It may be interesting to note that whereas the Greek text has 17 words, the Good News Translation has 37 words in this verse. Moreover, in order to make this verse intelligible for the English reader, the Good News Bible has to restructure it rather radically. By placing the Good News Bible rendering of this verse side by side with that of the King James Version, a rather literal rendering, the reason for the restructuring can readily be seen.

The main impact of this verse is to remind the Jews that they will be condemned by the Gentiles, and so the Good News Translation isolates this main element and makes it into a separate sentence at the beginning of the verse. In the Greek you Jews is simply “you” (King James Version “thee”), while the Gentiles is literally “the uncircumcision.”

The first clause of verse 27 should not be interpreted as meaning that Gentiles themselves will condemn the Jews. It is the fact that the Gentiles obey the commands of the Law which serves as the basis for the Jews being condemned. This relationship may be expressed in some instances as “you Jews will be condemned because of the fact that the Gentiles themselves obey the commands of the Law.” This provides an excellent basis for the contrast which follows: while they obey the Law, even though….

Because you break the Law must be introduced in such a way as to show clear contrast—for example, “but as for you Jews, you break the Law” or “but in contrast, you Jews break the Law.”

The phrase “who through letter and circumcision” should be understood as in the Good News Translation, even though you have it (the Law) written down and are circumcised (see An American Translation* “although you have it in writing, and are circumcised”). Most modern translations (Jerusalem Bible, Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, Phillips, An American Translation*) render the phrase “uncircumcision which is by nature” in the sense of physically uncircumcised. The New English Bible (“uncircumcised in his natural state”) makes little sense, because all men, Jew and Gentile, are uncircumcised in their natural state. Paul’s reference is, of course, to the Gentiles who are not physically circumcised.

If it is necessary to change are circumcised into an active form, one may employ either of two different possibilities: a direct agent-action expression, “you circumcise one another,” or a type of substitute passive, “you receive circumcision” or “you receive cutting of the body.”

Physically circumcised may be rendered as “literally circumcised” or “but in the skin.”

Although the verb rendered will be condemned may have the more general meaning of “to judge” or “to pass judgment on,” in the present context the judgment is one of condemnation, and for that reason the Good News Translation makes this explicit (so also An American Translation*). The Jerusalem Bible states that “(the Gentile) is a living condemnation of the way you (the Jew) disobey the Law,” but in this context it would seem that Paul is referring to the final judgment, and for this reason the idea of “a living condemnation” seems to miss the point.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .