What Does Romans 2:4 Mean in the King James?
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
God’s patience is kindness in motion, drawing you toward a turn.
THE MEANING
God’s goodness reaches you now and leads you toward turning. His forbearance and slowness to heat make room for that movement. The verse presents patience as active care that is already at work in you.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
God’s patience can seem like indifference or permission to remain unchanged. Here it is goodness drawing you toward a turn.
THE ROOT
μετάνοια
metanoia
GROWS FROM
μετανοέω
metanoeō
to turn or change one’s mind; to reorient perception
“repentance” in this verse is metanoia. This word carries the sense of a turn in perception and direction. God’s goodness leads you into that turn, placing its beginning in the kindness reaching you now.
ALSO GROWS
metanoeō: to turn; change one’s mind
μετανοέω
The related verb gives the noun’s turning a movement: goodness leads you into a changed direction.
nous: mind; perception
νοῦς
This related word family connects turning with a shift in how you perceive.
μακροθυμία
makrothymia
GROWS FROM
μακρός (makros) + θυμός (thymos)
long heat; anger that is slow to flare
“longsuffering” in this verse is makrothymia. The word pictures anger taking a long time to flare. Here, God’s slowness to heat lets goodness keep drawing you toward a turn.
ALSO GROWS
makrothymeō: to be patient; to be slow to anger
μακροθυμέω
The related verb gives this patience a continuing, active quality.
thymos: anger; heat; intense impulse
θυμός
This is the heat that the word describes as slow to flare.
ἀνοχή
anochē
GROWS FROM
ἀνέχω
anechō
to hold up; bear; endure
Forbearance carries the sense of bearing with someone and holding back immediate response. In the verse, that restraint creates room for goodness to lead you toward turning.
ALSO GROWS
anechō: to hold up; bear; endure
ἀνέχω
This related verb reveals the bearing-with quality inside forbearance.
anochē: forbearance; restraint
ἀνοχή
The noun names the held-back response that leaves space for the turn the verse describes.
THE PATTERN
Divine kindness and slowness to anger hold open a path toward turning.
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.THE THREAD
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.The Greek word family for longsuffering appears alongside the word for turning in both verses. Together they show patience as the space in which turning can happen.
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