27 Won't the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law?
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
By the letter and circumcision, etc. A construction [1] which means a literal circumcision. He does not mean that they violated the law, because they had the literal circumcision; but because they continued, though they had the outward rite, to neglect the spiritual worship of God, even piety, justice, judgment, and truth, which are the chief matters of the law. [2]
1 - Hypallage, substitution, a figure of speech, by which a noun or an adjective is put in a form different from its obvious import. -- Ed
2 - The rendering of this clause is rather obscure, "who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law." The preposition, dia, has no doubt the meaning of en or sun, as in some other passages, as in Romans 4:11, di akrobustias -- in uncircumcision, and in Romans 8:25, di upomonos -- in or with patience. Then the version should be, "who, being with, or having, the letter and circumcision, dost transgress the law." The "letter" means the written law. That this is the meaning is evident from the context. Both Grotius and Macknight give the same construction. It is better to take "letter," i.e., the law, and "circumcision" separate, than to amalgamate them by a rhetorical figure, as is done by Calvin and others. Hodge justly says, that this is "more suited to the context, as nothing is said here of spiritual circumcision." The word gramma, letter, has various meanings -- 1. What is commonly called letter, the character, Luke 23:38, -- 2. What is written, a bond or contract, Luke 16:6; -- 3. In the plural, letters, epistles, Acts 28:21; -- 4. The written law, as here, and in the plural, the Old Testament Scriptures, 2-Timothy 3:15; -- 5. What is conveyed by writing, learning, John 7:15; Acts 26:24; -- and, 6. The outward performance of the law, it being written, as opposed to what is spiritual or inward, as in the last verse of this chapter, and in 2-Corinthians 3:6. -- Ed
Which is by nature - Which is the natural state of man; his condition before he is admitted to any of the unique rites of the Jewish religion.
If it fulfil the law - If they who are uncircumcised keep the Law.
Judge thee - Condemn thee as guilty. As we say, the conduct of such a man condemns us. He acts so much more consistently and uprightly than we do, that we see our guilt. For a similar mode of expression, see Matthew 12:41-42.
Who by the letter - The translation here is certainly not happily expressed. It is difficult to ascertain its meaning. The evident meaning of the original is, "Shall not a pagan man who has none of your external privileges, if he keeps the law, condemn you who are Jews; who, although you have the letter and circumcision, are nevertheless transgressors of the law? '
The letter - The word "letter" properly means the mark or character from which syllables and words are formed. It is also used in the sense of writing of any kind Luke 16:6-7; Acts 28:21; Galatians 6:11, particularly the writings of Moses, denoting, by way of eminence, the letter, or the writing; Romans 7:6; 2-Timothy 3:15.
And shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature - And shall not the Gentile, who is εκ φυσεως, according to the custom of his country - who is, by birth, not obliged to be circumcised.
If it fulfill the law - If such a person act according to the spirit and design of the law; judge κρινει condemn thee, who, whilst thou dost enjoy the letter, the written law, and bearest in thy body the proof of the circumcision which it requires, dost transgress that law?
And shall not (s) uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the (t) letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
(s) He who is uncircumcised by nature and race.
(t) Paul often contrasts the letter against the Spirit: but in this place, the circumcision which is according to the letter is the cutting off of the foreskin, but the circumcision of the Spirit is the circumcision of the heart, that is to say, the spiritual result of the ceremony is true holiness and righteousness, by which the people of God are known from profane and heathen men.
And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature,.... That is, the Gentiles, who are by nature uncircumcised; for as circumcision was by the command of God, and performed by the art of men, uncircumcision is by nature, and what men naturally have. Now
if it, such persons,
fulfil the law in Christ, they will
judge thee, the circumcision: and condemn, as Noah condemned the old world, Hebrews 11:7, and the men of Nineveh and the queen of the south will condemn the men of that generation, in which Christ lived, Matthew 12:41.
Who by the letter and circumcision transgress the law; that is, either by the law, which is "the letter", and "by circumcision", or "by circumcision which is in the letter", Romans 2:29, sin being increased by the prohibitions of the moral law, and the rituals of the ceremonial law, and the more so by a dependence upon an obedience to either of them, or both, for justification.
Yea, the uncircumcision that is by nature - Those who are, literally speaking, uncircumcised. Fulfilling the law - As to the substance of it. Shall judge thee - Shall condemn thee in that day. Who by the letter and circumcision - Who having the bare, literal, external circumcision, transgressest the law.
*More commentary available at chapter level.