote a state where no motives make an impression; which is insensible to all the appeals made to it. See Mt 25:24; 19:8; Ac 19:9. And here it expresses a state of mind where the goodness and forbearance of God have no effect.

Related Verses

More from Romans 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion