2:17 {8} Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
(8) He proves by the testimony of David, and the other prophets, that God bestows greatest benefits upon the Jews, in giving them also the law, but that they are the most unthankful and unkind of all men.
2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew. Already, Paul has shown that all men, Jew or Gentile, will be judged according to their deeds, whether they have the law or not (Ro 2:1-16). Now he applies the argument directly to the Jew, in order to show his need of the gospel as well as the Gentile. Ro 2:17-20 state what the Jew claimed for himself.
Called a Jew. To Paul the word Jew had a meaning much like Christian to us. It meant to him one of God's people.
Rested upon the law. There is no article before law in the Greek. The Jew had law, in this case the law, for his foundation.
Makest thy boast of God. Boasted of God's favor to his race.
2:17 But if thou art called a Jew - This highest point of Jewish glorying, after a farther description of it interposed, Rom 2:17 - 20, and refuted, Rom 2:21 - 24, is itself refuted, Rom 2:25, and c. The description consists of twice five articles; of which the former five, Rom 2:17,18, show what he boasts of in himself; the other five, Rom 2:19,20, what he glories in with respect to others. The first particular of the former five answers to the first of the latter; the second, to the second, and so on. And restest in the law - Dependest on it, though it can only condemn thee. And gloriest in God - As thy God; and that, too, to the exclusion of others.
2:17-24 The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sins they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions. A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is the root and sum of all religion. But proud, vain-glorious boasting in God, and in the outward profession of his name, is the root and sum of all hypocrisy. Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride. A great evil of the sins professors is, the dishonour done to God and religion, by their not living according to their profession. Many despise their more ignorant neighbours who rest in a dead form of godliness; yet themselves trust in a form of knowledge, equally void of life and power, while some glory in the gospel, whose unholy lives dishonour God, and cause his name to be blasphemed.
