What Does Romans 2:8 Mean in the King James?

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Romans 2:8 · KJV

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

The verse exposes two sides of one allegiance: truth is resisted while injustice is granted your assent.

THE MEANING

The verse names a live possibility in you: self-seeking contention resists what is true while yielding to what is unjust. That allegiance has a stated consequence, indignation and wrath.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that refusing truth leaves you neutral: the refusal is paired with yielding to injustice.

THE ROOT

ἀπειθοῦσι

apeithousi

GROWS FROM

πειθ-

peith-

To persuade or win assent; in the middle form, to be persuaded and so comply.

“do not obey / obey” in this verse is apeithousi. The two phrases use related forms of the same Greek word family: truth is refused, while injustice receives assent. “Obey” here carries the deeper sense of what has persuaded you enough to shape your allegiance.

ALSO GROWS

peithomai: Be persuaded; comply, obey.

πείθομαι

This middle form appears in “obey unrighteousness,” showing injustice as something the person yields to.

apeitheō: Refuse persuasion; disobey.

ἀπειθέω

This form appears in “do not obey the truth,” making the contrast a refusal of truth alongside assent to injustice.

THE PATTERN

Yielding is never neutral: what you obey shapes your allegiance and bears its fruit.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:16 · KJVThe verse makes explicit that what receives your obedience determines the path and its outcome.

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Galatians 5:7 · KJVThe question treats obedience to truth as a real turning point in the course you are running.

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Proverbs 1:31 · KJVThe verse shows a chosen way returning as its own fruit.

THE THREAD

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Galatians 5:7 · KJV

Galatians uses the same Greek word family for being persuaded by truth. Romans sets refusal of truth beside surrender to injustice, revealing that what persuades you becomes an allegiance.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us